Watseka Manor

Illinois · United States · Manor

The real case here is one of the most documented in the history of spiritualism, and it does not match the story people tell about the house.

The house at Watseka, Illinois is associated locally with a demon, a twelve year old girl called Mary who moved in with her family around 1812, an exorcism, and her death.

Almost none of that is right, and the true case is more interesting.

In 1877 a thirteen year old girl in Watseka named Lurancy Vennum began having seizures and trances. During them she claimed to be Mary Roff, a local girl who had died twelve years earlier when Lurancy was an infant. The Roff family took her into their home, where she appeared to recognise their relatives, their possessions and details of Mary's life that nobody had told her. After several months she returned to being Lurancy and went on to live an ordinary life.

It became known as the Watseka Wonder and remains one of the most examined cases in the literature.

The Roff house still stands and is private property.

FAQ

Where is Watseka Manor located?

Watseka Manor is in Illinois, United States.

More haunted places in Illinois

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.