Team 9 Ghost Tours

Team 9 students reading, writing, and re-telling stories about the Fort’s haunted past…

2010

Team 9 Gurus Present: Fort Riley’s Haunted Past…

Story Name Book Group Location The Phantom in McGill Hall Legends Live On (D) Connor, Samantha, Jason, Dana Building 223

Haunting of Thorne Hall Legends Live On (C) Matt, Zoe, Michael Building 227

The Lights in the Old Post Theater Legends Live On Mr. Lickteig Building 206

The Nursery Ghost Legends Live On (D) Savannah, Antonio, Lila, Christina Quarters 8B

The Legend of the Indian Attack Legends Live On (D) Tyler W., Alex, Jessica, Michael Quarters 2

Building 305 Quarters 99 and the Stairwell People Legends Live On (D) Michelle, Dominque, Shelby, Dylan Quarters 99

The Haunted Billiard Room in Bld. 405 Past and Present (B) Matt, Keontaye, Josh, Eddie Building 405

The Buckskin Ghost Past and Present (A) Serrena, Dante, Shelia Quarters 85

The Parsonage Ghost or the Exorcism at the

Sutler’s Quarters Past and Present (C) Dalton, Keshun, Josephina, Jenwhel

Saint Mary’s Quarters 124

The Ghost of Susan Fox Past and Present (A) Breyana, DeSean, Broc Trolley Station

The Weeping Man at Mrs. Armistead’s Grave Past and Present (D) Bailey, Taffy, Wyatt, Kaylee Cemetery

The Polo Field Horror Past and Present (A) Patrick, Cheyenne, Bethany Infantry Parade

Grounds

The Riding Hall Phantom Past and Present (B) Coby, Danny, Luis, Hayley King Field House

Scrap House Ghost Past and Present (A) Joviana, Kyril, Sarah Corner of Riley Place &

Huebner Road

The Ghost Ferry at Pawnee City Past and Present Mr. Lickteig First Territorial Capitol

The Ghost Sentry at Camp Funston Past and Present (C) Joseph, Christian, Jorden, Sage Camp Funston

The Haunting on Brick Row Past and Present Mr. Lickteig Quarters 166

The Custer Ghost Tale / Teddy Bear Ghost Into the 21st Century (A) Bridget, Byron, Kevin Quarters 24

“Beware” of the Red Stained Walls Into the 21st Century (D) Brendan, Tyler F., Enrique, Yamie, Conner

Quarters 9B

The Triangle House Legends Live On (C) Aaron, Rebecca, Chris, Andrew Quarters 86

Moving Pictures Into the 21st Century (A) Cole, Kyle, Chasidy, Austin Building 1

The Ghost Who Liked Music Past and Present (A) Trevor, Edwin, Sierra 15A

Window Ghost at 97A Past and Present (B) Jayy, Trey, Alfred 97A

Spectral Riders of Cavalry Parade Field / Old

Trooper Statue Past and Present (B) Anthony, Ebony, Tasia, Skeyler

Cavalry Parade Field / Old Trooper Statue

Bacon Hall Ghost Past and Present (B) Desmond, Angie, Brad Building 29

Waybur Hall Legend Lives On (C) Djibril, Sabrina, Linda Building 411

Lady in Black Legend Lives On (C) Ostyn, Ethan, Kaitlyn, Angelica Quarters 435D

The Ghost Horse / The Morgue Mystery Legend Lives On /

Into the 21st Century Building 500

Custer Haunts Carr Hall Into the 21st Century Building 45

Commissary Capers Into the 21st Century Building 229

Phantom Horses Into the 21st Century Building 247

The Bargain Shopper Into the 21st Century Building 267

“Shadow’s” Writing on the Wall Into the 21st Century Quarters 18B

Terrified Maintenance Worker Into the 21st Century **Actual Custer House Quarters 21

The Green Girl Ghost Into the 21st Century Quarters 90B

Homeless Spirits Into the 21st Century Quarters 92A

THE BACON HALL GHOST BY:

Angelina Warner, Bradley Christoffersen, Desmond Sysengchanh

In 1889 Ft. Riley Bacon Hall was completed from construction. Bacon Hall was then used as

a hospital for troops. Then used as a dispensary of medicine for soldiers. As Ft. Riley changed so

did Bacon Hall. It was changed as a bachelors officers quarters.

This hall has had many people stay in it mostly the important people some stay for a long

time. The people that go and stay there have said that they have heard and smelt very odd things.

The building was searched and nothing was found to explain those things. The smells and sounds

still continue though. These are things no one understands so they point to the supernatural.

In 1920 captain pride was writing a book of history on Ft. Riley. He heard of all the spooky

noises and smells so he wrote a book on the incident. Later he looked for an answer and didn’t find

any. In his book he also wrote about the history of bacon hall but there is not any findings he found

that consist of anything paranormal with Bacon Hall.

Many people stayed and have been in and out of Bacon Hall but in 1855 there was a cholera

outbreak. There were many people killed and buried there at bacon hall and there was one unknown

grave of a confederate soldier that died there.

Bacon Hall is still a mysterious place. There are still reports of the strange odors ad sounds.

Most likely we will never find out why. All we can do is believed the history and stories of thee

mysterious bacon hall. It might be strange but then again it might not.

The “Buckskin” Ghost By: Dante, Serrena, and Shei

The buckskin ghost is a spirit that haunts apartment 85B. Many people saw him and

because the ghost often kept children company, some kids even left snacks out for him. When he

is seen, he is always dressed in a milky-colored fringe outfit. When he approaches you so close

that he can reach you, he disappears instantly. He is often heard walking up and down the stairs

and hallways with the sound of his combat boots echoing.

