Located along the Great Plains, in the North East corner of Kansas lies the small town of Stull. With a population of less than 2,000, Stull is one of the smaller towns in all of Kansas. However, small Stull may seem, the town is renowned for being home to, what some people consider to be, one of the gates of hell.
Built in 1861, Stull Evangelical Church was funded by the members of the community. For decades the church and cemetery represented a primary assembly for many of Stull’s residents. It wasn’t until 1974 when a newspaper article from Kansas State University revealed the haunting legend of biblical proportions. It is said that the Stull Church is one of the only places on earth where the devil himself materializes several times a year. The spirits of those resting, whom died a violently, are said to roam the grounds with the devil during the Spring Equinox and Halloween. Students have reported “supernatural happenings” such as being touched by beings that were unseen, and others have experienced sudden recollections, or memory losses while visiting the grounds.
Many attribute the origination of the story to the witchcraft practices and black magic of pagans in the region. According to legend, these pagans summoned the presence of spirits which would haunt the territory for eternity. Contrary to popular belief, the town Stull is actually said to be derived from “skull” which legend holds was the original title of the location.
Others say that the devil makes his presence there because of a horrible tragedy which occurred in the 1870s. It is depicted that a hand at the local stable violently murdered the mayor of the settlement by stabbing him to death. In turn the stable was constructed into a church, where the inhabitants would gather for worship.
The legend of the Stull Cemetery has not gone unheard either. Pope John Paul II, while flying over the region, specifically requested for his plane not to pass over “the unholy ground”. Nevertheless, those residing in Stull Kansas continue to believe that these ghost stories are mere creations of youth and college students. Many inhabitants deny there ever being a community of witchcraft practicing pagans. However, if one considers that the inhabitants currently residing in Stull are descendants of these earlier settlers, there may be a reason why they continue to deny these unnatural occurrences.
As the rumors of the Devil’s presence continued to anger the citizens of Stull, some decided to take the matters into their own hands. Following an increased attraction of media coverage, Major Weiss, the proprietor of the grounds, mysteriously destroyed the old stone church. On one hand he claims that he did it because the structure attracted vandals onto his land. On the other hand, he might have been destroying what he thought to be one of the last passageways to hell. In any event, visitors from all over the country continue to attend the Stull Cemetery on Halloween. With no sightings of supernatural occurrences, some have completely abandoned the tales. However, the devil may only make his presence known to those he himself deems worthy of such an event; and who would expect them to speak up?
Latest Comments