The Stickney mansion is Bull Valley was constructed with rounded corners to prevent spirits from being trapped in traditional 90 degree corners. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

Lake and McHenry counties have no shortage of places that are attached with paranormal activity and legends which come to the fore Oct. 31 … All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween.

While the interest in things that go bump in the night provide for some good stories, many incidents have no physical explanation and carry for generations.

Tony Olszewski, carrying a pedigree of 21 years in law enforcement notably with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department as a detective and chief for the Holiday Hills police department, established the McHenry County Paranormal Research Group. Its mission wasn’t to uncover ghostly activity for entertainment. Instead there was a higher purpose of identifying paranormal issues and attempting a resolution of conflict between spirits and living persons by helping those spirits cross over to the light, in the process.

Psychic blur and rods photographed during an investigation at the meeting house of the Lake Region Historical Society. (photo courtesy of M.H.C.P.R.G. and Lake Region Historical Society)

“As I’ve said in many instances, our group is here to help those who have passed and those who are still here … it’s not a sport,” said Olszewski. “Our entire focus is different from other groups, making us somewhat unique. Spirits are all around us, everywhere, and it becomes a haunting when they interact or bother the client, hence the ‘ghost’ term by connecting with a person, place, or thing. Most spirits want to go undetected and unnoticed.”

Olszewski provided a thumbnail index on the three types of contact: intelligent (active interaction), poltergeist (noisy and purposely disruptive), and residual (a repeating imprint, similar to a tape loop). Spirits also require energy to “feed” on, and interact, whether from electrical sources or individuals.

Those forms of energy manifest themselves as orbs that are luminous with their own energy source and a non-luminous type, ectoplasm (a visible mist, or fluid form), shadow people, partial or full-body apparitions, rods (streaks of light), and psychic blur (when the energy comes between an object and a camera), the latter being the most common form.

“Spirits know your heart and intent … our group has learned much, and come far since starting in 2006,” he said. “We always have a revolving group of people that are empaths, investigators, mediums, and empirical data researchers. We use multiple forms of data gathering for evidence, it’s layered, time-coded for a specific points in the investigation. We use a single-blind approach, where the investigators aren’t aware of what’s there or the narrative.

Rods photographed at the meeting house of the Lakes Region Historical Society. (photo courtesy of M.H.C.P.R.G. and Lake Region Historical Society)

“In 2017, we’ve had 16 investigations and in all but three cases, we got everyone to cross over. Many times spirits are fearful of leaving, or have done something they feel God will not forgive them for,” he said. “There are still things which defy rational explanations.”

Olszewski related an incident involving the Stickney Mansion in Bull Valley. George and Sylvia Stickney built the two-story home in the secluded rural area in the mid-1800s. The house itself was designed to have rounded corners in place of traditional 90 degree seams to prevent spirits from becoming trapped. A second-floor ballroom was used for spiritualist gatherings and séances.

George Stickney died in a corner of the second-floor, where misinformation says it was the only 90-degree angle in the house, which did not exist at the time. His wife continued with spiritualist activities until her demise, and the dwelling came into possession of residential owners. Stories then circulated about disembodied sounds, voices, moved furniture, and apparitions being witnessed.

“We were told the owner hung himself, when I was with the sheriff’s department,” said Olszewski. “The couple that was there complained of vandalism, where a portion of the tin ceiling upstairs would be pulled back. So we staked it out with four detectives one night. The couple went out to dinner, but we checked everything before they left. A couple hours later, they showed us where the ceiling had been peeled back again.

“No one could have gotten in, or gotten out. This is one of those things that’s unexplained conventionally.” The home is now owned by the Stickney House Foundation, which is attempting to restore the house to its original state. The basement area is occupied by the Bull Valley Police Department, and they will not discuss the matter of hauntings.

Some sites have explanations although again, not conventional ones. The former Grant Township Hall on Washington Street in Ingleside is now home to the Fox Lake-Grant Township Historical Society and allegedly the home of Joe Tancl. Tancl, a former member of the Fox Lake Fire Protection District, lived upstairs and acted as caretaker for the building until his passing in December 1968.

“He was a well-liked man, a well-respected man, and was the caretaker for the place,” said the district’s chief, Ron Hoehne. “We lived in Ingleside for a long time, and I knew Joe (Tancl), when I was young. He served under the previous chief, before my father, Stu, took over in 1981. I heard the stories about him being in the hall, and you wonder.”

Stories revolved around noises and bumps being heard in the upstairs areas during meetings, as well as other strange happenings. In 2009, the historical society invited Olszewski’s group to conduct an investigation, and see what they could find. Meters used for temperature readings indicated drops in certain areas where magnetic meters honed in on a presence. The most startling piece was delivered during a reveal to the society.

“Remember, when you take a digital picture, what’s in the picture … that’s it. You can’t double-expose it, or alter the results from the original exposure. We had detected a presence, and a team member snapped a picture of me. At the reveal, it showed me morphing into another individual. A historical society member said, ‘That’s Joe,’ and showed us a picture of Mr. Tancl. That was amazing. It’s not a harmful spirit.

Another site investigation took place at the school and meeting house now under the umbrella of the Lakes Region Historical Society, in Antioch.

“They had physical occurrences with lights, apparitions, and other contacts. We found the spirits of several children in the meeting house, we don’t know why they were there or if they crossed over. But it’s where they stayed. We came away with exceptional photographs of psychic blur and rods.”

The group continues to make investigations in both counties, on an invitation basis, although they are willing to help in paranormal situations.

“Spirits are all around us,” said Olszewski. “Some have crossed over and come back, but many spirits are afraid in not knowing that. Getting them to cross over, and go to the light, is a way to find peace, and we want to help them do that.”

–What’s the difference between spirits and ghosts?–