Tonight’s episode starts with a hoax. For at least a short time in the early 1970s, the hoax caused a media frenzy to descend upon a small backroad looking for a monster that would become known as The Cole Hollow Monster. The fact the Cole Hollow Monster was a hoax has been well documented, but when you dig a little deeper into the legends of something strange lurking along the banks of the Illinois River, one has to wonder could there be something more at the heart of the story. Thanks for listening! Our musical guest for this episode is West End Junction!
Tag Archives: Illinois
The Christmas Gift
Happy holidays from all of us here at the Riverlands Podcast! Join us tonight for a dark Christmas story from Mcleansboro, Illinois on this episode. It’s the story of a murderer, a botched hanging, a sympathetic hangman and a very special Christmas gift. Thanks for listening!
Our musical guest for this episode is Claire Jackson. Be sure to check out her youtube channel!
The Miles Mausoleum
Tucked into a bluff, high above the Mississippi valley in Monroe county, Illinois Miles Mausoleum is full of mystique, extravagance and ultimately, tragedy. Perched on Eagle Cliff, the gleaning white marble building can be seen for miles from the American Bottoms below, which adds to its mystery and cements its place in local legend. It was built by a man seeking fortune and a place in history, like so many who come to the Riverlands. It’s quite a beautiful place with amazing views and of course– it’s said to be extremely haunted. It’s not surprising, the cemetery has seen over a 100 years of destructive vandalism and even an alleged attempt to raise Mr. Miles from the dead by cultists. We hope you enjoy this local legend! Thanks for listening!
Our musical guest for this episode is Ella Gibson with her demo “Wrong Generation”. Be sure to check Ella out!
Our Favorite Strange Tales from the Riverlands
Happy Halloween, friends! Tonight’s episode is a collection of some of our favorite spooky stories and lore from around the Riverlands. We have tales of ghosts in libraries and cemeteries, strange creatures and haunted roads. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!
This episode features music by Insectarium. You can find more of their music on Bandcamp and Youtube!
Bonus: The Ancient Goodest Girl
In honor of National Dog Day, we have a bonus episode for you about humanity’s best friend. We hope you enjoy it!
If you’d like more information about the story featured in this episode or our musical guest, check out our shownotes at riverlandspodcast.com
Bonus: The Ancient Goodest Girl
In honor of National Dog Day, we have a bonus episode for you about humanity’s best friend. We hope you enjoy it! For this episode, we found “A middle Archaic Dog Burial in Illinois ” by Fredrick C Hill particularly helpful. If you’d like to check out Center for American Archeology for yourself, you canContinue reading “Bonus: The Ancient Goodest Girl”
Exploring The Riverbend with Exspiravit Paranormal Society
In our Season 2 finale, we continue our 10 Questions with…Paranormal Investigators series with Exspiravit Paranormal Society from the Quad Cities area of the Riverlands. In this episode, we share tales about the strange places and dark history in the shared region between Iowa and Illinois at the confluence of the Rock River and the Mississippi. Thanks for listening! We will be back in October with more tales of dark history and high strangeness from the Riverlands and more interviews with those who investigate the paranormal in Season 3!
At The Crossroads with Hugh DeNeal
It’s time for the annual Riverlands Musical Episode! On a snowy evening in February, we had the pleasure to talk with Riverlands singer/songwriter Hugh DeNeal. Hugh is an absolute legend in the Riverlands musical community with a unique style all to himself. Hugh and his legendary southern Illinois band, the Woodbox Gang, have an electric style of bluegrass that has been described as “Insurgent Americana”, though the band preferred the term “Trashcan Americana”. Hugh’s unique storytelling style through his music make him a perfect Riverlands musical guest. Enjoy!
At the Crossroads with Hugh DeNeal
It’s time for the annual Riverlands Musical Episode! On a snowy evening in February, we had the pleasure to talk with Riverlands singer/songwriter Hugh DeNeal. Hugh is an absolute legend in the Riverlands musical community with a unique style all to himself. Hugh and his legendary southern Illinois band, the Woodbox Gang, have an electric style of bluegrass that has been described as “Insurgent Americana”, though the band preferred the term “Trashcan Americana”. Hugh’s unique storytelling style through his music make him a perfect Riverlands musical guest. Enjoy!
10 Questions with…The Screaming Ghost Girls
Our next entry into our 10 Questions with Paranormal Investigator interview series features Michelle and Rebecca from the Screaming Ghost Girls. What started out as a ghost hunt as part of a girls weekend getaway quickly morphed into a full blown adventure for Michelle and Rebecca. They’re hilarious, they know their history and we think you’re really going to enjoy our interview with The Screaming Ghost Girls!
10 Questions with…The Screaming Ghost Girls
Our next entry into our 10 Questions with Paranormal Investigator interview series features Michelle and Rebecca from the Screaming Ghost Girls. What started out as a ghost hunt as part of a girls weekend getaway quickly morphed into a full blown adventure for Michelle and Rebecca. They’re hilarious, they know their history and we think you’re really going to enjoy our interview with The Screaming Ghost Girls!
10 Questions with…Parallax Paranormal
This episode is the first in our “10 Questions with…” series. In this version of the series, we’re featuring conversations with Paranormal Investigation groups from all corners of the Riverlands.
