Willow Springs Illinois

O’Henry’s Roadhouse Building

Spirits who reside here were organized crime victims; some died in savage ways.

A gangster with temper and jealousy issues killed brutally.

DESCRIPTION

WOW! The O’Henry’s Road House Building is now the place of business for the very handsome The Irish Legend, Pub, Sports Bar and Restaurant. I hardly recognized it online as it has been completely renovated and given a new lease on life.

Instead of thecreepy, woebegone property that we saw in 2008, it is now a booming business with craft beer on tap, with an area to watch sports on a big screen TV, dining room, great tasting food and a wonderful outside eating area, and an upscale landscaping topped off by a little waterfall over rocks.

Some entrepreneur no doubt saw the possibilities in this old building with solid structural bones, and a scenic view of the river. The location cannot be beaten as a place to have a restaurant.

Looking at the pictures on YELP, one can see that the interior has a 1920s aura to it, with lovely restored woodwork, and a classy bar. The second floor has offices, and the attic is for storage. I assume renovations were done here as well to bring these rooms up a notch or two.

HISTORY

To understand how this building became haunted, let’s look at the area’s history.

Willow Springs can be found about twenty miles south of Chicago, in the Des Plaines River Valley, on what is called an upland moraine, formed by ice age glaciers long ago. The area is known for its beauty and ravines, and is known to geologists as Mt. Forest Island. Indians used to bury their dead here.

It is no surprise that this place became a favorite of Chicagoans in the 1850s as a picnic spot, where the Des Plaines River ran beside Willow Springs. The land where the roadhouse sits was once a tree shaded area known as Spatis Grove.

By 1883, railroad travel south from Chicago to Willow Springs was a reality. From 1892 to 1899 the construction of the canal brought more people as well, many of them Italians, adding to the growing numbers of people who called the place home, mainly Germans, Poles and Irish. Ice harvesting off the river became a large money making endeavor for people living here.

While ice harvesting was still a big business in Willow Springs in the early 1900s, other less wholesome businesses migrated south from Chicago as well.

Gambling, drinking and the world’s oldest profession found Willow Springs a profitable place to set up shop, as there was no police department, only an overworked Cook County Sheriff’s department, which had bigger fish to fry than vice offenders. Some police were probably bribed not to arrest, as was the custom in Chicago proper.

The beginning of the 1920s saw a strong trend toward mob control of the gambling halls, saloons, and moonshiners in Willow Springs. When Prohibition was the law of the land, Willow Springs became a fertile ground for speakeasies as well.

Right before the 1920s, probably around 1915-1918, O’Henry’s Roadhouse opened, offering all the pleasures of life: food, booze, gambling opportunities and sexual services.

It was built by mob money. Al Capone and his cohorts in crime loved to hang out here. No wonder it was built so well, with the best of 1920 decor inside.

Like all mob owned establishments, there was an area to take troublemakers, rival mobsters, and folks who broke the rules. Mobsters were not forgiving or merciful, though many of them had soft spots for kids.

The basement was the designated area to take care of problem people permanently, through torture and death.

The Roadhouse also had “custom designed features,” not normally found in such establishments. The dirt-floored basement had tunnels. The main floor, second floor and attic had secret stairways, and hideaway false walls, ceilings, and even hidden rooms.

There were several tunnels built out from the basement. One led to a mausoleum, one to the woods behind the building, and one which was built under the road to the mob-owned ballroom dance hall across the street, which had a full casino in its basement.

This beautiful location resulted in great success for future establishments, as it was a favorite place for Chicagoans to escape the city of Chicago. Following O’Henry’s Roadhouse, came O’Henry’s 2, Cavallone’s West, Rico D’s and Frankie’s Pizza Roadhouse.

The structure slowly slipped into mild fixer-upper status, as past owners had only focused on the most basic maintenance. Going by the external condition of the property, it must have taken some time to sell.

When Tom and I first saw the building in 2008, it was a little run-down, with unkempt front landscaping, and in need of TLC. The backyard had tables for outdoor dining among the weeds. It also had the aura of a haunted building. It had the vibes in spades, which you could feel just by standing in front of it.

Fortunately, entrepreneurs came along who saw the possibilities of creating a beautiful restaurant, pub and sports bar with a view of the river. Irish Legend was the dream created, and I can’t wait to come back again, once the Covid virus is defeated.

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS

Though gangsters did their best to behave while in public establishments of entertainment, sometimes their work followed them there, and business had to be settled in sometimes violent ways. People killed violently sometimes haunt the place where they died, not able to let go.

The Bar Next Door, WI (This Touhy gang hideout was attacked by a rival gang and folks inside died here).

Wabasha Street Caves, MN (Three gangsters were executed while playing cards in the side room by a big Louie type with a gun).

O’Henry’s Road House Building, IL (Gangsters who were fired by Al Capone were killed in the building, as well as folks who broke the rules).

In many mob-run establishments, there was a space designated to punish, torture, and finally kill offenders.

Brumder Mansion, WI (The killing area was located in the coal room).

Comedy Store, CA (In their basement, victims had their legs and knee-caps broken before being killed with gusto in painful ways).

O’Henry’s Road House Building, IL (A gangster soldier or two were fired here at the very least. Foes of Al Capone, or folks who broke the rules were killed here, mostly in the basement. Secret burials could have happened in the basement, or somewhere else on the grounds, or in the forest behind the building. Bodies may have been taken by tunnel to the mausoleum for cremation).

People with jealousy and temper issues have murdered others in other stories found on this website. Many prostitutes have been murdered in haunted places because someone was jealous.

County Line BBQ Restaurant, OK (A customer known as a flirt made the mistake of being flirtatious with a prostitute, enraging her mobster boyfriend, who shot the customer by a fireplace in front of witnesses).

