Grave of Kate Blood

Few graves in Wisconsin have inspired as much speculation as the grave of Kate Blood in Riverside Cemetery in Appleton. For generations, visitors have sought out the secluded headstone after hearing stories that Kate Blood was a witch who murdered her husband and children with an axe before being buried beneath a cursed monument. According to local legend, the stone bleeds on nights of the full moon, feels unnaturally warm to the touch, and is surrounded by an unsettling presence that has made it one of the state’s most famous haunted cemetery legends.

The truth behind the legend is far more tragic than terrifying. Kate Marcia “Kitty” Blood Miller died of tuberculosis in 1874 at just 23 years old after traveling to Kansas in hopes that a warmer climate would improve her health. She left behind a young daughter, and her husband George later remarried, living more than four decades after Kate’s death. There is no historical evidence connecting Kate to murder, witchcraft, or any violent crime, and many Appleton historians have worked to correct the myths that have unfairly followed her for more than a century.

Even after the legend was debunked, reports of unexplained experiences continue to attract paranormal enthusiasts and curious visitors. Hidden away in Riverside Cemetery, the Kate Blood grave remains one of the most talked-about haunted locations in Wisconsin, where folklore, local history, and alleged paranormal activity have become inseparable. Whether visitors come searching for supernatural evidence or simply to learn the true story behind the legend, the grave remains one of Wisconsin’s most enduring cemetery mysteries.

Reported Paranormal Activity

• Reports of blood appearing to drip from the gravestone during a full moon.
• Visitors claim the monument feels noticeably warmer than nearby gravestones.
• Feelings of being watched or an unexplained sense of unease near the grave.
• Strange photographic anomalies and unexplained mists reported by some visitors.
• The enduring legend of Kate Blood’s ghost despite historical evidence disproving the story.