The Archer Avenue Ghost

For over eighty years, motorists along Archer Avenue in Justice, Illinois, have reported encountering a beautiful young woman in a white dress who vanishes as they approach Resurrection Cemetery. Known as Resurrection Mary, she is Chicago’s most famous phantom hitchhiker.

The Pattern

The encounters follow a consistent pattern. A young blonde woman in a white party dress flags down a car or is found walking along Archer Avenue. She asks for a ride. She is beautiful but cold to the touch. As the car approaches Resurrection Cemetery, she vanishes from the vehicle.

The Dance

Some reports include a dance component. Men at the Liberty Grove and O’Henry Ballroom have danced with a beautiful stranger who asks for a ride home. She gives directions that lead to the cemetery gates where she disappears.

The 1976 Incident

In August 1976, a motorist reported seeing a woman in white trapped inside the cemetery gates after closing time. Police investigated but found no one. However, two of the iron bars were bent apart, and handprints appeared burned into the metal.

The Identity

Researchers have proposed several identities. Mary Bregovy, who died in a 1934 auto accident, is the leading candidate. Anna Norkus, killed in 1927, has also been suggested. Cemetery records show multiple young women buried there who fit the description.

The Continuing Phenomenon

Resurrection Mary continues to appear. Reports occur regularly throughout the decades. Taxi drivers, police officers, and ordinary motorists have encountered her. She never speaks of the accident or her death.

Assessment

The consistency of Resurrection Mary reports across eight decades and hundreds of witnesses distinguishes her from urban legend. Whether she represents a genuine ghost or the power of expectation, she has become a permanent resident of Chicago folklore.