Woodvale Whispers

Echoes of Forbidden Love:

The Secret Affair of the Woodvale Witch

For 170 years, the story of Evelyn Stewart has cast a dark sh adow over Woodvale’s history. Known to most as the infamous “Woodvale Witch,” Evelyn was sentenced to death in 1846 for poisoning her husband. On that fateful day, over 10,000 spectators gathered outside the old courthouse to witness Indiana’s last public hanging, hoping for a glimpse of something sinister. Many claimed to hear Evelyn singing hymns and chanting incoherently as she was led to the gallows, fueling the rumors that she was, indeed, a witch.

Evelyn lived deep in what is now Ackerman Woods, and, as the story goes, her spirit has wandered there ever since, trapped between this world and the next. Over the years, many people have witnessed a pale figure gliding silently among the trees, her long dress flowing behind her. Some even reported hearing Evelyn’s mournful moan echoing through the park at dusk.

However, her spirit is not alone.

We’ve uncovered a second spirit haunting Ackerman Woods. Those brave enough to walk the trails after dark may also encounter the ghost of Fannie Decker, a local chicken farmer who lived just beyond the woods in the mid-1800s. Fannie and Evelyn would often meet by the waterfall, enjoying fresh vegetables from Fannie’s garden or drinking brandy made from Evelyn’s apple trees.

Wondering how we know all of this? We recently acquired a journal belonging to Fannie Decker herself. Within the pages of this journal, Fannie expresses a fondness for Evelyn that expands beyond platonic friendship. The two women were entangled in a passionate, clandestine romance, a kind of love forbidden in their time.

“The fire in the hearth matches the warmth of my loins. For both, I have Evvy to thank.” Fannie’s diary includes several mentions of Evelyn, whom she lovingly nicknamed Evvy. The two created a secret form of communication using symbols, enabling them to declare their love without being discovered.

In the journal, Fannie describes the poisonous foxglove planted in her garden—the very flowers that were ground into Jacob Stewart’s tea, leading to his death. Could the women have conspired together? Was their plan to get Jacob out of the way so they could finally be together? Evelyn never implicated Fannie during her trial, choosing instead to take her secrets to the grave. Fannie met her own demise a few short years later, taken by the deadly blizzard of 1849. Their forbidden love remained buried in the shadows of Woodvale’s history… until now.

With special permission from the parks department, we devoted ourselves to spending a full night in the woods, Blair Witch style. (Parks director Nolan Campbell wants us to remind our readers that camping in this section of the park is not typically permitted.) We pitched our tent in the exact spot where Evelyn’s hut once stood, well beyond the marked trails that wind through the park.

Unfortunately, we didn’t even make it until sunrise.

As you’ll be able to hear in the video (attached), we awoke to a piercing, feminine-sounding shriek at 3:33 a.m. About thirty seconds later, we were able to capture a second scream on video. (Please ignore the sound of Meghan exclaiming, “Chase, I’m going to piss my pants.”) After consulting with a local wildlife expert, we’re aware it’s possible the sound may have come from a bobcat in search of a mate. In fact, this is a detail your two bloggers disagree on. While Meghan leans toward logic and would prefers a scientific explanation, Chase insists the sound was Fannie Decker’s voice echoing through time, crying out as she learned of her beloved’s death sentence.

We’ll let you give it a listen and decide for yourself. Is Ackerman Woods really haunted by the spirits of Evelyn Stewart and Fannie Decker, forever bound by love and tragedy? Or could the mysterious apparitions and sounds be explained by science?

One thing is certain—Woodvale’s history is full of secrets, and Fannie & Evelyn’s love affair is only the beginning of our exploration. We’re determined to uncover more stories like theirs with this relaunch of . We hope you’re just as excited as we are to see where this journey takes us!

-Meghan & Chase