Ghostwalk… an eerily fun night
By Kary Ison
November 14, 2011
Humanities 121, Edison Community College 

About this article… see editor’s note below 

The Ghostwalk was an eerily fun night. We were guided through downtown Greenville’s haunted history in the dark of night. We were told tales of new and old hauntings while visiting their eternal locales. The seventh annual Ghostwalk was an amazing example of a strong community pulling together for a good cause. The guided tours, based on books by local Rita Arnold, were organized as an effort to raise funds for the Darke County Center for the Arts. 

The Ghostwalk not only provided needed funds for Darke County Arts, but it gives an interesting viewpoint of the town we live in. It renewed interest for those who have lived here or provided new interests for those who are new to the town such as myself. The Ghostwalk took us to several local businesses and showcased Broadway Street. Those renewed or newly discovered interests could lead to more business for local venues and therefore boost the economy of Greenville. Local businesses are a stronghold in a community; without them, a community slowly vanishes into nothing more than a corporate madhouse. In a community with a deep, rich history such as Greenville, it would be a sad thing to happen. 

During the Ghostwalk, we were taken to several well-known places in Greenville. We started our tour at Memorial Hall then made our way to the library. After Ella St. Clair’s ghost gave us an enlightened history of both buildings as well as noting the dedication of her husband to both, we made our way down Broadway to Wayne Cinema. We continued to make our way to Bach to Rock and several other business on Broadway. We visited Fort Greenville and heard the horrible history of the Wilson sisters on Water Street. We also visited the watery grave of a boy who supposedly drowned and was never recovered in Greenville Creek.  We circled back around to visit a few local haunted houses and made our way back to Broadway where we visited the site of an unknown soldier found buried. We also visited Palace Department Store and the old printing shop.  We concluded our tour back at Memorial Hall, and were told about more mysterious deaths that happened there. We were warned that all of our locations may still be home to some local spooks. 

Our group opinion was very similar to our individual ones. None of the group really knew what to expect. Were we going to be scared? Was it going to be more educational? Would we see the stars of any of our stories? The group was not scared, but learned more about the history of the town we share. I felt that the tours would have been more interesting if they had not been scripted. The actors were wonderful, but I feel they were not truly living the story they were sharing. We all had a fun time, and were lucky for the time we shared. 

A community that gives its members events like these to attend is a strong one. As in the other events I have attended, I feel that the support of a community is a strong indicator of the humanities. As a community we create our own culture and mold our own futures. It is apparent that with events such as Prairie Days and Ghostwalk, that Greenville is proud of its past and is eager to share that past with the future generations. 

Editor’s note: Last fall I taught “Art in the Humanities,” an introductory level course at the Edison Darke County Campus. Among the many projects the students addressed were different forms of art, from painting and television, to visits to DCCA events, Bears Mill, Garst Museum and Shawnee Prairie. The purpose was to discuss their evaluation of how the assignments related to “art” and/or the “humanities.” Some of the best reports will be presented, with the student’s permission, on County News Online. The opinions expressed in these reports have not been altered in any manner.