Posted Monday, August 4 --- 5:50pm

One local community alleged to have a dark past is the subject of a feature film. But is there any truth behind the plot?

Behind lock and key, in the old wing of the university library sit shelves, stocked full of history.

Karen Weston, UW Whitewater's archivist, has fielded questions about one specific book for years.

"Certainly it's a regular reference question," Weston says.

It's also mentioned in a movie trailer.

"Before they were sentenced to death, they wrote a book," a character in the movie trailer says.

The film's title -- The Witches of Whitewater -- boldly claims to be inspired by true events.

"Spiritualism, yes," Weston says, "Witches, I've never seen any evidence, and I've lived here for nearly 25 years."

But Whitewater has a history of seances and psychic studies.

"The Morris Pratt Institute was a school for the study and practice of spiritualism," Carol Cartwright, with the Whitewater Historical Society, says.

One of the area's early settlers founded the school in the 1880s after striking it rich.

"It started out with people who claimed they could communicate with the dead," Cartwright says.

It is perhaps the basis for why some refer to Whitewater as "The Second Salem."

"And every person who opened that book, died," a character in the movie says.

"Supposedly it's in a locked box," Weston says.

Weston says -- the book -- does not exist.

"There was a child's coffin put in the center of the mall long before I came to campus, but it did happen," she says.

And, she says the city's three cemeteries do form a triangle.

"But I don't think anybody planned it that way."

One of the most infamous sites is Starin Park. It is home to the city's oldest water tower.

"Supposedly, at some point, someone saw people dancing around it at night in loose robes," Weston says.

But what does Weston think of The Witches of Whitewater coming to a theater near you... ?

"I can just see my email filling up with questions from people wanting to know what does this mean, and I don't think the university has the budget to pay for an assistant for that," Weston says.

The filmmaker is saying little about the film at this point other than it is in development. You can watch the trailer on youtube.com.