In 1996 Jacob Brown and his brother were wrestling and heard footsteps on the stairs and

figuring that it was their parents Jacob stopped horse playing with his brother to look. What he

saw was not his parents but a translucent figure in a fringed leather jacket. Once the figure

walked close enough to touch Jacob he dissolved.

Another encounter with the Buckskin’s presence is in the apartment, the summer of 1997;

normally spooky stuff happens at the time when the majority of the household members are

asleep or preoccupied. A person that has seen him and has been terrified by his appearance, was

fifteen-year-old Sarah Harman, after she finished unpacking her stuff and was done with it in 3

days, she was trying to sleep when she was admiring her glowing stars on her ceiling, as if on cue

the stars immediately fell to the floor, not singularly but all together like a sudden down fall of

rain. She also had a more disturbing skirmish was one night while she was doing her laundry,

suddenly she saw a translucent figure coming toward her and came close enough to touch then,

just like Jacob’s encounter, he instantly disappeared.

Could the Buckskin Ghost be a participant I the closet door opening and footsteps

throughout the house? Or maybe the piano that plays without a visible pianist or other doors

around the quarters opening and closing? Some residents believe so. Maybe it’s just coincidence

or a possible setup by family members or housing, as others think.

This ghost story is a mystery to all that have encountered it. It has frightened and upset

many. Only some truly know what they saw, others just know by a story or anecdote. As for the

Harman family, they were still living in Quarters 85B, as of the later 1990’s. To this day no one

knows the truth of the Buckskin Ghost. Like the many other hauntings on Fort Riley this enigma is

unsolvable. Maybe one day people will crack this case, and if not that’s all the more fun for our

new comers with their homes…

Camp Funston By: Sage Astorga, Christian Ahn, Joseph Walder, Jordan Watkins (Core C)

Fort Riley is located in the eastern dart of Kansas. Many military families are stationed

in Fort Riley Kansas. Lots of people have talked about the mysterious behavior on post. In fact

some people have said they see bizarre things. It has been said that most of fort riley is

haunted, especially fort Funston.

In the early 1900’s after world war one. Camp Funston was basically infected with the

Spanish Influenza. It was a very serious pandemic disease. Up to 40 million people have died

from this horrid disease. That’s less than the people that died in WW 1 than the Spanish

influenza.

Years later… it was prom night for Ridge High. The high schoolers are drunk, of course.

So they heard about Camp Funston’s history, about the Spanish Influenza, and decided to go

to the grave of the people who have died from it, and smash their grave. So they hoped in the

car, and drove to the cemetery. It was 3:15 at night, the prom had just ended.

The drunken fools who were messed up. They grabbed their bats, and started to

smash the tomb stones. Little did they know the spirits of the dead people were watching

him. After they were finished they got in they were finished they got in their car and left.

Nobody has seen them since then; all that’s left was their car, in the middle of nowhere.

Cavalry Parade Field

By: Skyeler, Ebony, Anthony, Tasia (Core B)

The ghost stories told today are really cool to hear especially if they are told on

Halloween. You think that they won’t happen to you since it happened somewhere that is

nowhere close to you. It’s all fun and games until you hear a ghost story that happened right

down the street from where you live. For all the people that thrive to hear ghost stories that

happen close to where you live and you live on Fort Riley this ghost story is for you.

Many people think that the old trooper statue is just an old piece of rock that sits

there. Well that is only half the story. That statue was built in honor of a great horse named

Chief. Chief was foaled in 1932. He served in the military from 1940-1949 and passed away in

1968. He was never forgotten because he was the last Cavalry Mount carried on the rolls on

of the United States Army. Of course since he was a thoroughbred

he was honored and buried standing upright with his saddle on and his bridle right in front of

where the trooper statue is. Better watch out cause this heroic steed has a twisted side to

him. People have said to have seen him crawl out of the ground from where he was buried.

After he comes out of the ground he just disappears. This is pretty freaky for a well known

horse, but hey everyone has their own dark side. This is just one of Chief’s.

What happened with Chief is just one of the many things that happen on post. When

young soldiers are signed into the old 1st Military Company which was headquartered in

Thorne Hall, Building 227, the soldiers that worked there already would sit down and tell the

new comers the story about the “ghost riders”. Who are these “ghost riders” that these men

are talking about? Theses riders make their presence known when you are known when you

are near the Custer House. Where you stand on Cavalry Parade Field you will first hear a low

vibration that sounds like a storm that is in the distance. As you continue to hear this sound

you will be able to figure out that it s the thunderous sound of a group of soldiers on horses

galloping at full pace across the field. When that happens, you can also hear the sound of the

men speaking and the sound of the metal on the horses clinking together. Afterwards, you

see shadows and can tell that it is the shadow of men and horses. Then the ghost troops

begin to slow down and eventually come to a halt. Where they stop is where people say is

where Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s Quarters was.

Lieutenant Cuter was on patrol back in 1867. While he was on patrol he had learned

that a disease had spread back towards Fort Riley. That is where his wife was quartered.

When he heard about the news he worried about the health of his wife. Before he left to go

see his wife he had to hand over the 7th cavalry to another officer since he was on patrol.

After he did that he went to Fort Riley. Because of what he did he was court marshaled and

was on suspension for a year.

LADY IN BLACK

Ostyn Stiner, Ethan Taylor, Kaitlyn Boyle, Angelica Bengochea

In April 1996 an officer was on Temporary Duty off Fort Riley. He was

gone for a few weeks so his wife and daughters were home alone. While he was

gone his family had a lot of unordinary experiences.

