A Haunting in Kansas: The True Story of Sallie and the Pickman Family

In the small town of Atchison, Kansas, lies a house that became the center of a terrifying paranormal experience for the Pickman family in the early 1990s. This house, now widely known as the “Sallie House,” has gained a notorious reputation for the mysterious and violent events that plagued the family that once called it home.

Tony and Debra Pickman moved into the quaint, seemingly innocuous house at 508 North Second Street in 1992. Initially, the couple didn’t suspect that their new home was anything more than a normal house. But soon after settling in, the Pickmans began experiencing strange occurrences, starting with minor incidents that could easily be brushed off: lights flickering, electronic disturbances, and objects seeming to move on their own. However, these minor incidents would escalate into a nightmarish haunting.

Before long, the couple started seeing the apparition of a young girl, who would later be identified as “Sallie.” Sallie appeared to be around six or seven years old, with brown hair and a blue dress. Her presence was initially thought to be benign, perhaps even protective. But soon, Tony began experiencing strange, inexplicable physical attacks, feeling sudden sharp pains, and discovering claw-like scratches on his skin. This escalation led the couple to seek help from paranormal experts, who speculated that Sallie might not be the only spirit within the house.

As the haunting intensified, Tony bore the brunt of Sallie’s apparent anger. He frequently found himself scratched and bruised without explanation. Witnesses observed injuries appearing on him in real-time, deepening the mystery surrounding the entity. Some researchers proposed that Sallie was a troubled spirit, possibly with a traumatic past.

Further investigations into the house’s history revealed that a little girl named Sallie may have once lived in the area but sadly died at a young age of appendicitis. Some theorised that Sallie’s spirit was unable to rest because of a lingering sense of anger and fear from her traumatic death. However, others posited a darker theory: that “Sallie” was not a ghost of a little girl at all, but rather a malevolent entity taking on the appearance of an innocent child to manipulate and torment the Pickman family.

Desperate for answers, the Pickmans reached out to various paranormal experts, including psychic investigators and spiritual mediums, to understand the force at work. These investigators claimed to communicate with Sallie and attempted to cleanse the house. Some efforts appeared to alleviate the activity temporarily, but the disturbances continued to resurface. As the violent attacks grew worse, the couple decided to leave the Sallie House for good. But the house itself would go on to draw curiosity-seekers, paranormal researchers, and even TV shows dedicated to the supernatural, all attempting to unravel the mysteries within its walls.

Today, the Sallie House remains a popular site for ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts. It has been featured on several paranormal television shows, including Sightings, Unsolved Mysteries and A Haunting, with countless investigators documenting strange phenomena ranging from cold spots and eerie EVPs to full-blown apparitions.

Despite the widespread attention, no one can say for certain what or who Sallie truly is. Was she a troubled child spirit who never found peace, or something far darker that preyed upon the Pickmans in disguise? The mystery endures, with each visitor to the Sallie House adding their own eerie experiences to the legend. The Sallie House serves as a chilling reminder that sometimes, the most ordinary places can hide extraordinary, and sometimes malevolent, secrets.