Peggy Smith-Hake's
"Window to the Past"
Odd, Strange, Eerie & Bizarre Locales of Miller County
By Kelly Warman Stallings
Published to WTTP on 5 May 2025
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Photo Credit: MCHS
Haunted Castle House - Brumley
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The Haunted Castle House (HCH) is probably the most well-known haunted house in Miller County. It is unknown when the house was actually built, but it is estimated between 1890-1910. It is interesting to note there have been multiple deaths on the property over the years, as well as a murder-suicide that happened 500 yards from the house in 1971. It has also been reported that some patients died at HCH due to the following epidemics: Influenza of 1936, Scarlett Fever of 1936 and Polio in 1946. The haunted locale has been featured on the Travel Channel's "Dead Files". It is unknown exactly when the house was labeled as "haunted", but for over 100 years the locals in the area have claimed to have seen the eerie apparition of a woman, who moves about the second story of the house. For the full story, please visit Castle House.
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Staircase in the Woods - Eldon​
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To a passerby roaming about the woods near the old settlement of Aurora Springs, south of Eldon, finding a stone staircase in the middle of nowhere definitely brings up the question, "Why is there a staircase in the woods?" The answer is simple: During the 1880s Aurora Springs was a large boom town [the largest town in Miller County during that time] with many businesses in operation. The town was renowned for its healing mineral springs that were scattered throughout the vicinity, which brought many visitors from all walks of life to the town. A group of businessmen from St. Louis purchased a tract of land in Aurora Springs with the intention of building a resort hotel that overlooked the Aurora Springs Park [which contained the majority of the mineral springs], but the construction never occurred. However, the flight of stone steps was indeed built and I'm sure the townsfolk were looking forward to a resort hotel coming to their town. But it never happened. It is unknown why the businessmen of St. Louis reneged on their deal to build the resort, but the stone steps are a reminder that Aurora Springs once existed. Today, there is nothing left of the once largest boom town in the county except the mineral springs and the strange staircase in the woods.
Photo Credit: MCHS - 2007
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2022.
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​Lone Civil War Grave - Brumley
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Not far from the swinging bridge of Brumley is found the lone grave of L. M. Albertson, a Civil War soldier. ​While there are a few lone graves scattered about the county, not many are located in the middle of nowhere, deep in the woods. The nearest cemetery (Poppelwell) is located about a mile east of this secluded grave. Another strange oddity is the grave was once totally encircled by large rocks. Some remain in place while the other stones were missing but left indentations in the ground. It has been recorded that many Civil War soldiers were buried where they died while in battle, but there were no battles or skirmishes documented for this area of Miller County. It leaves one to wonder why Mr. Albertson was buried in such an isolated spot? Could the Civil War soldier be buried among many others in a lost cemetery with his being the last stone standing? It's possible, but it's still a bit creepy to find such a thing in the middle of the woods.​​
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​Old Abandoned Bridge - Iberia
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Deep in the woods, along the old Iberia cemetery road, can be found a lost and forgotten bridge made of stone. It's uncertain when the bridge was built, but an educated guess would be around the early 1900s. The old masonry bridge was most likely built by the Smith brothers (Phelix and Frank Smith of Iberia). The Smiths' were stonemasons by trade and built many structures throughout southern Miller County, including bridges. Today, the abandoned bridge, as well as the remnant of the old cemetery road, have been eerily reclaimed by Mother Nature.​
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Photo Credit: Mitch Devore - 2025
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Photo Credit: Mitch Devore - 2025
