The state of Missouri is rich in so much history, but sometimes that history holds a haunted past. Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, for example, was once known as the bloodiest 47 acres in the United States. And not to be macabre, but there are more stories like that around. About two hours southwest of Jefferson City, lies one of the state’s most haunted small towns. Come along as we explore the many things to do in Potosi, Missouri.

Potosi, Missouri may seem like a typical rural town with a population of just over 2,000.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr
However, the creepy stories that haunt this place are not so typical.
To begin, let's start at the Austin-Milam-Lucas-Store.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
Moses Austin, Potosi's founding father, is believed to have built this shop sometime around 1798. However, it was 1932 when the store, now turned into a house, would experience its first tragedy. F.J. Flynn died of a self-inflicted wound while living there.
A haunting still felt today by others.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
Paranormal investigations are on-going at the store. Visitors have reported being scratched or hearing voices. Judy Myers, a sensitive investigator with Missouri Paranormal Research, said she picked up on several spirits, including an abused child running away and a man who hung himself.

The store can be found at South Missouri Street & West Jefferson Street in Potosi.
Next up, the cemetery. The source of this haunting coincidentally has roots back to the town's founding father. Moses Austin was initially buried in Hazel Run Mines, however he was dug up and moved to the cemetery in Potosi.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
The individuals who transported his body noted that after seven years, his coffin had disintegrated, but his body remained in an almost perfect petrified state with only his nose and fingers missing. After being reentered into the Potosi Cemetery, one of several haunted cemeteries in the state, Moses grave was later found dug up with the new coffin lid open. It's rumored that the culprits were the towns-people who had been curious of what they had heard about his preserved body. Regardless, many believe Austin has not been able to fully rest in peace since then.

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This is the place of burial for victims of the town's most brutal attack.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
Potosi experienced its most violent crime in 1870 when three men trespassed into the Lapine family home and murdered the entire family. They first shot the adults, then chopped off their heads. When it came to the children, they used the axe to kill them, mutilating their bodies into several pieces. What was left of the family's bodies were buried at the cemetery in Potosi.

The cemetery can be found on Old 21 and Jackson Street in Potosi.
Lastly, it's time we enter the Long-Banta Home.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
The Long-Banta home, one of several historic homes in Missouri, was built by prominent business man, James Long, sometime in 1865. James, his wife Betty and all three of his daughters died within these walls.
Spirits were encountered by the previous homeowner's descendants.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
Descendants of James Long believed their ancestor continued to haunt the house. Many reported seeing ghostly figures looking out the window, when no one was home. Others frequently heard unexplained voices.
Paranormal Task Force conducts an investigation.
Paranormal Task Force/Facebook
The reported haunting led to a paranormal investigation. Investigators outside the home witnessed a ghostly shadow walking past windows and experienced unexplainable moving areas of electromagnetic fields coupled with temperature drops on the inside. They also asked questions to the spirits which were answered by piano notes played by the unseen and even captured the disembodied voices or what is referred to as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) on their audio recordings.

The Long-Banta Home can be found at located at North Mine Street & West Breton Street in Potosi.

After learning about this town’s dark history, it’s no wonder many believe it to be haunted! If you’re brave enough to visit, be sure to visit the City of Potosi website to learn more about all of the things to see and do.

Have you ever been to Potosi, MO? If so, what did you think? We’d love to read about your experience in the comments section below!

If you’re really into the paranormal, these 6 haunted cemeteries in Missouri are not for the faint of heart!

For more fascinating Show Me State adventures, take a look at this video:

 

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More to Explore

Adventures in Missouri

Lysa Allman-Baldwin | March 22, 2023

Where can we find other haunted places in Missouri?

  • The Shady Oak Theater in Clayton is said to be where a great deal of paranormal activity takes place, including film on the shelf unwinding by itself.
  • Creve Coeur Park in Creve Coeur is said to be haunted by the ghost of a Native American princess who took her life there many, many years ago.
  • The Elms Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs, built in 1912, is known to have ghost sightings in the basement.

Read on to learn more about some of the many other haunted places in Missouri.

Where can we find small towns in Missouri?

  • Steelville in Crawford County is popular with summertime visitors, in part because they are lots of camping and floating resorts in the area.
  • Richmond in Ray County has a quaint downtown area with several historic structures.
  • Chillicothe in Livingston County is best known for being the birthplace of sliced bread.

Read on to learn more about some of the wonderful small towns in Missouri.

Where can we find historical sites in Missouri?

  • The Anheuser Busch Brewery in St. Louis, opened in 1852 by Adolphus Busch, consists of 189 structures on 142 acres.
  • Graham Cave in Montgomery County is a Native American archeological site located inside of the 356-acre Graham Cave State Park.
  • The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City pays homage to those who served in World War I.

Read on to learn more about the many fascinating historical sites in Missouri.

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Potosi, MO, USA