The Galena Ghost That's Not Really a Ghost
Some people believe in ghosts. Some don't. Some people will swear that a certain ghost exists, and some ghosts, real or not, are indeed very famous, and have often been famous for many years, even decades.
One of America's most famous ghosts is not real. It isn't a matter of belief or otherwise either, for the ghost of Annie Wiggins of Galena, Illinois, is a very interesting figment of imagination; a specially created ghost for a very definite purpose.
Annie Wiggins never actually existed in the 19th century, but that is her setting. She first saw the light of day, if indeed ghosts can, through her creator, Wendy Heiken, who moved to the city of Galena with her husband Bill from Seattle.
Wendy created Annie Wiggins after the local tourism office started to get busy on a Halloween promotion one year. Wendy decided that while a haunted house with a resident ghost was all very fine, a ghost tour where the 'ghost' see Galena through the eyes of the people who once lived in the city, might be a better idea.
The ghost of Annie Wiggins was born, if indeed ghosts can be, and she has been a start attraction ever since. Wendy / Annie takes selected guests on a walking tour in the evenings around Galena. She is dressed for the part with somber black period dress. They visit the graveyard, of course, but they also take in other points of interest.
The tour is not set in any one time frame. One moment you are transported back to 1850, the next it might be 1880, or 1890, or even the turn of the 20th century. War may be brewing in the early 1860s as people excitedly talk of the possible outcome of such an event, never thinking for a moment how terrible it will actually be.
These are the days and times that made Galena what it was and still is in a way. The city started with the discovery of lead in its natural state, a material called galena, in fact. It's where the city got its name from. They shipped the galena out of the area from the early 19th century until demand for lead fell sharply in the mid century.
The population of the city was as high as 14,000 at that time. Today it has dwindled considerably, but remains fairly stable, at close to 3,500. The larger population of earlier times also means there are many more ghosts to choose from when Wendy / Annie does her ghostly historic evening tour.
The tour starts from Annie Wiggins Guest House (where else), and concludes where any respectable ghost ought to be; at the historic city cemetery. Even those who did not believe in ghosts before, do after the tour, if only just a little.
One of America's most famous ghosts is not real. It isn't a matter of belief or otherwise either, for the ghost of Annie Wiggins of Galena, Illinois, is a very interesting figment of imagination; a specially created ghost for a very definite purpose.
Annie Wiggins never actually existed in the 19th century, but that is her setting. She first saw the light of day, if indeed ghosts can, through her creator, Wendy Heiken, who moved to the city of Galena with her husband Bill from Seattle.
Wendy created Annie Wiggins after the local tourism office started to get busy on a Halloween promotion one year. Wendy decided that while a haunted house with a resident ghost was all very fine, a ghost tour where the 'ghost' see Galena through the eyes of the people who once lived in the city, might be a better idea.
The ghost of Annie Wiggins was born, if indeed ghosts can be, and she has been a start attraction ever since. Wendy / Annie takes selected guests on a walking tour in the evenings around Galena. She is dressed for the part with somber black period dress. They visit the graveyard, of course, but they also take in other points of interest.
The tour is not set in any one time frame. One moment you are transported back to 1850, the next it might be 1880, or 1890, or even the turn of the 20th century. War may be brewing in the early 1860s as people excitedly talk of the possible outcome of such an event, never thinking for a moment how terrible it will actually be.
These are the days and times that made Galena what it was and still is in a way. The city started with the discovery of lead in its natural state, a material called galena, in fact. It's where the city got its name from. They shipped the galena out of the area from the early 19th century until demand for lead fell sharply in the mid century.
The population of the city was as high as 14,000 at that time. Today it has dwindled considerably, but remains fairly stable, at close to 3,500. The larger population of earlier times also means there are many more ghosts to choose from when Wendy / Annie does her ghostly historic evening tour.
The tour starts from Annie Wiggins Guest House (where else), and concludes where any respectable ghost ought to be; at the historic city cemetery. Even those who did not believe in ghosts before, do after the tour, if only just a little.