One ordinary night her three daughters were fast asleep when she found

her dog and cat on her bed, which is forbidden. She tried to get the animals to

move but they wouldn’t budge. She woke in the middle of the night and was

surprised to see a woman wearing a long black dress with her hair in an old

fashion bun. The mysterious lady was standing on the bed looking at her

insanely. She jumped out of her bed as fast as possible but the mysterious figure

was already disappeared. This event occurred again the next night.

Several nights later she went through her same routine and went to sleep.

Again in the middle of the night she was woken by the ghost. But this time the

ghost screamed “get up! Get up now”. After she heard the voice she searched the

house franticly and found the back door open, which is uncommonly used. The

door was closed and locked earlier that night. She shut the door and went back to

sleep wondering why all these strange things are happening.

Another day the officers wife and one daughter were standing in the same

hallway but at opposite ends when, the lights flickered on and off like in a scary

movie. All the other lights in the house remained the same. Nor the mother or

daughter touched the lights.

There has been many other encounters while only one person in the house.

Some of these events were door doorknobs shaking, doors opening randomly,

blinds flying up, lights turning on, knocking on second story windows and even

running in the hall when nobody is there. There are sometimes even weird smells

such as toast burning even when nobody is cooking.

Phantom in McGill Hall Jason O’Connell, Connor Dailey, Dana Diesburg, Samantha Raff

Once upon a time there was a soldier, not just any soldier, a cavalry soldier, not just

any cavalry soldier, a cavalry soldier that is stationed at Fort Riley. To be more specific,

building number 223. This is a story about a soldier involved in a tragic accident. Maybe if you

stay there you just might get a visit in the night. Now enough of me just talking here’s the

story of the Phantom of McGill Hall.

Our story takes place in McGill Hall, Also known as building 223. It started its career as

barracks for the cavalry troops. To this day it is the oldest continuously used barracks on Fort

Riley. McGill Hall is named after a war hero named Troy McGill. He is one of the few that

have won the Prized Medal of Honor. Oh yea almost forgot to tell you, the place is haunted.

One night in 1997, SPC Ehrhardt woke up at 1 a.m. to a shadowy figure that was 6 feet

tall. He was wearing a dark trench coat. He was surprised and freaked out. He said that the

figure was at the foot of his bed standing over him. He sat up and built up enough courage to

ask who was there, when he did the figure melted into the shadows. The figure is believed to

be that of a soldier who died there in the 1800’s.

Today the cavalry was in formation. Every time they come back they all put their

weapons in a rack in center of the barracks. This one particular day, a soldier did not unload

his weapon correctly. As the soldier inserted the weapon into the rack it discharged killing

another. He couldn’t be saved and died on the scene. Maybe he died so fast, he didn’t realize

what’s happening, and is roaming building 223 looking for someone to tell him what’s going

on.

That was the sad but true story of the phantom in McGill Hall. Maybe someday you

will see this mysterious shadow. Today Building 223 is being used as military police barracks.

This is not the only paranormal occurrence on Fort Riley, there are many more.

Yamilex Gomez

Tyler Fiedler

Conner McLeod

Brendan Glanz

Beware of the Red Stained Walls!!!

A new family was touring houses on Forsyth Avenue. They found a house they liked;

Quarters 9B. Seconds after entering the house, the kids ran though the basement, screaming

the door says “BEWARE”.

Out of curiosity, the parents crept along to check the decaying door. Sure enough, the

door had a painted “BEWARE” on it. Although the family was a bit frightened about what

might be behind the door, they found that it was just a cold, dark room.

There was no visible light switch, but they could see that the floors were filled with

dirt that crawled up the wall. It progressed up to the ceiling towards the back of the room. It

had the same spooky looks as an old cold mine. The eerie room left a spooky impression on

the family, because on the way back, they noticed red stains that pooled in the corner on the

floor.

The family nervously joked that it possibly they moved in, a cleaning team came in to

do final work on the basement. One of the cleaners was a bit worried because she told the

family they cleaned a red stain before they moved in. It was confirmed when another

cleaning crew had indeed cleaned the red stain. By this time they were a little more than

spooked about the situation.

We just decided to not try to remove it again after that. But we have noticed that the

writing was no longer confined to the basement. We found a similar stain on our front porch.

The stains are always reoccurring out of the blue. These mysterious stains make me wonder if

there is someone connected to these stains or is it a possibly a warning?

St. Mary’s Chapel

By: Dalton, Josephina, Keshun, and Jenwhel

Edited by Mr. Lickteig

The original church on Fort Riley is named St. Mary’s Chapel. The Chapel

was built in 1855 and finshed1861, the year the Civil War began. This chapel been

used as school, a church and a house. The chapel itself is reported to be haunted

by a female ghost. Reportedly, a lady killed herself because she couldn’t find love.

She had been engaged five times and each time the soldier had left her standing

in the chapel. She drowned herself in a well behind the St. Mary’s Chapel.

The female ghost has been called “The Ghost of Fort Riley and Fort

Leavenworth.” After serving as a chapel and a school, the building was renovated

to a family quarters. The first family to move in was Mr. and Mrs. Mose Waters.

Immediately they began experiencing paranormal events.

It began when their doors would mysteriously unlock in the morning. No

one was seen unlocking the doors…it appeared as if someone was trying to break

in. Later, they reported mysterious noises such as heavy chains dragging on the

floors making really loud screeching noises. The haunting usually took place in the

kitchen. The cook reported seeing a woman’s face pressed up against the

window. He was so frightened that he quit the very next day.

