Peoria Public Library, PeoriaThe Peoria Public Library is believed to be built on cursed ground and is home to as many as a dozen different ghosts. In 1830, Mrs. Andrew Gray, a prominent Peoria citizen, lived where the library now stands. When her brother died she gained custody of her nephew. He often got into trouble with the law and eventually hired an attorney named David Davis who took out a mortgage on Mrs. Gray’s house as security. When Mrs. Gray’s nephew could not pay his bill, Davis sued to foreclose on the home to collect his money. Mrs. Gray evicted her nephew, and soon after, his body was found floating in the river. Mrs. Gray cursed her property and all of its future owners. In 1894 Peoria purchased the property and built a library on it. The first three library directors died under unusual circumstances which lent credibility to Mrs. Gray’s curse. In 1966, the original library was torn down, and a new one was built in its place. The ghosts have remained and continue to haunt the library though.