Tour gives glimpse into county's 'History, Heritage and Haunts'

BAINBRIDGE -- History, Heritage and Haunts, a tour presented by the Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County, is scheduled for Oct. 30 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Cemetery.

Open to the public, the several hours long event takes participants through the history of Putnam County via cemeteries and historic locations.

During the first segment of the tour, local cemeteries and the history they provide will be discussed. Visit the Bainbridge and Brick Chapel cemeteries and hear about Putnam County pioneers from local cemetery restoration specialist Larry Tippin.

Discover ways to preserve stones and restore the heritage of the county's cemeteries. Travel back through time as some of the counties famous legends about covered bridges, old homes and civil war soldiers are retold.

Take a trip down memory lane with Forest Hill Cemetery Supervisor Ernie Phillips at 7 p.m. as he shares the heritage and history of the county's largest cemetery. From military monuments to the meaning of stone art, this portion of the tour offers a look at how our county was formed and by whom.

Visitors will hear about many of the counties famous and not so famous citizens and may even meet a ghost or two.

During the second segment of the tour, join the car caravan to Boone Hutcheson Cemetery, the county's most notorious cemetery, known not only for being the resting place of Daniel Boone's family members but also as the location of many ghostly sightings.

Lifelong Putnam County resident David English will talk about one of the oldest cemeteries in the county and its inhabitants. Many of the first settlers of Putnam County are buried in this lovely graveyard perched atop a hill overlooking the scenic Houk Covered Bridge.

Visitors may spot the ghostly policeman who patrols the cemetery or the glowing dog often seen at the opening of a cave rumored to have bodies falling out of its ceiling.

Then it's back to downtown Greencastle at 10 p.m. for an hour long walking tour of some of the most historic and haunted structures in central Greencastle. Visit the old Opera House, the downtown "red light" district, old DePauw, the Von Castle Theater and the Royal Café.

See where the Interurban railroad station stood. Hear the stories of John Dillinger's daring robbery at a local bank, famous murders and the tale of the last hanging in the county. Visit the spot where Eli Lilly opened his first pharmacy and look for a ghost in the window of the oldest existing building on the downtown square.

The evening will end with a "linger longer" visit that includes hot drinks and snacks at the historic First Christian Church at 110 S. Indiana in Greencastle.

Cost for the first segment of the historic tour (Bainbridge, Brick Chapel and Forest Hill cemeteries) is $10. Cost for the haunted second segment including Boone Hutchison Cemetery and the downtown walk is $10. Combined cost for both tours is $15 per person or $25 for a family of three or more. The haunted walk only is $5 per person.

Participants will meet for the first segment inside the Bainbridge Cemetery located just east of Bainbridge on U.S. Hwy. 36. Participants must check in at the registration table prior to the tour beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Those who only want to take the haunted tour should meet the tour's car caravan at the entrance to Forest Hill Cemetery, located on Cemetery Road behind the Putnam County Jail, prior to 7 p.m.

The haunted walking tour will meet at the entrance to the First Christian Church located at 110 S. Indiana Street. There is parking available at the church.

For information about the tours or to make a reservation, call 653-1351. This event is a fundraiser for the Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County and is cash only payable prior to the start of tours.