Location:

This private property and you should obtain permission from the landowner before visiting this location.

Spaff’s Grave is located 2 miles west of Hwy 14 on West 14th Rd.. It is just EAST of the railroad tracks and SOUTH of 14th Rd.. You can see it from the road. It is situated under a grove of trees.

The Haunting:

The story is that if one visit’s Spafford’s grave and walks across the grave, one will die an early death.

The History:

We were not able to definitively track down a suitable reason why there is a lone gravesite outside of town. No one that we interviewed knew who was buried at Spaff’s grave. However, we did learn of a man named N. P. Spafford who served as postmaster from 1874-1878. Apparently, the post office was moved from a place called “Spafford’s Grove” in 1872 when David Stone became the postmaster.

We also found some information about a Jarvil Chaffee who was the first white settler in Hamilton County. Both “Spaff”-ord and “Chaff”-ee could be shortened and perhaps be the origin of “Spaff”‘s grave lore. Of course the name “Spafford” is more amenable to being shortened to “Spaff” after many years, the fact that a fellow named “Chaffee” was the first white settler is definitely worth noting.

We spoke with a number of senior citizens who noted that they were among those who dared to walk across Spafford’s grave as young adults. However, it is an eerie experience to visit an old tombstone situated by itself under a grove of trees in the middle of the wintery night.

Other Related Haunts:

There are a number of haunted locations in Aurora including Witch’s Grave, the Aurora Courthouse, and the Hamilton Motor Inn. If you have a chance to visit the city, don’t forget to take a look at the other haunted places that are here.

Resources:

Bremer, B.G. & Kirk, J. M. (1967). A History of Hamilton County. Hamilton County Centennial Association.

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2 miles West of Hwy 14 on 14th Rd. West Aurora NE Nebraska United States