Slippery Noodle Inn, IN (A prostitute and her customer were both shot dead by her jealous boyfriend).

Old Washoe Club, NV (A blonde prostitute was murdered by her jealous boyfriend, who then killed himself out of despair).

O’Henry’s Road House Building, IL (A hapless bartender during the 1920s-’30s fell in love with one of the prostitutes, who was considered by a pretty ruthless and cold gangster to be his property. The gangster broke the bartender’s neck, killing him as the bartender came down the basement steps to get supplies. The gangster then beat the prostitute very badly, probably to death. It is thought that both were buried in the basement.)

People who have had violent lifestyles often find themselves stuck where they lived them out. Sometimes they are afraid to go to the other side in the spirit world because they are afraid of the punishment they may receive, or they can’t let go of their guilt.

The Comedy Store, CA (The spirit of the sadist who terrorized, tortured and killed people seems to be trapped here).

Bobby Mackey’s Music World, KY (Two male spirits who brutally murdered a pregnant girlfriend of one of them are grounded here, still acting out their evil natures).

Shanghai Tunnels, OR (The evil men who kidnapped, and often killed their captives, are grounded there. Their red eyes reflect their damnation).

O’Henry’s Road House Building, IL (The spirit of a ruthless executioner is trapped here for all the people he killed in the basement).

MANIFESTATIONS

Gangster soldiers did a lot of brutal business here, leading to restless, unhappy spirits who are caught because they can’t let go of their ghastly deaths.

A lot of paranormal activity has not only been experienced by the various owners, staff and sometimes guests, but also by paranormal and psychic investigators.

The Spirit of the Murdered Prostitute

This restless spirit travels all over the building, trying to find peace.

She needs to tell her story about how she died; the first step to reaching peace.

Her bloodied, pulverized face has appeared on occasion in the mirrors of the bathrooms.

A cold spot has been felt in one of the bathrooms by a Ghost Research Society team member.

A female entity appeared in front of the owner of Rico D’s, and had a conversation with him, telling him how much she liked the improvements he was making to the building.

A Spirit Presence, most likely a Male

While walking down the second floor hallway, some have felt a rude, probably male presence go right through them, which gives a hint of what kind of person he was while alive, most likely a gangster type.

I theorize that it is the gangster who killed the bartender and prostitute.

In the basement, a shadowy man with an overcoat has been seen going up the stairs by employees.

Upstairs Office Rooms

Spirits make themselves known to the living by hot spots and odors.

They show themselves as strings of small reticular lights.

An investigator from Ghost Research Society felt a “hot localized area” on his face, and became aware of a distinct, unknown odor.

Digital photos taken of this room show “a string of small red triangular lights crossing from one side of the room to another; lights which were not there when the pictures were taken.

In the Basement: A Variety of Emotions and Restlessness

It seems that this area was the preferred place to torture and kill people who did the wrong thing. It is surmised that there are bodies buried here.

The spirits of those who are buried here are stuck where they died, unable to let go of the many emotions they suffered in their deaths. No wonder it is creepy.

The spirit of the murdered bartender, and the spirits of others who were killed, don’t go far from their unmarked graves, except for the spirit of the prostitute.

A feeling of uneasiness has been picked up by many people: owners, staff, and investigators brave enough to come to investigate here. It is a creepy location, giving an off-balance sensation to people who have to go into the basement, and to experienced investigators as well.

The group led by Spiritual feeler Edward “Sun Ray” Shanahan / Unexplained World, reacted to the swirling, unsettling energy of many emotions from restless spirits here. They found it hard to stay for more than short periods.

The basement dirt has been described by Shanahan as being not pure dirt, as it has a “bone feel” to it, and has an oily sensation when it is touched.

Paranormal Investigation Team GRS agreed with Shanahan. “Walking on the dirt area is like the feeling of walking over a newly dug grave”, one team member explained.

PARANORMAL FINDINGS

The owners, the staff and visitors have all had paranormal experiences with the restless spirits who are here.

Ghost Research Society caught hard evidence on film and EVPs on their recorders. In the basement, this investigation group not only caught anomalies on tape, but were also successful in recording the below EVP.

The question was asked by a Ghost Research Society team member, “Did something bad happen to you in this room? A female voice answered; “Beneath the floor.”

The group led by Edward Shanahan also caught hard evidence. A shadow was caught digitally on the boiler by an Unexplained World team member, which wasn’t there a minute later when the area was filmed.

Basement Anomalies on tape: Similar pictures of “a string of small red triangular lights crossing from one side of the room to another” were also captured on a digital camera, by a Ghost Research Society team member.These were also caught upstairs.

STILL HAUNTED?

YIKES!

Probably so, unless a medium and energy changer have helped the spirits find peace. At least two paranormal sources have found evidence of spirits who cannot rest because of the violent ends they came to at the hands of others. The perpetrator(s) may also be stuck here; afraid to go to the other side because of their wicked behavior.

I have emailed the new owners of The Irish Legend, and if I find out any other information about their experiences, I will add to this story.

LOCATION

8933 S. Archer Avenue
Willow Springs, Illinois 60480

The old O’Henry’s Roadhouse building, now the home of The Irish Legend, can be found on S. Archer Avenue, not far from Willow Springs Road and S. Archer intersection, and right in front of a large forest preserve area. It is west of the town of Willow Springs. On 294, get off on the Willow Springs Road exit.

SOURCES INCLUDE

ghostresearch.org
theunexplainedworld.com
yelp.com
encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org

Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr

Our Photos are copyrighted by Tom Carr

Visit the memorable… Milwaukee Haunted Hotel