The Abandoned Village In Michigan That Most People Stay Far, Far Away From

Today, most people stay away from Pere Cheney, Michigan (near Roscommon), but it’s not simply because there’s nothing left of the place except the old cemetery, nor is it because it’s on a difficult-to-travel road that resembles the ruts made by two wagon wheels. No, this abandoned village in Michigan is terrifying for all its own reasons.

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There are other reasons people avoid this once-bustling lumber town that was home to about 1500 residents in the mid-1870s.

Ivan Drago/YouTube

In 1893 the village was hit by diphtheria and many people died. The gravemarker pictured above at the Pere Cheney Cemetery lists three children in one family that all died in 1893.

And then, diphtheria hit again just a few short years later. These two unfortunate events ended up wiping out most of the town. But why did Pere Cheney get hit with the plague in the first place?

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First, it's believed the village may have been built on an ancient Native burial ground. Visitors to the area have reportedly seen apparitions and other hauntings including unexplainable cold spots and orbs. They believe the spirits are angry that a village was built on top of their burial ground.

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Another long-standing story about why Pere Cheney, Michigan, is cursed involves the spirit of an unwed mother who, upon giving birth out of wedlock, was turned away by the village and banished to the woods.

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Her vehement anger was so focused that she turned on the village and cursed the people again and again, in the way a witch would place a curse on someone or some place.

Brenda Clarke/Flickr

Further, they accused her of being a witch, and hanged her from a tree in the Pere Cheney Cemetery before they buried her at the base of that same tree.

illegalclown/YouTube

In fact, as legends have it, the "Witch Legend of Pere Cheney Cemetery" is so common, Pere Cheney supposedly boasts the second-most prominent witch grave in the Midwest.

Whether you believe in ghosts, curses, or witches is beside the point. No one knows for sure why this town was stuck by diphtheria more than once. Was it angry spirits? The curse of a witch? Or just bad luck?

Ivan Drago/YouTube

It's open to the public. But if you're like most people, you'll be content to stay far, far away from this abandoned village in Michigan.

For a deeper look at this abandoned village in Michigan, take a look at the videos above in their entirety:

So… what do you think? Is the Pere Cheney Cemetery haunted? Cursed? Do you really want to find out in person? If you love exploring creepy places, then check out this article: 6 Disturbing Cemeteries In Michigan That Will Give You The Goosebumps.