BY MARISSA CASTANOS
Halloween is a favorite time of year for horror fanatics, serial killer researchers, and Haunted House, goers. This time of year is known for activities such as pumpkin carving, going through corn mazes, and for some – ghost hunting. Although there may not many haunted locations in Hays, the few that are still standing make it worthwhile for anyone looking for a thrill on Hallow’s Eve.
For decades, Hays residents have reported seeing a ghost of a woman, walking along the nearby Sentinel Hill. The legend of Elizabeth Polly is one that Ellis County residents have been telling for years, there is even a park honoring her death, and a monument that stands for her at the summit of Sentinel Hill.
Legend says that Elizabeth came to Fort Hays with her husband during the mid-1800’s. Shortly after, the town was struck with a cholera epidemic, which is when Elizabeth gained her fame. She became what many people call, “the angel of the fort,” as she would comfort the soldiers who were taken by the illness.
Seven years later, Elizabeth herself contracted the deadly disease, which took her life. The one request Elizabeth had on her deathbed was to be buried on top of the Sentinel Hill, her favorite place to walk in the quiet evenings. Unfortunately, the hill was covered in too many rocks for Elizabeth to have a proper military funeral, so she was laid to rest at the base of the bluffs.
It was until 1941 that Elizabeth’s body remained in her grave until her body was moved to where she wished to lay, on the summit of the hill, while a stone monument lay in memory in place of her body.
If Elizabeth was now resting in her favorite spot, why does she still haunt the area? Does she still roam because she was not granted her one wish when she passed? Is she looking for the souls of the soldiers who she once cared for? Nobody will ever know for sure, but according to local tales, people still encounter Elizabeth around the farms and prairies near the hill, and she has been known for years as the “Blue Light Lady.”
If you’re brave enough, go to Sentinel Hill this Halloween and see if you can find the Blue Light Lady that Hays residents have been talking about for decades.