The Haunted History of the Sallie House

Located in Atchinson, Kansas, the Sallie House is one of the most terrifyingly haunted locations in the United States. Reports of paranormal activity are varied. The reports range from harmless voices and sound to violent, physical manifestations. No one knows what caused the Sallie House haunting, but most paranormal investigators can agree on one thing. A night alone in the Sallie House is a terrifying experience.

The Haunted History of the Sallie House

The Sallie House was initially built in the 1800s. The Finney family contacted a construction company to build the home for Charles Finney and his family. Charles used the bottom floor for medical exams and surgeries, completing his paperwork in one of the upstairs bedrooms. His family lived above the "doctor's office" until their family grew too large for the house.

One of the most popular stories to come from the house is one of a child who died in the house. Her name was Sallie, and she'd been brought to Dr. Finney when her mother noticed she was having severe pains in her stomach. Dr. Finney believed that Sallie's appendix was close to rupturing, and he chose to operate to remove her appendix. Legends say Finney started to operate before the anesthetic took effect, causing the girl to die on the operating table.

Since the 1990s, the Sallie House has displayed almost every type of "paranormal" activity. Visitors have reported disembodied voices, apparitions, objects moving alone, and "shadow people." Some have even reported feeling physically attacked. Over the last thirty years, these reports have led to an influx of popularity. Multiple ghost-hunting teams have visited the Sallie House, and their reports differ. It's almost as if they all experienced something different when they visited the house.

Although the house is known as the Sallie House, there is no concrete evidence that a girl named Sallie ever lived there. However, there are rumors that Dr. Charles Finney owned the house. He reportedly ran his office out of the house's first level. Dr. Finney's unsuccessful effort to perform Sallie's emergency surgery gave rise to the legend of Sallie. At least, this is where the rumors started. No one has proven whether this unsuccessful surgery happened in the first place. Records of a young child named Sallie have yet to be found. 

Sure, this happened in an era before the internet. But wouldn't hard copies be on file with the local county clerk? No one's been able to find them if they ever existed. 

The Sallie House Today

It would be easy to replicate the Sallie House with the right Halloween props, lighting, and effects. A few scare actors could make your location turn into the perfect replica. Like the Lizzie Borden house, the Sallie House is open for tours and overnight stays. These overnight stays are what fueled the rumors in the first place. Paranormal investigators found what looked like "Satanic" elements in the basement, but those claims haven't been confirmed yet. If you want to turn your haunted house into a replica of one as well-known as the Sallie House, Horror Dome is the place to go! We have the props, lighting, fog machines, and scare actor accessories to make your house as hauntingly terrifying as the Sallie House.