Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 84: Sioux City's Haunted History Part 6: Calvary Cemetery

Calvary Cemetery is a Catholic only cemetery located at 28th and Cassleman on Sioux City's west side. It one of 2 known haunted cemetery's in Sioux City.

Visitors report two things when walking through the grounds:
1. Their ears ring persistently.
2. They feel the sensation of fingertips or cobwebs drifting over their face.

Some report that both sensations get stronger as they approach a tree shaped like a gravestone, or rather the bottom part of the tree. The actual headstone is carved into the trunk. It is unknown whether or not it is or was a real tree. It is covered in some type of stucco type material, maybe as a method of preserving this grave marker. This tree is known as the hanging tree, where, when Iowa used to have the death penalty, people were hung. This was probably before this area became Calvary Cemetery. There is a rope that is still attached to the tree just above the headstone. This rope is presumably what was used to hang at least one person with, ropes used for executing people were only used once because of stretching.

When I was in the cemetery taking pictures for this post I did not feel anything like cobwebs or fingertips across my face. But I did hear a ringing in my ears and it did get stronger when I approached the tree to take a picture of it. The ringing died down and went away as I got further away from the tree and after I left the cemetery.

This was my first ever visit to the cemetery. I had only heard it was haunted and knew a little about the hanging tree/gravestone. I did not know others experienced the ringing in the ears or cobweb/fingertip sensations until after it happened to me and I had read what others had experienced while they visited the cemetery. I went into the Calvary Cemetery with an open and objective mind, not knowing what to expect or what I would or would not experience while there.

Calvary Cemetery is open dawn till dusk, probably for good reason. I don't think anyone would want to be in there after the sun goes down, especially around the hanging tree turned into a gravestone.

While I did visit the actual cemetery for the first time and drove to and through it, it is easily accessable by bicycle. There is a signs at the intersection of Cassleman and Military Road with an arrow that says Calvary Cemetery and points in the direction the cemetery is located that I have ridden by many times on my bike.

Here are the photo's. None of these have been photo shopped or doctored in anyway.