Lakeview Cemetery

 

This one is close to my hometown and one of the few haunted locations I've been to. It's known as one of the most haunted cemeteries in Minnesota. Lakeview Cemetery is located in Buhl, Minnesota. It opened in 1913 and still exists today. Open to the public, the cemetery is still a paranormal hotspot of sorts with many visitors reporting supernatural occurrences. 

But first, a little history lesson…

Burials in Lakeview Cemetery first began in 1913 around the same time Shaw Hospital was built. The hospital housed people who were sick with mental illnesses and tuberculosis. Eventually, these patients died at the hospital and a new problem arose, there was no budget to use to bury them properly. The hospital decided then to bury them in what's called Potter's Field. The majority of these people buried in Potter's Field died in the first two decades of the past century. Most of the dead contained early immigrant miners or the very young who died during one of the two influenza epidemics that occurred during this time in history. These people either didn't have family, their family didn't live near or their family couldn't afford the cost of a traditional burial. So sadly, they were buried without names or any identification minus a number. All of them had the same simple cross made from cast iron with a number on it. Almost 400 graves are in Potter's Field, which is located right next to the main area of Lakeview Cemetery. 

Some of the unnamed grave markers for deceased patients at the Shaw Hospital.

One of the most frequently reported ghosts in the cemetery is that of a man who was dressed in the 1920s. It's believed that he is one of the cemetery's gatekeepers. People have seen him walking along the gravestones and some have also seen apparitions of a white misty figure running across the nearby dirt road. Visitors have reported hearing footsteps keeping pace alongside them while walking on the gravel path. A big phenomenon for the paranormal activity in the cemetery has been how readily apparitions have been caught on tape or film. 

The most active spot in the cemetery is where a large shrine of Christ stands. People have reported feeling uncomfortable in the area and felt as though they were being scrutinized. People have heard footsteps, as well as disembodied voices. There've been sightings of flashes of light and gray mist too. Others have also smelt unidentifiable odors and strange smells. Most people admit to a feeling of unwelcome and dread while being on the cemetery grounds. 

The actual 'sanctuary', also known as the "Veteran's Memorial" itself is said to be blessed and because of this, the spirits won't tread there. This is a simple area containing a crucifixion statue, about 50 white wooden crosses, and a concrete, box-like memorial with a veteran's medallion on it. It's closed on all sides with a white picket fence. In front of the area is a dirt roadway, and a row of pine trees run along the back. People report that the second they step foot into this area, the feelings of dread leave them. Some investigators have reported a 10-degree difference between stepping into the sanctuary and out. 

There is also a worn-down crematorium on site that is said to host a demonic deity of unknown origins. 

Investigations:

 

- An investigation in June of 2003 by Brain Leffler, a founder of the Northern Minnesota Paranormal Investigators, resulted in a very strange video. Brain was filming with infrared and asking questions. He said, “If there are any spirits here, show me a sign.” Then he started filming, and a single flag began to wave, though there was no wind. Looking around, he found many other flags sitting perfectly still, including the large flags on their poles sitting 25 feet in the air. This anomaly was confirmed when he listened to the audio from a microcassette tape and found that he had captured some EVP. He also discovered that immediately after he had asked for a sign, two different ghosts had a conversation. The first ghost said, “There’s no harm in that,” followed by the second ghost replying, “Yeah, show‘em the flags, Roy.”

- Brain did another trip to Lakeview later that same month in 2003 that showed a full-bodied apparition experience. He was sitting in the vehicle loading his camera when a man walked out of the main gate. At first, he admitted he got mildly upset thinking that someone had come to lock up the cemetery, but then a man walked right across the small dirt road and vanished. He was a younger man wearing a touring cap, a light-colored shirt, and dark pants—he looked to be from about the 1920s.

Potter's Field

Unmarked graves in Potter's Field

Strange picture a visitor got of something on a gravestone

Possible apparitions someone caught on camera

References:

- https://www.hauntedrooms.com/minnesota/haunted-places/lakeview-cemetery-buhl

- http://what-when-how.com/haunted-places/lakeview-cemetery-buhl-minnesota-haunted-place/

- https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/lakeview-cemetery/

- https://www.mesabitribune.com/opinion/letters/effort-to-rescue-potters-field/article_d4adc924-9704-53a3-a4c8-ea831e83fb42.html

- https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/the-best-haunted-graveyards-in-minnesota/