What Happened at the Train Tracks near Rentchler, IL?

The Louisville & Nashville Railroad had a line running from Belleville to Mt. Vernon, IL (and beyond), that was abandoned by CSX from Belleville to Okawville in 1989. (Right of way)

Given the thousands of abandoned railroad corridors we have traced, this one generally seems pretty unremarkable. However, this particular abandoned line had an urban legend associated with it involving twin Albino boys who grew up on a farm near Rentchler, IL.

Image: An L&N local meets a Family Lines through freight at Rentchler siding just east of Belleville, IL. (RRPicutreArchives)

The story goes that these boys were bullied in school for their albinism. The bullying didn’t stop there, and the twins were tied to the tracks and left to die. 

It should be noted that there is no evidence that this story happened, and indeed shares many details with similar urban legends. If you'd nonetheless like to read further into this urban legend, Rayzor has an excellent summation of the story.

Looking north from railroad tracks at Okawville, c.1900. (Genealogy Trails)

The legend further goes on to say that if one drives out to Rentchler Rd where the tracks used to run, and puts a car in neutral, the spirits of the twins will actually move the car forward up a slight incline. Depending on whether you're a glass half empty or glass half full connoisseur of paranormal activity, the twins are either helping you cross the train tracks or trying to push you onto the train tracks out of revenge.

This is actually the car going down, even though the topography of the land makes it appear as though you’re moving up, and once again shares similar details with other stories. And without railroad tracks there anymore, it's even more difficult to say.

Sadly, tragedy did strike the area in 1969, when two teens were murdered in the area on prom night. The car they were driving, a 1963 Plymouth, was discovered on Rentchler Station Road. It is possible that this incident has played into the urban legend surrounding the area, although the albino twins story goes back much earlier that the 60's.

This urban legend, as well as many others, appear in the book Weird Illinois, which is an awesome novel not just for its historical accounts of ghost stories, but includes numerous abandoned places, unsolved mysteries, and many other local tales that are well worth exploring. I say this as a reader of the book myself, not just an affiliate for it.

Thanks as always for reading!

Location: Rentchler, IL 62221, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Underwater Water Slide: Fly Over at Durinrell TikiBad

Image
Have you ever wished to experience being transferred from one pool of liquid to another via a pipe? Had you visited the Dutch water park known as Durinrell , also known as Tikibad before 2010, you would have had the chance. Half water slide, half war crime, this was a unique water slide that was filled to the brim with water, leaving riders completely submerged throughout the journey. Image:  XtremeRidesNL Known as the Fly Over was an underwater water slide, which is exactly how it sounds, and transported riders from one pool to another using the water as propulsion. Built in 1994, riders dove underwater to access the slide, using gravity to transport them upwards via the Communicating Vessels Principle . Riders would be completely underwater for about 15-20 seconds. This is how I imagine those 15-20 seconds felt like while riding the slide. The slide was built to drain water in five seconds or less in case a rider got stuck in the slide or had a medical emergency, but the threat tha
Read more

Railroad Vocabulary: A List of Words and Phrases Used in the Industry - Updated February 2024

Image
As somebody who enjoyed watching trains, but was not an employee of the railroad industry ( at least growing up ), when I would interact with railfans and historians, there was often a lot of technical jargon that applied only to the railroad industry thrown back and forth that made it difficult for a newcomer to understand what they were talking about. For example, what is a dinky? It's actually a passenger train. This non-inclusive language seems to keep the loop closed to members of the community, and to uncouple (no pun intended) that technical jargon and help make it easier for people to communicate with people in the industry, I am creating a list of railroad vocabulary that I'm hoping will make the industry more transparent.  BNSF 2361 . Image: Matt Flores While I ultimately believe that such technical jargon has no place outside of perhaps technical communications between employees, I know quite well that I alone am not going to stop people from communicating in a non-i
Read more

The Abandoned Route 66 in McCook, IL

Image
Route 66, the iconic "Main Street of America," weaves through the heart of the United States, connecting communities and embodying the spirit of adventure. However, not all sections of this historic highway have stood the test of time. While much of the former US 66 is drivable in one way or another, especially in Illinois, there are some parts are not.  One of the first such roadblocks for would-be travelers heading from Chicago to Los Angeles via the Mother Road, now known as Joliet Road, comes just outside of Chicago in McCook, IL, where the former highway is closed between 55th St and East Ave, and has been for over two decades. (Link to the location on our Ghost Towns Map ) Image: Google Maps at 55th and Joliet Rd in McCook, IL The land that the quarry would eventually take over was part of Stinson Airport in the early days of Route 66, dating back to before 1930. ( Abandoned Airports map ). 1938 USGS Aerial Imagery The quarrying on the south side of the road would
Read more