The Haunted Hills On Seven Sisters Road Is Said To Be A Real Paranormal Hotspot
- Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
According To Local Legend, Seven Women Were Murdered On The Hills
The name "Seven Sisters" comes from a grisly urban legend. The story changes, depending on the source, but the chilling essentials are the same.
The general consensus is that, in the 1900s, a young man lived up in the hills with his parents and seven sisters. He got into an argument with his family one day, and decided to take dreadful action. He waited in the woods until his parents left for the evening, then returned home and snatched up his sisters. The young man led them to separate trees in the surrounding hills and brutally murdered them by hanging. Ever since, the hills have been haunted by the women's restless spirits.
- Photo: Wootang01 / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0
One Variation Of The Story Involves A Dead Baby
One version of the story contains even darker details. This time, the man was angry because, after the Missouri River overflowed and flooded a good portion of his land, the government pressured him into allowing steamboats to pass through his property. His seven sisters, however, wanted to allow the boats to come through.
Allegedly, the tensions between the man and his sisters became so high that he snapped and poisoned them all at dinner one night. He then dragged their bodies one by one to the seven hills and strung them up for the town to see. One sister was seven months pregnant when she was murdered, and the brother cut open her stomach so the fetus fell free of her body.
- Photo: Robin Hutton / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
The Hanging Trees Were Supposedly Chopped Down
Seven Sisters Road was built through the hills years after the rumored murders, and the trees that had displayed the sisters' bodies were supposedly chopped down. Perhaps because their places of death were disturbed, as soon as the road opened people began reporting supernatural occurrences.
- Photo: Sameerbca / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Eerie Screams Echo Through The Area
Many eerie stories and encounters have been reported around the Seven Sisters Hills over the years. Visitors frequently say they hear screaming coming from the hills. It sounds like the cries of terrified young women – perhaps the hanged sisters, crying out for help.
- Photo: Jeff Salakar / YouTube
Cars Tend To Stall On The Road
Cars seem particularly susceptible to the paranormal activity around Seven Sisters Road. Some drivers report their vehicles inexplicably stalling on the street, while others say their headlights dim – then brighten again as soon as they pass through the area.
- Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Strange Bells Sometimes Sound From An Old Cemetery
Many visitors to Seven Sisters Road say they hear the eerie sound of bells ringing. The sound supposedly comes from an old cemetery, and has been known to last for 30 minutes. There's no explanation for the peals.
- Photo: Garrett Anderson / YouTube
A Red-Eyed Creature Stalks The Grounds
One Nebraska resident shared a particularly creepy story. One foggy morning, he was hunting in the hills when he saw a figure in the distance. It stared at him for several minutes – out of red eyes. It then jumped over a nearby terrace and scurried away.
- Photo: Sameerbca / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
A Couple Had A Ghostly Run-In
One story tells how a couple was driving through the hills one night when their car suddenly broke down. The man examined the engine and found nothing wrong. Then, screams began ringing out from the hills. Once the terrifying sounds faded, the couple's vehicle started again and they swiftly drove away.
- Photo: Abhishek Chowdhury / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
One Man's Car Radio Gave Him A Chilling Warning
One traveler said that, on a trip through Nebraska City, he heard the story of Seven Sisters Road at a local diner. Curious, he decided to drive up to the hills himself. When he turned the radio on, the Doors song “This is the End” was playing. While likely just a coincidence, the traveler was spooked enough to turn around right there.
Only Four Of The Hills Remain Visible
Today, only four of the supposed seven original hills are really prominent. The ghosts, however, seem to be as present as ever.
