Episode 7.9: Wolf Lake: Ghosts & Gangsters

Growing up in Hammond, Indiana, Mary and Rebecca spent countless summer afternoons swimming at Wolf Lake, never knowing the dark history and chilling legends surrounding this familiar place.

From rumored connections to notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone and tales of brutal gangland murders to mysterious ghost sightings and eerie local folklore, Wolf Lake has more than a few secrets hiding beneath its waters.

Sources:

CBS News Chicago. “Hammond, Ind., Public Pools Not Ready for Summer.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/hammond-ind-public-pools-not-ready-for-summer/

Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Wolf Lake History.
https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/publications/documents/00000918.pdf

Indiana Historical Bureau. “Wolf Lake's Eerie Woods and Swamps.” Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/IndianaHistoricalBureau/photos/wolf-lakes-eerie-woods-and-swamps-have-been-a-magnet-for-gangsters-serial-killer/1586624128030194/

Less Taken. “135: Ghosts & Gangsters: Wolf Lake, Pt. II.” Podcast episode.
https://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/less-taken-01h1by3ma82j66pjcc7jgvjzvt/episode/135-ghosts-gangsters-wolf-lake-pt-ii-wolf-lake-hammond-01h1by3ma82j66pjcc7jgvjzx0

My Al Capone Museum. “Al Capone at St. Margaret's Hospital in Hammond.”
https://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id114.htm

Taylor, Troy. “A Valentine for Bugs Moran, Part Four.” Troy Taylor's Blog, February 2014.
http://troytaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-valentine-for-bugs-moran-part-four.html

Taylor, Troy. “Cursed Bricks, Barking Dogs & Baseball Bats.” American Hauntings Podcast, October 20, 2026.

Taylor, Troy. “Three for the Gangland Graveyard.” Troy Taylor Oddities. Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/troytayloroddities/posts/three-for-the-gangland-graveyardon-may-9-1929-the-bodies-of-three-capone-gunman-/122160050888651114/

Visit Indiana. “Wolf Lake Memorial Park.”
https://visitindiana.in.gov/listing/wolf-lake-memorial-park/13362/

Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society. “The Toll Road and Wolf Lake.”
https://www.wrhistoricalsociety.com/toll-road

Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society. “Wolf Lake Tales.”
https://www.wrhistoricalsociety.com/wolf-lake-tales