The haunting and ghostly sounds continued. The family decided to contact

the Catholic priest named Father Carcius from Saint Xavier’s Church in Junction

City to “lay the ghost”. Father Carcius performed an exorcism at the house and in

the backyard. During the ritual there were even louder sounds of chains and

flashing lights from where the light was originally located.

After the exorcism the area was quiet…for awhile. Then, years later, there

have been an increase in reported sightings. People have claimed they have seen

a ghostly female wearing a black or gray old-fashioned dress. Most believe she is

still looking for the one thing she didn’t have …love.

The Ghost of Susan Fox

Broc Fontenot, DeSean Davis, Breyana Rose

Susan fox was a young woman with undeniable beauty, skin as pale as a ghost, and

long black hair. She lived with her stepfather, Sergeant Lowe the post’s Forage Master, which

is the person that is responsible to feed the horses. They lived a small house in the summer of

1855 on the post. The beautiful woman me Mr. John T. Price a civilian employee from the

fort’s Quartermaster detachment and fell head over heels for him. Their love was so strong

that they got engaged and planned to get married before the year ended.

Unfortunately faith did not want them together. Soldiers departed from Ft. Riley to

take part in the Sioux expedition along the overland trail north of Ft. Riley. Along with the

troops was Sergeant Lowe leaving his stepdaughter at the fort, alone. Fort Riley met Cholera

on July 30, 1855 and it instantly spread throughout the base. The post commander, Major

Edmund Ogden and multiple soldiers that stayed at Fort Riley were dead by August 3rd from

the deadly disease that year. On the fourth, Susan was stricken with the illness and died

lonely in the quarters she and her stepfather called home.

Her body lay on the chilling floor until her fiancée returned home from tending others

affected by the disease in Pawnee City. The next day Susan was buried by Price in her elegant

dark gown she planned to get married in the next day at the foot of a gigantic tree behind the

quartermaster employees’ quarters. Her grave was marked by a wooden railing and

headstone. It was also northeast from the present day Trolley Station.

As time passed and the Trolley Station was being built, discovered her remains. Many

elders would say the headstone and railing burnt by prairie fires. Others say that in 1901, her

remains were unearthed by a workman digging waterlines for the Brick row housing. She was

reburied in the post cemetery yet there are no actual documents showing her reburial.

Eventually her grave was lost forever.

Now even centuries later after her death, Susan returns to her home demanding to be

let in. Later residents were bothered by the peculiar noises and shrieks believed to be Susan

Fox. From this disturbance the quarters were destroyed. Even though her home was torn

down legend has it that a woman in a long, dark, ruffled gown strolls aimlessly by the Trolley

Station looking for her long lost love or she misses her stepfather. Could this truly be Susan

Fox or just a simple image of our imagination that we want to believe? That answer is up to

you.

The Ghost Who Liked Music By: Edwin Soto, Trevor Daily, Sierra Chase

Core A

Down Forsyth Ave from Quarter one, commonly known as “officers row”.

Also located near the frightening parade field. Each house is a duplex of two and

a half stories constructed with locally quarried limestone. The house was built in

1887. The people who occupied these houses were for war veterans that were

cavalry officers, and their families.

The lovely piano playing its beautiful sound. Though the screeching of the

violin overwhelmed it. The pianist sentenced her to the basement for her rude

and cruel sounds. While playing her horrible sounds the radio suddenly turned

on. At first the idea of a program, so she turned it off, but as soon as she did it

turned back on. This phenomenon happened over and over again.

Maybe it was just the program she thought. Yet of course it was not. The

radio kept turning on twice a week, ad she nearly thought the wiring was the

cause. So time after time she turned the radio off and still continued her

practice. One day she stared at the radio curiously and worried, ”Was this just

the radio, or am I just going mad?” she asked. As she continued her practicing

the radio did a strange thing. The radio turned on and the volume went up to a

loud screeching noise, making the lady stop and cringe in fear. “How can this

happen?” she yelled trying to get out. Sadly the door never opened and the

noise traveled down the streets haunting this day.

The Haunted billiard room in building 405

By: Matt Mindak, Keontaye Jeminsen, Josh Goodwin, and Eddie Guamond

Edited by Mr. Lickteig

In 1960, the Public Affairs Office, otherwise known as building 405, was an on-base

recreation center. This place offered drinks and food for soldiers. There was an area

with telephones which allowed the soldiers to call their family and friends. A woman

who worked in building 405 said “it was a great place to relax and have a drink or two.”

While she was working there she heard rumors about soldiers in the 1960s that dared

each other to jump from the third floor down the narrow stairwell on to a pile of pillows

on a pool table.

After a soldier jumped off the stair well he hit the pillows on the pool table, ricochet

and then would plummet into the ground head first. The cause of them doing these

unbelievable stunts was being intoxicated. After they died, other military personal

started to hear weird noises. They believed that these were the spirits of the young men

who killed themselves.

A young military police officer who was at the time the assistant manager was left

alone in the building. The young officer was checking the other rooms monotonously on

the 3rd floor. In one of the room a man appeared. He was dressed in an old blue uniform

and was playing a game of pool. The young worker told him to leave. The man smiled

with brilliant white teeth and then shouted “Farewell!” The soldier in the blue uniform

then chased the assistant manager down the hall. The young soldier panicked as he

was opening the elevator. He felt a slight breeze on his neck that caused goose bumps

to pop up. When he had finally worked up his courage he slowly turned around. He didn’t

see anyone.

Over the last few years Building 405 has undergone some renovations. During

construction, a few workers commented on hearing what sounded like pool balls hitting

into each other during their break periods. Perhaps the blue uniformed pool player was

taking a break with them.

