Stairway to Hell: The Ghost Town of Tagus, North Dakota

Hello, nice to see you all again. Recently, I was inspired to research urban legends and haunted stories from the Midwest. As one can imagine, there are hundreds to choose from. The Midwest has a certain amount of spookiness to it with its vast corn fields, ghost towns, and dark forests.

I decided to write about Tagus, North Dakota, a ghost town founded in 1900. While I primarily was looking for a scary story to tell in honor of Halloween, Tagus caught my eye because of how enticing the abandoned buildings are. I cannot find the exact word for how I feel about them, but they almost make me feel intrigued and excited. The graveyard, St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery, is also quite interesting and, apparently, has paranormal activity.

Tagus was founded in 1900 and reached its peak population of 140 people in 1940. By 1970, there were only 14 people living in the town. Today, there are still a few remaining residents; however, the town unfortunately is overrun by vandalism.

The town's church was burnt down in 2001, most likely by vandals. Rumor has it that this very church used to be a hotspot for Satanic rituals and activity. It is known to be a "stairway to hell." Some say that if you stand where the church burnt down, you can hear the screams from those in hell.

Other odd sequences of activity in Tagus include "glowing" gravestones, ghost trains, and other paranormal activity.

I could not find a lot of information on Tagus or personal accounts of the paranormal activity, BUT that's okay because the main point of this blog is to share some photos of the abandoned buildings. They are eerily beautiful, and I love how they look and make me feel. I have been wanting to visit Midwestern ghost towns for a long time, and I am definitely adding Tagus, North Dakota to my list.

My favorite building is the farmhouse with the green shingles and orange accents (5th photo). I also really like the farmhouse above that one as well.

Remember if you ever visit a ghost town, to please be respectful to the current residents, if any, and remain sensitive to the history of the town. I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos, and I encourage you to research ghost towns on your own. There is some fascinating history to be learned and shared! Bye for now!

All photos taken by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp.