Famous Witches Whose Spells Took Root Right Here in Illinois

It's my FAVORITE time of year! Halloween and the entire season of fall bring a whole different kind of joy to me. And yes, I've been that way since I was a kid.

One thing I love about fall and Halloween is spooky stories. Spooky movies, hauntings, UFOs, mysteries, you name it!

I was watching one of my favorite Halloween movies recently when a question came to my mind... Is there any history of witches in Illinois?

And boy did I find some fun rabbit holes to go down. Get your brooms and potions ready, because things are about to get a little wicked haha!

The History of Witches in the State of Illinois

The first one takes place right here in Rockford!

Beulah - Rockford, Illinois

This one is quite sad. The tale of Beulah is one that I hope personally changes people for the better.

Legend goes, Beulah was a school teacher whose school one day (on McGregor Road) caught fire while teaching. Two children allegedly died in the fire, and that absolutely crushed her.

But that's not the worst part, she was bullied and shunned by the community and accused of being at fault for the incident. The witch accusations came from people thinking she was a practitioner who sacrificed the children.

The guilt she felt on top of the pain of losing the children drove her mad, and she was often seen meandering in the woods. Currently, there's a long history of guessing the real identity of her.

Moral of the story? Be respectful and don't make assumptions.

RELATED: 3 Absolutely Horrifying Things About Rockford That People Should Know About

Mary Worth (AKA 'Bloody Mary') - Lake County, Illinois

This one's a little creepier and there are many 'Marys' associated with the Bloody Mary superstition. This one takes place just outside of Gurnee, Illinois.

Mary Worth was allegedly part of the reverse underground railroad and would bring in escaping slaves for money. But, the real story is behind many people in the town thinking she practiced black magic on them.

For a while, they didn't think anything of it until one day they had enough and ganged up on her. They ended up lynching her on her property!

There's still a debate whether she was buried on the property or at a cemetery. Most believe it was at her home, but at the time it was illegal to bury a witch on a property. And she (allegedly) was a self-proclaimed one.

Since her death, the house has not only burnt down once... but TWICE, which only confirms people's belief in her malicious practices! Her love of torturing people is what led to the Bloody Mary legend.

Lookin' for more spooky local content? Check out more below!