The Haunting Of Thorne Hall

By: Matt Morin, Zoe Foulks, & Michael Chan

It was a quiet, peaceful night and towns light glisten on the sidewalk. A misty fog

surrounded the fort and out of the corner of my eye I could see a building. A small,

lonely building still and to itself. A full moon peaked out of the mountains. I could see a

woman. For a moment she was there, and then she was gone.

My heart raced and my temples burst as I tried to stay calm. I had no idea where I

was and I started pacing. I sat down when I heard breathing and a slight thump of a

heartbeat. Someone was watching me. In less than two seconds I was wrapped in black

velvet. The woman appeared again as my blindfold was removed. It was dark but I could

just make out the figure. For a moment I was there, and then I was gone.

It was December 21, 1999. 4 years ago in building 227 a woman was killed by an

officer. It was strange because the victim’s body vanished behind Thorne Hall. For two

years investigators searched and searched for the body but nothing was found. Two

officers who were on overnight duty reported a figure of a woman walking in the

building. Again, the same thing was reported by more officers.

Two men on duty were searching the building. After an hour one man shouted,

“Man! What was that? A sonic boom?” It appeared that all the ceiling tiles fell on the

floor. After a long investigation of tiles everywhere, police figured that something heavy

up above mad the ceiling collapse. After the tiles were cleaned up and the ceiling was

repaired, the same boom was heard. More tiles fell and everything was where it started.

I was standing there. Alone and cold. She was waiting for me, just as she was 85 years

ago. I knew she was looking for me. I’ve been gone for a while and I guess she just

couldn’t let me go. People were here, walking her halls, unaware of what they were in

for. For a moment they were there, and then they were gone.

The Legend of the Indian Attack

By: Alex B. Michael A. Jessica W. Tyler W. (Core D)

On Fort Riley there is a house, quarters 2, that once housed a family and the soldiers

that worked for them. Underneath this house was a dark and gloomy basement. One night,

after everyone had fallen asleep, the clattering sound of horses feet and the whooping of

Indian calls grew louder and louder. The family woke with a jolt as the soldier rushed them

downstairs.

The unfortunate residents were just getting moved into the house and had not gotten

any rations put downstairs yet. They shut the basement door without knowing two vital

pieces of information.

1. Indians cannot get on Fort Riley.

2. The basement door that they just shut could not be opened from either side.

They were trapped!

The soldiers tried opening the door, but it didn’t budge. They did not have any food or

water and when someone fell asleep, it was on the rock hard dirt floor. The only light source

was a single flickering bulb that was positioned in the center of the room. The kids were

unbelievably scared. At night, the temperature got spine-chilling cold.

Inside the room there was a hole that was a pipe, but could have easily been confused

with a tunnel. After a while, one soldier decided to crawl into the hollow passageway and

hope for the best. He was never heard from again. The passageway was indeed a pipe that

was used as a funnel to carry steam. Investigators believe that the daring soul was burnt alive

by the steam.

By the time someone found where everyone was they were all dead. Later occupants

who have resided in quarters 2 have reported sounds of footsteps going up and down the

stairs. Some have reported hearing a “motherly” voice calling the names of two children.

Today the building remains empty. All the residents have been scared off. Quarters 2, has just

become another ghostly mystery of Fort Riley, Kansas.

The Lights in the Old Post Theater From Ghosts of Fort Riley: The Legends Live On

Not far from King Field House stands the old Main Post Theater, Building 206, which was built in 1932. It has not

been an active theater since the 1980s and is currently used as a warehouse.

The Post Theater has been the site of many strange stories. The military police (MPs) have frequently been called

to investigate unusual events in the building. As with their civilian counterparts, the military police have a canine (K-9) unit

to assist them in their duties. Police dogs are trained to the highest levels of obedience by their handlers. But even these

professional working dogs have refused to enter the old theater on several occasions. As anyone who has ever owned a dog

knows, these beloved companions often appear to have a “sixth sense”. Perhaps that explains the next accounts.

In the fall of 1984, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Byron Brownfield was dispatched to the old theater to investigate a report

of lights or flashes inside. Up his arrival he met the Charge of Quarters (CQ) of the building. The CQ described the lights as

looking like flashlight beams – only they had a bluish hue. SSG Brownfield checked the front door and found it unlocked; he

notified the Military Police Station and waited for an additional patrol and the K-9 unit to arrive.

Once the K-9 unit arrived, the dog handler attempted to get the dog to enter the theater, but it refused. “We

always put the dog in first,” he said. Standard procedure in an unknown situation is to send the canine in, knowing the dog

will alert the policemen to any danger. The handler made several attempts to force the dog into the theater, but to no avail.

Despite the handler‟s commands, the canine refused to get close to the old theater. SSG Brownfield related “The handler

finally gave up and put the dog back into his vehicle.”

Someone finally asked, “Well, who wants to go in?” SSG Brownfield said that at that point, “We stood there for a

while, then somebody told me, „Well, this is where the old Master Sergeant hung himself, down in the theater.” A popular

legend among the military policemen was that a non-commissioned officer had committed suicide in the theater some time

in the 1930s or 40s. Some believe his spirit still haunts the old building.

After gathering up their courage, the military policemen went in and searched the building, but reported nothing

out of the ordinary. The CQ locked up the theater and they left.

SSG Brownfield later was told that the night of the incident was on the anniversary of the Master Sergeant‟s death.

