Stepp Cemetery: Feeding folklore

Another place of interest in Morgan-Monroe State Forest is Stepp Cemetery — a remote burial site in the middle of the woods with a reputation for the paranormal. If this catches your attention, then maybe a visit to Stepp Cemetery is in order.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the cemetery was established in the early 1800s, but many of the earliest graves are no longer visible.

This cemetery contains approximately 114 graves. Stepp Cemetery’s oldest known grave is that of Isaac Hartsock, a War of 1812 veteran who died in 1851. The cemetery also contains graves of Civil War, World War I and World War II veterans.

Stepp Cemetery’s claims to fame are the varied ghost stories, mostly centering around the “lady in black” who some claim to see in the cemetery and the grave of baby Lester. According to legend, a parition can be seen sitting on a stump, crying over the loss of her baby.

This small, remote cemetery in the woods is a popular source of local folklore and offers visitors a glimpse into the past and maybe a spine-tingling encounter.

(Prepared by the Morgan County Leadership Academy Class of 2022 on behalf of the Morgan County Bicentennial Committee)