Omaha, Nebraska is a growing city with a population of close to one million people. There are many surrounding suburbs, and the Missouri River acts as the state border that separates Omaha from Council Bluffs, Iowa.
There are a couple of places that locals have claimed for years to be truly haunted. One such place is named Mystery Manor. Though Mystery Manor is an operating haunted house, attracting thousands each October, the dwelling only became such after a brutal and mysterious murder in 1929. Another haunted area is the Black Angel memorial statue, open to the public since 1920.
According to the legend, the magnificent Mystery Manor was built in 1887 and home to William and Greta Hall. Omaha’s elite frequented Hall Manor often,as it was then named. The Manor was especially beloved by Greta, who relished entertaining her well-to-do guests. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the Halls lost their vast fortune, sending William into the depths of depression and insanity. Late on the night of October 23, 1929, William retrieved his ax from the shed and hacked his dear wife to pieces. The next morning, horrified at what he had done, Williams buried his wife’s remains in a shallow grave in the front yard. A week later, Greta’s brother, John Martin, intent on avenging his sister’s brutal death, then took the same ax and bludgeoned William. He buried William in the same grave as Greta. The next night, Halloween, John Martin was found dead at the grave site, wtih the same ax embedded in his skull. To this day, the murder of John Martin remains a mystery, hence the new name of the house, Mystery Manor. Some believe it was the ghost of William Hall that killed John Martin. Non-believers are left with a mystery. Rumors abound that the spirit of William Hall roams the hallways of Mystery Manor, an angry spirit who does not like strangers in his home.
Across the river in Council Bluffs, the famed Black Angel statue stands at the edge of Fairview Cemetery, overlooking the city and beyond to the tall buildings of downtown Omaha. The 10-foot, bronze statue is a memorial to Ruth Anne Dodge, wife of General Grenville Dodge, who served in the Civil War and went on to become Chief Engineer for Union Pacific Railroad. Ruth Anne’s two daughters had the statue sculpted for their mother after her death in 1916. The angel statue was a translation of a recurring dream that Ruth Anne had in the days preceeding her death. She dreamt of an angel holding a bowl of water in one arm and reaching out for Mrs. Dodge with the other arm. On the third night of the dream, Mrs. Dodge finally drank from the water and reported feeling transformed into a glorious spiritual being. She died that night. In 1920, the statue was dedicated and the water in the fountain area was turned on. However, in 1960, city officials turned the water off for unknown reasons. Despite the water source being cut off, the statue has been seen to cry real tears, spooking observers over the years. One far-fetched rumor purports that the angel is known to free herself from her pedestal and fly around at night. And although there was a renovation of the memorial in 1987, the statue refuses to keep its bronze shine, no matter how much polishing is done, thus the nickname, Black Angel.
Mystery Manor is open every October and tickets are available at the door. The Black Angel is available year-round and free to the public. For those that may be skeptical, only one thing can be said. Go ahead, enter if you dare………………