Corporal (CPL) Rusty Morton had a similar story to tell. Whether his events occurred on a separate night or

whether he was the backup unit is unknown. CPL Morton reported again that they could not get the canines to enter the

building. “Even throwing in treats could not convince them to enter,” he stated.

On another call to the old theater, CPL Morton said that a young sergeant and his junior partner arrived prior to the

K-9 unit, and entered the building without waiting. They searched the premises for about ten to fifteen minutes and found

nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly, they heard a loud “thunk” come from the upstairs. The sergeant turned to check on

his partner, and saw him making a mad dash for the front door. The sergeant ran after his partner and out of the building.

As soon as they had exited the theater, the door slammed shut and locked behind them. The two men looked at each other

in disbelief. The lock was the type that does not automatically engage; the door had to be locked using the key. The MPs

double-checked. It was locked. They left the site of the old building and said nothing more of the experience.

The Nursery Ghost

Christina Brunton, Antonio Carter, Grace Joyner, lila Vaughn (Core D)

It was a cold wintery night in December of 1999. The Boslegos had moved into their home carrying

their 9 month old child. Their new home was located at Forsyth Avenue, Quarters 8B. Rachelle and her

husband have heard rumors about this house, people claiming it to be haunted because there was a woman

living in it before who lost their child to a fatal illness but to them the supernatural was a load of nonsense

and just stories people made up to scare you, right? WRONG!

The exact same night Rachelle could hear noises that sounded like footsteps leading up to the

nursery and whenever she would go check up on the baby she would always find the door wide open when she

knew for sure that she had closed it once she left. She went over in her mind that it was just the wind or some

other natural thing to excuse this odd behavior but as she looked again she could see the transparent

apparition woman-like figure rocking back and forth in the old rocking chair. She seemed to be cradling a

young child in her arms not paying Rachelle any attention but instead looking directly at David Jr. who was

cooing and laughing like nothing was happening. Rachelle was able to take her eyes off of the “ghost” to look

at her baby boy and once she looked back up the lady had vanished and what remained was an empty rocking

chair slowly moving back and forth.

The following morning she tried to explain to her husband what she had saw last night but he wrote it

off as a bad dream. Still worried she called up her friend who told her that her father was a psychic and that

he could tell what was going on in a house just by a picture so Rachelle was going to do just that and send in a

picture of her house and hopefully get an answer to her questions that were slowly chipping away her sanity.

It only took two days before a reply was in the mail, hesitantly she opened it and slowly skimmed the printed

words on the paper, it read that the footsteps she has been haring are from a man who has been checking in

on his dying wife and child. Supposedly, the wife and son died peacefully in the house from deathly sicknesses

but the spirit of the father has yet to pass on peacefully. The only thought that went through her puzzled mind

was “what was I thinking when I decided to come here with my child?”

David suggested that they go out tonight because of all the things happening at the house so they

decided to call a babysitter to watch David Jr. Rachelle still wasn’t sure about it but she decided it was for the

best and agreed to go to the dinner. The baby sitter was right on time the next day, given a list of emergency

numbers and more information about the baby before Rachelle and David left to go out leaving the baby sitter

and David Jr. “alone” or so they thought. A few hours in the babysitter heard the crying of the baby up in the

nursery, getting up she went and made the baby a bottle before going upstairs to the nursery. The door was

already open but not thinking much of it she stepped through and took a step toward the crib which held the

crying baby waiting to be fed but as she was about to take another step a sudden chill ran down her spine and

a loud creak from the corner of the room hit her eardrums. Turning her head toward the anonymous sound

her eyes widened at the sight of the rocking chair slowly moving to and fro but with no solid figure sitting

upon it. Frozen solid to the place where she was standing her mind drew a blank and the words that she could

only come up with to say was “I don’t want an encounter, please the baby needs it’s bottle!” as soon as her

sentence was finished the rocking stopped. Taking the chance she quickly moved to the crib and fed the baby

its bottle. Once finished she turned to leave the room and as she closed the door behind her she could hear

the slow rocking of the rocking chair.

The Picture Ghost

By: Cole, Kyle, Austin, and Chasidy

Quarters 1. It was home to General Hardy; the last commander before the return of the big red

1. His wife (name not mentioned) was living there too. They had heard stories, but didn’t pay attention

to them. Not until strange things started happening.

As an army wife, Hardy’s wife knew what to do after a move. She started unpacking. Their child

came to help her unpacking. They stopped packing for the night. Before she goes to bed she decided to

hang pictures of her family on the wall. Later that night, she hears strange thumping noises. Thump,

thump, thump.

The following morning, their child came over again and to help her finish unpacking. She starts to

think what the noise could have been. They had no pets and their child was sleeping. What could the

noise have been? She was still thinking as she went to bed. Later, that night, she hears it again. Thump,

thump, thump. Like a nail being driven home by a hammer.

The next day she notices the pictures she had hung were lopsided. So she goes over to straighten

them. And she discovers that they aren’t where she had hung them. So she looks and there’s 2 holes,

one right next to the one where the picture is hung from.

The next day their child brings their grandchildren over. She doesn’t tell them about the pictures.

Later one of her grandchildren run in an ask “Whose the old guy in the chair”? “What old guy”? they

rush to other room. But they find no one there and the pictures are crooked. She never covered the

original nail hole, just to be a reminder, something that makes you go “huh”?

Quarters 1 is now home to General Brooks, Post Commander of Fort Riley.

The Polo Field Horror By: Cheyenne Molaski, Bethany Groat, & Patrick Dillard

On a cold fall night in 1993 a paranormal activity happened to a now retired

soldier. It occurred on the old polo field on Main Post. The polo field is now the

Infantry Parade Field. This event is unforgettable to the now retired soldier. It all

started in Camp Forsyth.

