When diseases such as tuberculosis were sweeping the nation, those who were suffering would often find refuge in places called sanitoriums in order to attempt to recover from their illnesses. One famous sanitorium whose staff claimed to have found a cure for tuberculosis was called Waverly Hills. But there was an incredible secret to this place that was unknown to the hundreds of patients who passed through there. Patients kept disappearing who the staff would say had simply been cured by their miracle treatment. Had this been true, the place may not have been as haunted as it is today.
Dr. Oscar O. Miller was in charge of the sanitorium at the time of the most profound outbreak of tuberculosis. As the staff were wheeled in and treated Dr. Miller would tell them along with the nursing staff that they would be cured by a miracle treatment and released shortly. Those who were most severe would be moved to the emergency wards where they would begin their “recovery.” Some say you can’t blame the hospital staff for lying about the treatment. In reality, tuberculosis was a horrible disease to die from. And with more dying every day, most sanitoriums had an environment of complete and utter despair. The patients of Waverly Hills at least had hope along with a medical staff that did everything they could to keep their spirits up – even lie.
A patient that was particularly ill would be taken into isolation. After they died, they would be dragged to a secret shaft and taken outside to be put on the pile of dead and eventually buried. Those who would ask about the fate of their friends would be told they had been cured. And yet the graveyard on the grounds grew each day. The dead stacked up so fast it was often hard to bury them all in time. This isn’t to say the staff didn’t do the best they could to provide a healthy environment with the best treatments available for the ill, but there was no sure way to cure all of the dying. And many of the failed treatment were kept from the rest of the live-in staff and the other patients.
Today Waverly Hills is a haunted place. Those who tend to the grounds and visit often report hearing voices, witnessing passing apparitions, and hearing the eerie music of radios playing in the place. Ghost hunts, both amateur and professional are scheduled here regularly. This season has already been booked entirely and the next season is filling up quickly. The restless spirits left behind, some say, are angry because of the promise of a cure for their sickness that they found only in death, and others say it is simply because of the massive amount of suffering that went on in the place from this savage disease. Psychics who have channeled the place say that the attitudes of the ghosts are not uniformed by any means. Some were truly thankful of the staff but lingered because of their own suffering while others say the place was cruel and hard for the many poor who had been shuffled in to keep them from infecting the populous.
