Old Fort Hays

Kansas · United States · Castle

Elizabeth Polly nursed cholera patients at the fort in 1867 until it killed her. Kansas has been reporting the Blue Light Lady ever since.

In 1867 a drummer named Ephriam Polly and his wife Elizabeth stopped at Fort Hays in Kansas. While they were there, cholera swept the fort.

What became of Ephriam is not recorded. Elizabeth stayed, and nursed the sick soldiers without stopping. In the late afternoon she would walk out to a spot she was fond of, on the hill above the fort, and sit for a while.

Cholera killed her too. She asked to be buried on that hill.

She has been reported on it ever since, in a blue dress, and across western Kansas she is known as the Blue Light Lady. She is one of the very few American ghosts with a marked grave, a documented name and a reason for being remembered that has nothing to do with anything sinister.

The fort is a state historic site and the hill is nearby.

FAQ

Where is Old Fort Hays located?

Old Fort Hays is in Kansas, United States.

More haunted places in Kansas

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.