In this episode, we sit down with Shannon, Nick, Jason and Ryan, 4 out of the 5 members of Parallax Paranormal. Parallax Paranormal utilizes technology to try to capture evidence of paranormal activity and offer their investigative services free of charge to clients. Parallax Paranormal were really awesome to talk with and we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Check out their Facebook Page, youtube channel (seriously, go watch some of their investigations! You won’t regret it 🙂 ) and Instagram
If you’re in the Riverlands and would like Parallax Paranormal to come investigate your home or business, email the team at parallaxparanormal@gmail.com
10 Questions with…Parallax Paranormal
This episode is the first in our “10 Questions with…” series. In this version of the series, we’re featuring conversations with Paranormal Investigation groups from all corners of the Riverlands.
In this episode, we sit down with Shannon, Nick, Jason and Ryan, 4 out of the 5 members of Parallax Paranormal. Parallax Paranormal utilizes technology to try to capture evidence of paranormal activity and offer their investigative services free of charge to clients. Parallax Paranormal were really awesome to talk with and we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Coming Soon: 10 Questions with…Paranormal Investigators
Introducing a Riverlands side series: 10 Questions with….where we interview groups and people from the Riverlands. We aren’t sure where this series will take us, but for now, we are starting with several paranormal investigator groups from across the Riverlands. Though not paranormal investigators ourselves, we’ve always been fascinated with those who dare to venture a little further into the unknown. So, join us over the next few months for some wild tales as we discuss what draws these groups to investigate the paranormal and their investigation methodology. We can’t wait for you to hear their stories!
Jesse’s Story
Tonight’s episode is an addendum to our previous episode, Guided by the Spirit. Our guest Jesse shares his brush with the CSA with us. We hope you enjoy Jesse’s story. Thanks for listening!
Guided by the Spirit
Tonight’s episode is an origin story of sorts- a self-proclaimed hero’s descent into villainhood. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This is a story about Jim, a man who was lead by the spirits of the Riverlands on a journey that ultimately ended in terrorism and murder. Jim was a preacher who founded a survivalist Christian community deep in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Jim’s sermons became increasingly paranoid and foretold the decline of civilization. What began as a community of the lost and idealistic, eventually evolved into an extremist paramilitary organization that dissolved after a multi-day standoff with the U.S. government. You can find more information in our show notes! Thanks for listening!
Guided by the Spirit
Tonight’s episode is an origin story of sorts- a self-proclaimed hero’s descent into villianhood. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This is a story about Jim, a man who was lead by the spirits of the Riverlands on a journey that ultimately ended in terrorism and murder. Jim was a preacher who founded a survivalist Christian community deep in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Jim’s sermons became increasingly paranoid and foretold the decline of civilization. What began as a community of the lost and idealistic, eventually evolved into an extremist paramilitary organization that dissolved after a multi-day standoff with the U.S. government.
A Very Riverlands Holiday Special
Happy Holidays! This year, we’re continuing The Riverlands tradition of Christmas ghost stories. In this special episode we chat with Jonathan, the city planner for Hillsboro, Illinois. Jonathan shares our interest in history and high strangeness and recently started a ghost walk for downtown Hillsboro. We talk about Jonathan’s favorite local ghost stories and Hillsboro’s revitalization over the past 10 years. Thanks for listening! We will see you in the new year!
A Very Riverlands Holiday Special
Happy Holidays! This year, we’re continuing The Riverlands tradition of Christmas ghost stories. In this special episode we chat with Jonathan, the city planner for Hillsboro, Illinois. Jonathan shares our interest in history and high strangeness and recently started a ghost walk for downtown Hillsboro. We talk about Jonathan’s favorite local ghost stories and Hillsboro’s revitalization over the past 10 years. Thanks for listening! We will see you in the new year!
Episode 7.5: Chasing Strangeness
Richard joins us to share his first hand accounts of high strangeness in Western Illinois. He shares stories about the Argyle Monster, Sasquatch and something….even stranger. We hope you enjoy his stories as much as we did! Thanks for listening! This music featured at the end of this episode was “Dead End Blues” by MickContinue reading “Episode 7.5: Chasing Strangeness”
Bonus: Chasing Strangeness
Richard joins us to share his first hand accounts of high strangeness in Western Illinois. He shares stories about the Argyle Monster, Sasquatch and something….even stranger. We hope you enjoy his stories as much as we did! Thanks for listening! The photos mentioned in this episode can be found in our show notes.
The Archivist: Conversations with Dr. Lorenzen
Dr. Michael Lorenzen joined us from Western Illinois University to discuss his research into the bigfoot phenomenon in Western Illinois. Dr. Lorenzen emphasizes the importance of primary sources in his research and is dedicated to documenting them. He shares his research philosophy with us, insights into good research practices and several historical accounts from Western Illinois. You can find the resources Dr. Lorenzen shared with us in our show notes.
Episode 7: The Archivist
Dr. Michael Lorenzen joined us from Western Illinois University to discuss his research into the bigfoot phenomenon in Western Illinois. Dr. Lorenzen emphasizes the importance of primary sources in his research and is dedicated to documenting them. He shares his research philosophy with us, insights into good research practices and several historical accounts from Western Illinois.
Bonus: Creature from Big Muddy Documentary
In this bonus episode, we sit down with Joe Tury of RedRoom Creative Media to discuss his latest documentary, Creature from Big Muddy: An Illinois Bigfoot Legend. The Creature from Big Muddy explores the legendary Big Muddy Monster that lurks around the town of Murphysboro, Illinois. The lore of the Big Muddy Monster centers around a series of alleged Sasquatch or Bigfoot sightings in and around the Murphysboro area, particularly near the Big Muddy river. You can find more information about the documentary in our show notes.