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Skinner's Tomb - Tuscumbia
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The story of Skinner's tomb is strange and unusual. James Skinner, Sr. (1833-1916) came to Miller County in the late 1860s and settled in the Flatwoods community not far from Tuscumbia. At one time he was recorded as being the wealthiest landowner in the county. Around the turn of the 20th century, Skinner built his large tomb. Peggy Smith Hake wrote, "Jim built the large cement tomb inside the Skinner Family Cemetery and it was to be his final resting place. The casket he built had glass tops that were air-tight, and the front door of the sepulcher was also made of glass." According to some locals, he requested that his coffin be set upright inside the tomb so the passerby could see him. Peggy once said that her grandfather (Frank "Cap" Smith) would always say, "Howdy do, old Skinner! How you
Photo Credit: KWS -2022
doin' in there?" every time he would pass by. As a young child, Peggy found this a bit scary! Sometime around the 1940s the glass front on the tomb was replaced with concrete, forever sealing off James Skinner, Sr. from being viewed. ​For the full story, please visit Skinner's Tomb
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Photo Credit: Google Images
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Ghost of Pleasant Hill - Iberia
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Over the years, several people have claimed to have seen a ghostly specter in white walking across the countryside of southern Miller County. Its favorite abode seems to have been the Pleasant Hill community near Iberia. Legends are told of a feud that existed between two local families who lived in the area and a gunfight occurred which took the life of one man. Why these families feuded is a mystery today but probably had something to do with old Civil War hatreds. Whatever the reason, a squabble happened during a church function at Pleasant Hill Church in 1886 and it was brought to a deadly climax. One man was killed and the other seriously wounded. Perhaps the spirit of the dead man is still roaming the hillsides around the old church seeking to avenge his "feudal death". For years it has been said that a man in white has been seen in the old churchyard on clear, moonlit nights and has also been seen roaming the hillsides nearby. Whether this is true or not, some folks are convinced this ghost in white exists and can be seen at times "walking the friendly hills of Pleasant Hill".
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Photo Credit: Google Images
​​​Bigfoot in the County - Eldon
In the Saline Valley on Highway M near Eldon the legend of Bigfoot comes to life. Vicki Wood of the Lake Sun wrote, "Last October [2012] in the Saline Valley Conservation Area, while scouting for a new area to hunt, this hunter spotted a deer head stuck between a walnut tree about 30 feet up." It was stated the conservation department was contacted and the hunter was given permission to obtain the remains, but there was nothing recorded about what the Conservation Department findings were. Another anonymous homeowner reported in 2016 strange noises coming from a copse of woods on his property, as well as finding animal bones and mutilated animals. The homeowner also gave a description of this creature: 8-9 feet tall with fiery looking eyes, an unnatural growl and loud screaming. What exactly this creepy creature is continues to remain unknown. But there have not been anymore reported sightings since 2016.​
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Photo Credit: MCHS - 2007
Wright Cave Conspiracy - Brumley
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According to the Department of Natural Resources, there are over 7,300 caves in the state of Missouri. But one cave in particular sticks out because of all the bizarre conspiracies attached to it. Originally known as Wright Cave, near Brumley, this cave was shut down and sealed up for many years by the military. At one time it was accessed by following a narrow path through a patch of woods and up a small, sloping hill to reach it. Sometime during the 1990s, the woods were cleared in front of the cave and a barbed wire fence was installed around the area, with a sign that clearly stated to "keep out". Many local theories have been attributed to why the cave was sealed off: from discovering aliens to dumping nuclear waste! Sometime before 2007, the military had removed the fence, but not the barricaded door, and left the area. What exactly was happening inside Wright Cave remains a curious mystery.
