July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
October 28, 2015
St. Charles’ haunted history St. Charles Ghost Tours gives visitors an education on Main Street’s creepy past
Around Town
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School
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Manufacturing Celebration
By Brett Auten ‘Tis the season of spooky. Much like how retailers relish Christmas and florists favor Valentine’s Day, if you’re in the business of scare, October is your month. The ancient spirits of Old Town St. Charles are there 365-days-a-year, but in the weeks leading up to Halloween they have a much-larger than normal viewing audience. The St. Charles Ghost Tours is closing in on 10 years of educating and frightening locals and tourists. The tour is led by Dr. Michael Henry, the brainchild behind the operation. Henry, with his shock of gray mane, is an engrossing orator as he plays host and instructor to a cornucopia of true-life mysteries centered on Main Street. As the leaves start to turn and the option to buy pumpkin spice-flavored anything becomes available, Henry wears his soles thin on the cobbled streets. “It’s insane,” Henry said. “Eighty-percent of my business for the year is done
Photo by Brett Auten A replica of the 1791 Borromeo Catholic Church stands behind 401 S. Main St. Records indicate that the church cemetery was located adjacent to the building.
in October. I’ll lose nine pounds this month.” Armed with cameras, tape recorders and video recorders, tour participants are guided through an array of the strange. Among the many stops there is the lost graveyard where cemetery headstones were moved in 1853 but the bodies were left behind, the famed lady in white (a young mother who was buried her wedding dress) and the witch house, where a coven reportedly once lived in the Tricot house. The St. Charles Ghost Tours are not
Career Fair
Photo by Ray Rockwell Dr. Michael Henry, the brainchild behind St. Charles Ghost Tours, plays host and instructor to a cornucopia of true-life mysteries centered on Main Street.
meant to be a howl-at-the-moon, party atmosphere but Henry doesn’t frown on the idea of costumes being worn. “I had a midnight group of 20 elementary school teachers dressed as witches recently, which was pretty memorable,” Henry said. “Costumes are fine but that’s not really the point.” Henry has seen a steady growth in the tours. Success breeds imitation and there’s a concern already about new copycat tours sprouting up. It would be near impossible to combat Henry’s knowledge in the subject though. Armed with a personal library nearing the 1,500-mark, Henry is wellversed in the history of St. Charles. Henry has lived most of his life here and has traced ancestral roots to the area dating to the 1800s. Henry has been a student of metaphysics for more than 30 years and holds multiple degrees including a PhD in communications and has been everything from high school and college teacher to musician, mechanical engineer, computer consultant and is the author of several books. The St. Charles Ghost Tours is an ongoing process. As Henry unearths new information about old stories or new he must adjust. “New information emerges to help keep the stories as accurate as possible.” Henry said. Reservations are required for the tours
that run Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and sometimes (if there is enough demand) at midnight. Special tours, on other days, can always be arranged for groups of five or more. Due to the nature of the experience, it is recommended for people 14 years-andolder. No strollers or carried children permitted. The cost is $20 and for more information, call 314-374-6102 or email info@ stcharlesghosts.com or you can look them up online at. www.stcharlesghosts. com.
Recipe
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Good Holiday Cheer
Sports
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Rams Winning Streak
Movie: ‘Steve Jobs’
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