Kate Blood Gravestone

MichelleWenzy (Atlas Obscura User)

The creepy setting on the river in one of Appleton’s oldest cemeteries is just the beginning of the unsettling story behind this grave.

The headstone marks the final resting place of Kate Blood. Many local legends add to the lore of this bewitching site.

It has been told that Kate murdered her husband and three children, and then committed suicide. Thus the officials of the city placed their gravesite away from the others to hide her deed. Another telling holds that the “true story” is that her husband killed her in a drunken rage.

The reality is far more bland, though less clear. Kate did not murder anyone, and in fact died several years before her husband (though not by his hand). It remains unclear whether or not the Bloods had children due to family records being lost to time.

These stories and many others undoubtedly originated because her name is “Blood,” but the location of the gravesite doesn’t help. Her grave is separated from the rest at Riverside Cemetery in Appleton, set atop a hill near the Fox River.

Know Before You Go

The site is near the River, so when driving stick to the outer paved roads. The gravel path leading down to the gravesite is blocked by a chain and a triangle caution sign, you will need to park get out, and walk. Continue down the old gravel road, and turn left when you can. There is a larger headstone plus three smaller footstones, belonging to Kate, her husband, and his second wife.