Highway 18 (west of Fennimore to Highway Junction 133 in Mount Hope)
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Directions: Take Highway 18 west, past Fennimore. Once past Fennimore, you're in the Hitchhiker's territory, until you reach the town of Mount Hope.
Since 1959, the spirit of a young man has been seen hitchhiking along Highway 18, between Fennimore and Mount Hope.
The hitchhiker is described as a young man (16-22 years old). Neat in appearence (except for his clothes which look rumpled and "slept-in"), and sporting a crew-cut.
While he has been seen all along Highway 18, the phantom hitchhiker seems to gravitate towards the stretch of road between where the north and south branches of Highway K join with Highway 18 (in Mount Ida).
Motorists who have picked up the young man, claim that once they stop the car at the hitchhiker's destination, he just "seems to vanish".
It is unclear why the Mount Ida Hitchhiker roams the lonely stretches of Highway 18. Rumors do abound, though. Prominent among them, is the theory that the young man was hitchhiking on Highway 18, when he was struck by a car, and killed.
Since he wasn't from the area, the crime was covered-up by authorities (the driver of the car might have been an influential person in the area), and the body was disposed of.
Now the young man returns to the area. Either in an effort to find the individual(s) involved in his death, or maybe he's still trying to find a way home.
Along where the north branch of Highway K meets with Highway 18, there sits a small cemetery. This cemetery has Highway K to the east of it, and Highway 18 to the south of it. Is it a coincidence that the Mount Ida Hitchhiker's "home territory" ends where this small cemetery begins?
....Hwy. 18 (west of Fennimore)
....Junction of Hwy. 18 & Hwy. K (north)
....The cemetery at the junction of Hwy. K (north) & Hwy. 18
....Hwy. 18 (west of Fennimore)
....Junction of Hwy. 18 & Hwy. K (north)
....The cemetery at the junction of Hwy. K (north) & Hwy. 18