The Winchester Mystery House: The True Story of Sarah Winchester | True Crime Sleep Stories
You've heard the Winchester Mystery House legends: staircases to nowhere, doors that open onto nothing, and a widow haunted by the ghosts of everyone killed by a Winchester rifle. The true story of Sarah Winchester is far more interesting.
Sarah "Sallie" Winchester lost her baby daughter, her parents, and her husband William Wirt Winchester, heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, all within a few years. Grieving, she moved to San Jose, California, and built a life on her own terms. She was a sharp businesswoman, a generous employer who kept her carpenters and staff working for decades, and she supported her family for the rest of her life.
She designed her Victorian mansion herself, one room at a time, out of a love of architecture she had shared with Will. She lived with rheumatoid arthritis and was a happy homebody, not someone hiding from a curse. The ghost stories came after her death, invented to sell tickets and draw tourists.
Sallie wasn't a haunted, cursed widow. She was a role model.
Tonight on 31 Nights of Frights, I'm separating fact from fiction in a true story that isn't scary at all. It's inspiring, fascinating, and a little sad. 🖤
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