Urban legends often leave us scratching our heads, wondering if the story we’ve just heard – or even told – is really true. After all, most are passed down from generation to generation, which likely leads to a bit of tweaking on the details here and there. Have you heard the legend of Kirksville Devil’s Chair in Missouri? It just might send chills down your spine.

A few centuries ago, in the 19th century to be exact, some graveyards featured intricately-carved stone chairs, designed for mourners to sit and reflect near their loved one(s).
Wikimedia Commons/Natalie Maynor
However, if you believe the urban legends, and you’ll hear of the Devil’s Chair in cemeteries across the United States, those chairs signify something much more sinister than a spot to relax.
Flickr/Chris Dilworth
The Kirksville Devil’s Chair sits in Highland Park Cemetery, added to the cemetery grounds by prominent Missourian William Baird, a well-known banker in Kirksville.
Wikipedia/David Oaks

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Who installed the chair at the cemetery, however, is far less important to the legend than the supposedly terrifying history of it.
Flickr/John Donges
Legend says that those who are brave enough to sit in the chair at the stroke of midnight or on Halloween night will be grabbed by a hand from the below the ground.
Flickr/David Seibold
The hand will yank the person out of the chair, pull him underground, and take him to the depths of hell – never to be heard from again.
Flickr/newtonapple
Perhaps somewhat ironically, William Baird, the man credited with having the chair installed at Highland Park Cemetery, isn’t buried there himself. His final resting place is Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery, also in Kirksville.
Google Maps

Have you heard of the legend of Kirksville Devil’s Chair in Missouri? What do you think? Join the conversation in the comments! Speaking of urban legends, have you heard the terrifying tale of Momo, the Missouri Monster? Or perhaps you were one of the lucky Missourians who actually saw him?

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Highland Park Cemetery, 2391-2399 E Normal Ave, Kirksville, MO 63501, USA