The Washed-Out Bridge - Iberia
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The old truss bridge that spanned Big Tavern Creek for over 90 years and had been abandoned on its concrete abutments for more than 40+ years was washed away by flooding during the first weekend of April 2025. The metal frame of the historic bridge, twisted and mangled, was carried into the creek by the forceful floodwaters that inundated the area. This abandoned bridge - located south of Iberia - once formed part of a heavily traveled road connecting Iberia to Crocker but fell out of use sometime during the 1960s when Highway 17, located west of the old road, became a more convenient route. To a passerby, this scene might appear peculiarly unnatural.​​
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2025​​
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2025​​
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​Haunted Christian Church - Etterville
While not a proven fact, Gageville Christian Church is supposedly the spectral locale of where a horrendous double murder took place. Vicki Wood, with the Lake Sun Leader, wrote, "... the abandoned church on Gageville Road in Etterville. The story tells of two small children running around the small church building that is no longer in use. The sightings occur at night, with the children kicking and throwing rocks. Legend tells that these two were beaten and killed by their parents in that church. They say that if you go in this abandoned place in the middle of nowhere, the children will call your name and turn your flashlights off and on." From personal experience, I can testify this old church does have an extremely spooky feel to it, but no children kicked me, threw rocks at me, called my name or turned my flashlight off and on. But this was at dusk and not completely dark yet. ​​
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2024
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Photo Credit: Rockinghound Midmo - 2023
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The "Spaceship" - Brumley
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While the "spaceship" is a former glory of itself today, during the 1960s a gentleman by the name of Mr. Neal decided to build​ a spaceship out of concrete. Over the years there have been so many weird conspiracies presented behind the reasoning of building such a thing in the middle of the woods. One theory goes that Mr. Neal was abducted by aliens and then returned to Earth. He made the spaceship, which was located west of the swinging bridge, in honor of them. Another story goes he was determined to fly the spaceship into space and perished when the thing blew up - of course, being blown up would have scattered concrete everywhere! And, yet another assumption
states he was going to fly the concrete spacecraft using telepathic measures. But, according to the locals of Brumley, Mr. Neal and his sons built the "spaceship" for amusement, nothing more. Why Mr. Neal actually built the spaceship will just go down as one of those bizarre mysteries of Miller County.
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The "Little House" - Tuscumbia
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While not exactly eerie or strange, the "little house", that once stood along Poplar Rd. in the Flatwoods community near Tuscumbia, can be better described as odd and out of place. According to local legend, a family of small-statured people built a custom-styled house to suit their needs. The outbuildings (pictured) were also designed to accommodate their requirements. Through the early-1900s into the mid-1900s, a traveling circus would come to Tuscumbia every year and set up their 'minstrel show' at Riverside Park, which included a family of 'midgets' on the circus itinerary. It was possible this family decided to retire from the circus and settled here. But it remains unknown who the family was or when they had the little house built, but it stood for many decades before being bulldozed to the ground a few years ago.
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2025​
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Photo Credit: KWS - 2022
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Iberia Academy and Junior College - Iberia
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The Iberia Academy was first established as a higher education facility (grades 9-12) in 1890 by married educators, Professors Byron and Mabel Smith; Mabel died in 1932, and Byron remained there for the next 18 years until his death in 1950. Not long after the turn of the 20th century, the school became known as Iberia Academy and Junior College and had five buildings on campus: Administration and classrooms (pictured), girls' dormitory, laundry house, Gymnasium, and the Professors' home. In 2009, a group of ghost hunters (International Ghost Hunters Society) from St. Louis, divided into groups and canvassed the entire
property of the old Iberia Academy searching for the paranormal. Their findings concluded there was a large amount of "ghostly orbs" captured on their cameras and voice recordings from a spirit where the old residence of the Professor once stood. The ominous recordings told the story of a slave named John. Norine Albers wrote, "The conversation established that he was a slave and that his name was John. He and his wife had lived in the circa-1830 log cabin. The cabin was remodeled and enlarged for the Smith’s to live in when the academy began in 1890. John’s master was “taking advantage” of the ghost’s wife. John then “took advantage” of the master’s wife. The master caught the two of them together. He killed his wife and her unborn child, the slave, and the slave’s wife." Whether there are really ghosts occupying the old Academy acres, the story of the slave man in itself is sadly grim!
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Decrepit Railroad Bridge - St. Elizabeth​
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To the tourist traveling the Osage River by boat may find the decrepit railroad bridge at the old Hoecker community a bit unnerving, but to the locals it's a precious relic of the past. The old truss bridge was built in 1903 for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad to span the Osage River; the bridge connected with the Henley community (Cole County). Today, the old rail line meets up with a part of the Katy Trail on the Cole County side. It has been a defunct bridge since 1979. Over the years the trains have come and gone, as have the Hoecker community. While the community vanished, the creepy-looking railroad bridge still stands as a testament of being instrumental during its time.​
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Photo Credit: Notley Hawkins
Looking towards the bluffs on the Cole County side.
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Photo Credit: Chris Thompson
Looking towards the bridge on the Miller County side.
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