The Denver Republican publishes the story “The Work of Ghouls” in 1893, which exposes undertaker E.P. McGovern for desecrating the bodies he has been tasked with relocating so the city can turn a cemetery into a park. Though he is fired and many of the bodies never relocated, Cheeseman Park is built over the cemetery, inspiring a haunted reputation and ultimately inspiring the movie Poltergeist.
This Day in Halloween: The Denver Republican's story “The Work of Ghouls” in 1893 serves as an inspiration for "Poltergeist." / Illustration by Andrew Truong