This story combines all of my favorite things; abandoned places, graffiti, and cult activity. Thus, I give you the legend of the Seven Gates of Hell!
I was able to visit this location about a month ago and have been dying to share these pictures. I went during the day, so I didn't have any paranormal experiences, but I have to say, walking through gates 3 and 4 was eerie.
Something interesting that I found while researching was that there are several Gates to Hell. Since I couldn't find a ton on the Collinsville, Illinois location, I decided to check out the Hellam Township, Pennsylvania legend too. My pictures are from Collinsville, just a side note.
Alright, Seven Gates of Hell, Pennsylvania. This location, found off of Trout Run Road in York County, Pennsylvania, has a couple of legends surrounding it. The first is that this road, known as Toad Road in the 1800s, led to an insane asylum that burned to the ground. This happened sometime in the 1900s, and do to the asylum's isolation on the outskirts of the town, it took firefighters time to respond to the fire. This delay caused several patients to die. Those who made it out hunted, being beaten, or killed when found. Responders build the seven gates to trap the escaped patients, but only one Gate still stands today.
There are large rocks that resemble toads/frogs, thus giving the road its name. In the 1960s, people started to call the formations gargoyles, but I was unable to find out why the name was changed.
Another legend is that the property, once owned by a sadistic doctor, who built the gates to trap souls. Unlike the asylum story, a doctor did own the property but reportedly constructed only one gate. The function of that gate was to keep out trespassers. The gate remains to this day but is more like a chain-linked fence.
The last legend that I found about this location involves an abandoned mansion that still stands today. The father went crazy one day and shot his whole family; the bullet holes still visible.
As with most locations where gruesome murders happened, satanic cults flocked to the site. In this house, cults would gather to summon demons, and open portals-this could explain the whole 7 Gates of Hell thing. If I were to believe any of the legends, this would be the one.
Regardless of the origin of the Gates, both legends agree that the Gates will lead you to hell. Only the first gate is visible during the day, and no one has made it past Gate 5. Gate 7 is the gate that will take you to hell, and some believe it takes on the appearance of the old asylum. But, as I said, no one has made it through Gate 5, so we have no way of knowing.
Other than that, trespassers (since this is a private road), have seen shadow-figures and heard strange noises, like screaming in the surrounding woods.
Now, on to the 7 Gates of Hell that I visited.
This location is one of the most haunted places in Illinois besides Alton. Let's face it; everything in Alton is haunted.
The 7 Gates are a series of railroad bridges built in the 1800s to help expand the midwest. Lebanon Road is a twisted road that connects Collinsville to the middle of nowhere, and it's scenic views make this place eerie. The area is known to be a hangout place for members of the KKK, satanic cults, and general spooky shit.
The legend is the same as the one in Pennsylvania; if you go through all seven gates, you will end up in hell. Also, if you go through the gates backward, you will be able to gaze into hell instead of going there.
For the Collinsville location, I was able to find out more background on the individual gates. Also, this is the legend that I am familiar with, so I have a few stories that don't have any backing and have decided to leave them out.
Gate 1 is located right out of town, and though it is heavily graffitied, it's not as creepy as the other six.
Gate 2 is known for its involvement with the KKK. Legend has it that the phantom body of a young black man can be seen swinging from the bridge.
Gates 3 and 4 are the creepiest if you ask me. These gates, known as the Twin gates, stand next to each other in a deeply wooded area of Lebanon road. This is also where cults like to gather, littering the gates with animal carcasses. I visited this location during the day, but these two gates made my skin crawl.
Gate 6, the infamous Acid Bridge, is the location in which a phantom car can be seen. Legend has it that some teens were tripping on acid and got into a car accident. The vehicle caught on fire immediately, killing them.
Gate 7, the big finale, and welcome to hell. At this gate, you should meet the hellhounds, and that's about it.
The gates have several stories focused around them; most of them can be proven. I stumbled across a cold case from 1990 about the gates that demonstrated the darkness surrounding this place.
A young female's body was found near Lebanon Road on July 20, 1990. Authorities noted that she had multiple stab wounds, and her female organs were surgically removed, with no defensive injuries. They believe that she was dumped three days after her death. Her remains are unidentified to this day. This story could attribute some truth to the satanic cult claims.
I might touch on this story again to give you guys the true-crime side because there's a lot. All I typed in was 'Murder on Lebanon Road, IL,' and a bunch of cold cases popped up.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story, and as always, if you have anything to add, let me know.
-Tye
Always Cite Those Sources:
Ugc. “The Seven Gates of Hell.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 3 July 2013, www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-seven-gates-of-hell-hellam-pennsylvania.
“Seven Gates of Hell.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Gates_of_Hell.
McClure, Jim. “Insane and Wrathful: The Horrific Seven Gates of Hell Legend in York County.” The York Daily Record, York Daily Record, 11 Oct. 2018, www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/york-town-square/2017/10/22/seven-gates-of-hell-intriguing-tale-of-horror/787664001/.
Weird Pennsylvania, www.weirdus.com/states/pennsylvania/local_legends/seven_gates_of_hell/.
Laura. “Don't Drive On This Haunted Street In Illinois Or You May Regret It.” OnlyInYourState, 24 Oct. 2016, www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/acid-bridge-il/.
“Agency Links.” Unsolved Crimes, www.isp.state.il.us/crime/unsolveddetails.cfm?ID=26.
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