Most Haunted Places in America: Northern State University
Northern State University is a rather large public college located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is home to about 2,800 students, the NSU Wolves athletics teams, and a number of ghosts!
The haunting of Northern State University has no known origins. At least one little girl is known to haunt the South Dakota university, and countless others that are heard, but never seen. Most of the paranormal activity at Northern State University takes place in the Jerde Hall and Johnson Fine Arts Center.
We’ll start with a brief history of the school. Northern State University was 50 years in the making. In 1855, a bill was passed to fund the construction of an institution for higher learning in Ordway, South Dakota. The funds did not get approved until 1857, at which time Governor Church vetoed the bill in order to reconsider the finances. Lacking statewide support, decades passed before anything actually happened.
It was determined around 1900 that Aberdeen was the fastest growing area population wise in northern South Dakota, so a new plan was devised to build a college here. Again, lack of government funding was a problem, but the wealthy locals pitched in by donating land.
The government had no choice but to fall in with the plan, having so much support, so funding was provided. By 1901, construction was underway on what would become the Northern Normal and Industrial School (NNIS). Its doors opened in September of the same year.
In those days, anyone could teach. The enrollment president, Dr. Harold Fought, decided the lack of quality teachers at NNIS was the main reason for the decline in student enrollment. Dr. fought established the requirement of certification to teach at NNIS in 1920. The school could now award bachelor’s degrees, but it wasn’t until 1939 that the Northern Normal and Industrial School was renamed Northern State Teacher’s College.
The great depression passed, along with World War II. Significant changes came to the school, mostly in the way of curriculum. Even pilot lessons became available during war time. The college was continuing to grow both in academics and student population.
In 1964, it was renamed Northern State College. The quality of education continued its rapid growth for two more decades and in 1987 was awarded the second highest classification in all of South Dakota. This achievement was finally recognized in 1989 when it was renamed once more Northern State University.
Jerde Hall was established on the east side of the NSU campus, near the soccer field and tennis courts. This is, in fact, where a good deal of the paranormal activity takes place at Northern State University; most notably that of a little girl on the fourth floor. No one knows who the little girl is, or why she chooses to haunt NSU’s Jerde Hall, but similar reports from multiple students are hard to deny.
One student saw the apparition of the young girl reflected in a mirror. The student spun around, but no one was there.
Another student was sleeping soundly, then suddenly awoke in the middle of the night to find the young girl seated at the end of the bed. The ghost lifted one finger to her lips in a “Shhh…” motion, but the student screamed out in terror. The girl’s ghost ran from the room, slamming the door quite loudly behind her.
On another occasion, a student reported hearing the voice of a young girl whispering her name as she walked down the hallway. She turned to see who was calling her, but no one was there.
The Johnson Fine Arts Center of Northern State University has its own fair share of paranormal activity. Surprisingly, it is one of the younger structures of the university built in the 70’s. for starters, students who pass through the center in the night report a general “creepy” feeling; one that urges them to move on get out as quickly as possible.
When no one is in the men’s room, there is sometimes the sound of someone whistling a tune coming from the lavatories. A few students have reported the sound of keys jingling in the seats of the theatre, though no one is ever in the area it’s coming from when the noise is heard.
Lights have been reported to turn themselves on and off in the costume / make-up room. The wheelchair lift has been said to operate of its own accord. One group of students claim a ball of tape was thrown at them from out of nowhere or no one.
One night, as the lights in the costume room were being disrupted by the ghost(s), a loud crash was heard coming from the platforms that were set up on the stage.
These are the most common account of ghostly activity at Northern State University. The little girl seems to be the most intriguing, as she has chosen to reveal herself in spectral form on several occasions. Perhaps one day it will be revealed just who the little girl haunting Northern State University’s Jerde Hall really is…
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Sounds cool, wish i lived nearer so i could visit.