On the soldiers way home on that dark night, his truck broke down on rifle range

road. He attempted to fix his truck. After awhile, he found that he was unable to fit it.

He made the decision to walk up to the 24 hour Shoppette. This happened to be on main

post. He was getting closer to the Shoppette when he heard faint shouts and cheers.

He was overlooking the parade field, when he saw two mysterious dark figures. He

wanted a better look at the two figures. When he was close enough the sight he saw was

truly terrified. Both figures were phantoms on horseback. It appeared that they were

playing polo. The ball was hit towards him, and both riders came galloping towards him.

One was a black steed in a black cloak that hid his face. The other was on a Wight

horse.

The horse man dismounted, and walked up to the soldier. His head was only a

skull. The phantom yelled, “Leave before it’s too late!” The soldier ran the rest of the

way to the Shoppette in terror. When he called his wife his voice was shaky. As he sat

on the curb waiting rocking back and forth still frightened.

The Presence in Waybur Hall By: Sabrina Macias, Linda Mendez, and Djibril Mbaye

On July 17th, 1943 the unexpected occurred in Waybur Hall. Specialist Ehrhardr had arrived

from spending the night in town at 2:40 in the morning. He decided to clean his mess at the

basement because it was the only deepest sink to accommodate his large pot.

While he was cleaning his pasta mess, from far away he heard a loud shout that seemed to

be coming from an older man. One of the recruits also heard the disembodied scream/loud

shout and ran to tell the Mps on the main floor. John the recruiter that had heard the unknown

shout had arrived to the main floor but no one seemed to be there. Where usually the front desk

chair is looked like it had just been recently removed from its ordinary spot. John stood still,

afraid, nervous, and awakened. When Specialist Ehrhardr heard another disembodied shout he

ran out of the basement and into the main floor; where there he saw John.

John was still frozen even though he knew specialist Ehrhardr was there behind him. John

was looking at the wall where there he thought he had seen something like a structure of a

human. All of the sudden the lights went out; just one emergency light was shining in complete

darkness! John stood back where there specialist Ehrhardr was standing,……right at that

moment the recorder from the front desk had caught a EVP from a spirit saying “Don’t Move”

Also they saw a figure like five feet away from them which looked like a young police officer.

That exact moment John and Specialist Ehrhardr gave a shout that he lights turned on and

in a blink of an eye everything was quiet and normal. All you could hear was the other recruits

coming down the stairs to see what all the fuzz was about.

None of the recruits would believe it but later that afternoon John and the specialist decided

to listen at the front desk recorder where there they heard what a male voice seemed to be

saying “Don’t Move” to John. The men decided that they should leave the recorder on just in

case if they would get any other EVPs. That same day at night the men heard a loud “Boom”

and a loud “Shut” from the door. 15 minutes later after the loud shut of the door the recorder

caught a EVP which sounded like a little girl humming. John and Specialist Ehrhardr and one of

the Mps named Tom after hearing those recordings the tiny hairs on their arms were standing

up. Since that point they knew that building 411 would be forever haunted.

The Riding Hall Phantom In 1992, the workers of King Field reportedly saw a ghost cloaked in a

darkness as dark as a moonless night and only seen through the veil of mystery. He

was a specter from the past. He would ride on paths not of the present but the past.

His image may have been in our world, but his embodiment was in theirs. I shall now

tell you a tale of one of his appearances.

One night as a worker was doing as he was told he heard hoove clops. When

he went to investigate, he started to see something. That “something” was a pair of

shadowy figures. The dark form turned out to be in the shape of a rider and a horse.

It was said that the rider would be trying to move his horse into a set of maneuvers

without using reins or his hands. A horse riding technique that only a skilled

horseman could use called dressage.

The last sighting of the apparition was by an officer. It started off in the same

way as all the other sightings; however there was one crucial difference. The

difference was that at the end of the performance, the rider dismounted from his

companion. Then he marched to the gate. Finally, he waved a farewell to the officer

and led his noble friend through the main gate of yesteryear.

With his leaving the stage of the living we may never know of his exact origins.

However there is one sign of his past. The fact that he rode using the art that is

dressage is a major clue. The Fort Riley riders were spectacular at dressage in 1932-

1936 Olympic Games. They practiced it until 1948.

Who knows if the performer shall perform an encore for the land of mortality?

Why did he stay here performing for the empty basketball court? When and how did

they die? These questions and more may never be answered. However we can still

and wonder about the shadowy figure and his steed of darkness.

By:

Hayley Leftridge

Coby Welsh

Danny Bramucci

Luis Burgos

The Teddy Bear Ghost

Bridget Berry

Kevin Anderson

Byron Yazzie

A family decided to move into the Custer House ignoring all o the thing that the towns

people where telling them about the strange noises coming from the house. The family

should have listened to the people telling them the information about this house. This family

doesn’t understand what the people are trying to tell them. The family moves in to the

house. Ne afternoon they started t hear some really strange noises, but they didn’t want to

worry everything about it.

One morning this family found a teddy bear on one of the beds and they told they

house keeper that they found it and told her that they are going to move it to another

location so that the son can have a place to sleep. The father didn’t want the son to sleep

with another families teddy bear he said that it’s just not right. The house keeper tells them

that one of the other families that lived here before them might have left it. The boy told his

parents before he had gone to bed that the teddy bear had been moved back on to the bed.

The father didn’t believe his son when he said that the teddy bear had been move and told

him that he needs to go to bed and stop worrying about the bear.

