If you go ...
• What: "Most Haunted Locations in Wisconsin" program, hosted by paranormal researcher Chad Lewis
• Where: Monroe Public Library, second floor program room, 925 16th Ave., Monroe
• When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
MONROE - Sea serpents, yetis and ghosts are just some of the tales Chad Lewis will share at a speaking event Wednesday at the Monroe Public Library.
Lewis has been traveling the nation and the world for more than 20 years gathering information on local folklore about the paranormal. He recently wrote a book about "Pepie," a sea serpent rumored to lurking in Lake Pepin on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Locals of Lake City, Minn., have a standing offer of $50,000 for a captured Pepie.
Lewis will be sharing some of the stories he has heard in Monroe, like local ghost stories of Arabout Ludlow's wife Caroline roaming the Ludlow Mansion and appearing in windows at the mansion near Twining Park. Arabout was a founder of the first bank and general store in Monroe.
Lewis said he doesn't try to make believers out of people who read his books or attend his speaking events.
"I want people to go to these places and make up their own minds," he said.
Lewis will also be telling stories about Flynn's Steakhouse in Brodhead and Greenwood Cemetery in Monroe where the Ludlow family statue stands. Lewis said he has heard stories of a statue that will apparently turn its head and look at the observer. He said this is common of cemetery legends across Wisconsin. Lewis has heard of statues that "talk, move, bleed - if you can imagine it, someone has seen it happen."
He said there are also reports of mysterious lights and transparent walkers among the graves.
"Some people have reported balls of light as orbs that change in size and shape and color," Lewis said. "Others spot a little girl at night that will simply vanish."
Lewis said that people have reportedly seen an opaque figure in the window of Flynn's Steakhouse as they drive by.
Lewis was born and raised in Eau Claire and studied psychology in Menominie. He joked that he has heard just about every story, fact or fiction, in Wisconsin. Lewis began seeking out the stories of paranormal to try and understand why some people believe in ghosts, ghouls and monsters.
"I haven't ever had a paranormal experience myself," he said. "But I'm interested in what makes someone believe in the paranormal."
He said he tries to research local history to try and sort out the facts from the yarns people tell, but the results tend to be less glamorous than some paranormal TV shows suggest.
"All the TV shows never show researchers in basements digging in archives and old newspapers for days and days," he said.
Lewis said he enjoys hearing other people's experiences with the paranormal but takes it all with a grain of salt. He said he hopes many - believers or not - attend his talk to engage with the weird and unknown.
"I hope we get die-hard believers and die-hard skeptics who normally wouldn't care, but it's October and it's creepy and fun," he said.
Lewis will give a presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Monroe Public Library in the second floor program room.
Lewis has been traveling the nation and the world for more than 20 years gathering information on local folklore about the paranormal. He recently wrote a book about "Pepie," a sea serpent rumored to lurking in Lake Pepin on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Locals of Lake City, Minn., have a standing offer of $50,000 for a captured Pepie.
Lewis will be sharing some of the stories he has heard in Monroe, like local ghost stories of Arabout Ludlow's wife Caroline roaming the Ludlow Mansion and appearing in windows at the mansion near Twining Park. Arabout was a founder of the first bank and general store in Monroe.
Lewis said he doesn't try to make believers out of people who read his books or attend his speaking events.
"I want people to go to these places and make up their own minds," he said.
Lewis will also be telling stories about Flynn's Steakhouse in Brodhead and Greenwood Cemetery in Monroe where the Ludlow family statue stands. Lewis said he has heard stories of a statue that will apparently turn its head and look at the observer. He said this is common of cemetery legends across Wisconsin. Lewis has heard of statues that "talk, move, bleed - if you can imagine it, someone has seen it happen."
He said there are also reports of mysterious lights and transparent walkers among the graves.
"Some people have reported balls of light as orbs that change in size and shape and color," Lewis said. "Others spot a little girl at night that will simply vanish."
Lewis said that people have reportedly seen an opaque figure in the window of Flynn's Steakhouse as they drive by.
Lewis was born and raised in Eau Claire and studied psychology in Menominie. He joked that he has heard just about every story, fact or fiction, in Wisconsin. Lewis began seeking out the stories of paranormal to try and understand why some people believe in ghosts, ghouls and monsters.
"I haven't ever had a paranormal experience myself," he said. "But I'm interested in what makes someone believe in the paranormal."
He said he tries to research local history to try and sort out the facts from the yarns people tell, but the results tend to be less glamorous than some paranormal TV shows suggest.
"All the TV shows never show researchers in basements digging in archives and old newspapers for days and days," he said.
Lewis said he enjoys hearing other people's experiences with the paranormal but takes it all with a grain of salt. He said he hopes many - believers or not - attend his talk to engage with the weird and unknown.
"I hope we get die-hard believers and die-hard skeptics who normally wouldn't care, but it's October and it's creepy and fun," he said.
Lewis will give a presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Monroe Public Library in the second floor program room.