Questions: I emailed you several times last year about your book and you were very kind to send it quickly to me. I now use that as my bible of haunted locations.
All summer long I have been doing extensive archaeological work up and down the Des Plaines area and have found many sites at Robinson. I have the precise location of the Boettcher house (with many artifacts) and two locations for both of Robinson’s daughter’s houses. I have even met people who knew the Boettcher’s personally. This not only helps with the archaeology of the area but helps with the ghost hunting as well. I am hoping that next week brings promising pictures.
I have several questions this year regarding several of the locations. How far along are they with the development of the Rainbow Road house site? I saw the pictures on your site and I am guessing that people should be living in their new houses by now. What a shame! It was a favorite hunting ground for me.
Has anyone ever caught any apparitions at the White’s Cemetery location?
Will you be updating your site with updated stories?
Does anyone live in the Stickney mansion? Who could we contact to do an investigation? Have you or anyone that you know ever been inside and recorded or photographed anything? I have looked on the internet and can find nothing but the same story over and over.
My last question is about The Unexplained World website and their cable show. Is it still being aired? I live in Chicago and cannot find it anywhere on my Comcast.
Thank you for your time and help and keep up the good work on your end! Thanks –Dan Melone
Response from Slim Pictures: Dan, long time no talk. I finally photographed some old, somewhat hard-to-find foundations of “the Gate,” in Libertyville, IL. I would love to see the foundations you’ve found at Robinson Woods. I’ve visited the location a lot over the past few months. While I can’t say that I’ve specifically made it a mission to seek out the foundations, I did think that I’d stumble across it eventually, but haven’t yet. If you want to meet up and explore the area soon, let me know.
To answer your other questions:
* Check out a pretty up-to-date video about the House on Rainbow Road here:
Though the house is gone and new houses are currently going up in the area, I still think it’s a fairly interesting site for ghost research – the actual location where the house was, isn’t being built upon (at least not yet).
* As for apparitions at White Cemetery – there are many orbs and mists on film, but I’ve never heard of any full figure apparitions on film (some pictures have been submitted to me claiming to be of figures, but nothing really solid. I also haven’t heard of any interesting video being shot there).
* After a long time away, I’ve finally been updating my site with stories submitted from readers. I’ve also made a few small videos with fellow author Mary Czerwinski. I plan to use the web site to further update the book.
* Bull Valley uses the Stickney House. No one lives in it. You won’t get a chance to officially do an investigation. The best chance you’ll have to do anything with permission is by posing as a regular passer-by who has heard the story and would like to look around (very casual). If there happens to be an officer there alone, they may open up a bit, however, they’re not actually allowed to. I’ve been in the front reception room/office. I don’t know anyone who’s made it further than that. Let me know if you make any progress.
* To the best of my knowledge, “The Unexplained World” is still on the air, though I cannot get it either. I’ve even been a guest on the show once, but don’t think I ever saw the episode. Fortunately, they have posted a few videos on YouTube (www.youtube.com/profile?user=MagickTv).
Please feel free to send any pictures you’d like to share with the world and I’ll post them on the site with credit going to you.
I hope to hear back from you soon, but good luck with everything. Also, the compliment that you use my book as your “bible of haunted locations” means the world to me. Thanks a ton!
Dan comes back with an old aerial shot of “The Gate”: The Gate is located in the bottom left corner. You will have to zoom in however it will become distorted.
