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January 1, 2004 Plains Folk: Legends Part 2
For any place to be livable, it’s important that it be a storied land. It is the investment of the country with stories that makes it a place. That’s why it’s so heartening for me to hear young people recounting legends of the plains. I’m taking up where I left off in my last column, dealing with legends contributed by my students at North Dakota State University. The same person who recounted the strange goings-on at Bob’s house, near Maddock, N. D., tells the legend of Leonard, a former Maddock superintendent of schools. "Sometime after our new school was built in the 1960s," the narrative goes, "the superintendent was running laps in the gym when he had a heart attack. Thinking there might be girls left in the locker room from cheerleading practice, he managed to stumble into the locker room, but no one was there." And there the fellow expired. "Leonard is said to be haunting the school to this night. One night after volleyball practice there were three of us putting our stuff into our bags when all of the showers turned on one after another. We got our stuff and ran out. When we got in the gym, we could hear footsteps like someone jogging laps, but no one was there." Schools are the locale of many legends, stories that enrich the experience and community identity of attendees. The recent demolition of Shanley High School in Fargo eliminated a significant legend locale. A graduate of Shanley says, "There was an old brother who used to teach at the school many years back. He died, but his spirit remained in the school. "Weird things have happened at night when students have been there such as theatre lights turning on and off, doors slamming and so on. The legend is dead now, however, since they tore down the old school." So you say. "My mom worked there [Shanley] for years as a cook," says another contributor, "and she was told by co-workers that there was a ghost nun from the early fifties who had died there and haunted the place. She said one morning she got to work early and was the only one in the building. She was in the kitchen when she heard her pantry door shut and saw a lady walking out in a nun outfit. "So she ran outside and waited until other teachers and staff started to show up. When my mom mentioned it to others they told her about the ghost." There are stories, too, that crop up all over the country, localized to particular schools and communities. Bismarck, N. D. for instance. "I remember this vividly from when I was a little elementary school kid," writes a Bismarck native. "There was a hall all by itself with only one exit at the end of the corridor. The sixth grade classes were all in this corridor. "The legend has it that if you walked down the hall in front of the doors that lead outside and say Bloody Mary three times, she will come right through the doors from nowhere and murder you in some horribly bloody fashion. Of course it wasn’t true, but it scared the hell out of me as a kid." Keep a lookout south of town, too, along the road to the University of Mary. A college student, I am told, was killed in an accident along this road, and he keeps popping up on the road. "Some people have claimed to have hit this man and have called the police to look for him since these accidents happened at night," recounts a student from the area. "This has happened more than once and the police nor anyone else have found the man after he was hit. "This ghost just crosses the highway every once and while and gets hit by a car, only to disappear shortly thereafter." Truly, legends of the plains are a renewable resource. They keep coming back. ### Source: Tom
Isern, (701) 799-2942, isern@plainsfolk.com
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here for a TIF photo of Tom Isern wearing a hat that is suitable for printing. |
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North Dakota State University |
