Many students at the University of Central Missouri believe there is a ghost living among them in South Yeater Hall, located on the south side of campus. Since 1954, it has been said that there have been strange occurrences within its walls. From strange noises to sightings of ghostly figures, some students have claimed to witness evidence of supernatural activities in the Yeater dormitories.
“I have heard that there is a ghost living in Yeater and heard people talking about it […] and was like, ‘No way. I got assigned to the haunted building. What is my luck?’ and was just really shocked. I’ve heard that people get their stuff moved around and can’t sleep, and that the third floor is the most haunted… so at least I’m not on the third floor,” freshman resident Kaylee Conrad said.
Yeater Hall is the oldest residence hall on the UCM campus and has been open since 1841. It was originally a women’s-only dorm. “Laura J. Yeater, known as the ‘Lady with the Little Black Bow’ by her students, was the founder of the building, born Oct. 1, 1865, in Sedalia, MO,” a file from the Johnson County Historical Society states. After her death at the age of 89 in 1954, she became what students now know as the Ghost of Yeater Hall.
Conrad is one of the small number of students who have had an experience with the ghost with a couple of friends.
“One night, I was in my friend’s dorm and we were just standing around and heard kind of like a tapping noise, it sounded like someone was tapping their foot. I thought one of my friends was tapping her foot, but I looked down and nobody was. I asked one of my friends if she was, and she said, ‘No, I wasn’t moving around or anything.’ My friend also told me that the ghost mainly attacks boys and they would wake up scratched. So maybe it was a ghost… maybe UCM in general is haunted, who knows?” Conrad said.
Students have not been the only ones to notice strange occurrences. According to the Johnson County Historical Society, many different and strange incidents have been reported over the years.
“There has also been a piano playing with no one in the room, lights flickering and ‘ghostlike’ figures in rooms and hallways when everyone’s gone home for breaks,” Joyce Dorrell, President of the Johnson County Historical Society, said.
Another UCM student learned about the ghost while touring the campus, but did not know she would end up living with one.
“I’ve heard a few things. I was on a tour for UCM during the summer and my tour guide said something about one building being haunted, but I didn’t know it was the building I would be staying in,” freshman resident Marissa Scott said.
Scott has not had any experience with the ghost. However, she has heard stories from others.
“I know some people have seen a white figure on the third floor or white footprints and just little things like that, that’s hard to explain,” Scott said.
Both students, Conrad and Scott, said they are pretty familiar with odd things happening, so having the ghost inside their residence isn’t too scary.