The father found a nice comfortable couch and quickly fall asleep, he rest was quickly

ended. He started to hear boot stomping coming from the upstairs. He quickly rushed up the

steps to see what and where the noise was coming form, but he didn’t find anything in sight

not, even the bear. The sergeant then walked back to the stair case with disappointment on

his face. He was hoping to find what or who was making those noises in the upstairs part of

the house.

The next day the father saw that the son was play with the teddy bear and takes the

bear away and hinds it. The family goes out for lunch and they said that they would be gone

for 2 hours and when they come back they don’t want the bear to be at the house. They

family comes home to find that the bear has been moved again. The father said “that’s it I’m

done with this bear were moving. The family move out of the house and the next day another

family moves in and it all starts over. This family gets somewhat smarter than the family

before them but this family tells the person that sold them the house that it is very haunted

and that they will not be forced to live in it ever again.

THE WEEPING MAN AT MRS. ARMISTEAD’S GRAVE

BY TAFFY M, BAILEY M, KAYLEE G & WYATT M (Core D)

IN THE SUMMER OF 1855 DURING THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK,

MAJOR LEWIS A. ARMISTEAD WENT ON A MAPPING EXPEDITION OF THE

SMOKY HILL RIVER. HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER STAYED HOME. THE

CHOLERA RAGED OUTSIDE VICTIMS DROPPING Dead EVERYWHERE.

STILL, MRS. ARMISTEAD WAS DETERMINED TO STAY ALIVE.

UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE HER EFFORTS, MRS. Cornelia Armistead

BECAME SICK.

AN AMBULANCE RUSHED THE 28 MILES OUT INTO THE FRONTIER

TO FIND MAJOR ARMSTEAD AND INFORM HIM OF THE HORRIBLE NEWS.

MAJOR ARMSTEAD RAN THE WHOLE WAY HOME BUT HE WAS TOO LATE.

HIS WIFE DIED IN HIS ARMS. Later she was buried at the fort riley

cemetery.

Major Armistead never got over the death of his wife. He continued

with his work. In 1860, when the southern states seceded, major

Armistead joined the confederate army. On July 3, 1863, in Gettysburg

Armistead got shot. He later died at the hospital.

Recently, an old couple went on the tour and heard this story. In

disbelief they asked to see a picture of major Armistead. Earlier that day

the couple had been at the cemetery and had seen a man in a blue

uniform weeping by a grave. Letting the man mourn in peace, the couple

walked in the other direction. A few minutes later the older couple

turned around and saw the man had disappeared. Walking up to the

grave they discovered it belonged to no other than Cornelia Armistead.

The people who occupied Quarters 97A from 1990 – 1993 were lieutenant colonel Mike

Kryschtal and his wife, Karen were not satisfied with the windows in 97A. Karen had trouble opening

the windows behind the sink. She had sometimes opened the window with a rubber mallet and a putty

knife but she would still have to stand in the sink. After a year some weird thinks that couldn’t be

explained started happening.

Every night Karen would keep the sink windows shut and locked. One fall morning she heard some flung

open. She thought it was her husband but he was exercising. She went to go and shut it but this time it

wouldn’t budge even with the rubber mallet or putty knife. That night she had double checked if it was

shut. But no surprise it was open again.

Later on her neighbor came over and Karen told her “what was going on. Then Karen asked her “You

have one of my spare keys”? “Are you messing with me or something like that”? Her neighbor

convinced her it wasn’t her. One night when her husband came home she told him what was

happening. He thought that it was the neighbors.

Mike, the next morning experienced the same thing. Mike had a reaction and it was telling his wife to

keep the window shut at night. His wife Karen replied I do keep the window shut at night. His wife

Karen replied that she does keep it shut at night. The next morning the window was wide open. There

was a freezing spot near the window and the plants looked dead. Karen and her neighbor who lived in

97B talked in the kitchen and brought up “Maybe the ghost should visit you”. After what she said it

never happened again.

TRIANGLE HOUSE Names: Aaron B.; Andrew R.; Chris R.; & Rebecca C.

Quarters 86 has been the scene of many horrifying and mysterious

tales. The ancient set of quarters was built in 1909 and is known as the

“Triangle House” because it sits alone on an island resembling a triangle,

at the convergence of Merritt, Morris, and Hollbrook Avenues. Fort Riley

was home to the Cavalry and light Artillery school from 1892-1907. The

Cavalry post centered on cavalry parade field with Schofield Circle and

Pershing Court. The triangle house stands alone on the “dividing line” of

the rival posts.

Before 1907, Cavalry and light Artillery school rested on this single

fort. Both had their own field which was divided by this Triangle House.

Phenomenon happened in two different residents in the late 1980’s and

early 1990’s. Above the heads of the families on the third floor is where

the horrid noises screeched from. Magazines fell as the stairs lay on the

hard cold wooden floor. National geographic and life magazines were

darting around the attic. A man had owned those magazines and accused

his wife of messing with them, but ever since then he never did.

Other incidents occurred in the Triangle House. A rocking chair

was found shaking back and forth, squeaking slowly. There were

cleaning ladies (who had all quit), that claimed there was a mysterious

figure of a lady on the top of the stairs. She wore strange, ancient clothes

that seemed like rags. “Go away! Never come back!” is what she’d say

with a stern voice and none of those who saw her did come back.

At the crest of this horseshoe-shaped drive is Quarters 100, built to

house the Artillery school commander. It was constructed as the same

way as Quarters 1, but renovations and additions through time make the

historic homes more modern. Quarters 100’s balcony offers a panoramic

view of Artillery parade field, directly next door sits Quarters 99.