Likewise, locals in the tiny village of Lewiston N.Y., just across the Niagara River on the American side of the border make the same claim.
I decided on a Saturday evening to find out if there were any spirits hanging out in the lovely village of Lewiston.
To determine if there were any ghosts I joined about 200 brave souls who were about to take a Marble Orchard Ghost Walk Tour. These 1 1/2 -hour walks occur every Saturday evening in September and October beginning at precisely 7 p.m. The cost is $12 for adults and kids 12 and under $6.
The last walk this year is on Oct. 29. A word of caution, bring along a lump of salt or a turkey vulture feather to ensure you don't bring any of these ghost back home with you.
We started the eerie walk on a night filled with a full moon. It doesn't get any spookier then this folks. Eva Nicklas, who deliciously portrays the hoity-toity Queen Bee, Sally Tryon of historic Lewiston said, "This is a walk on the dark side where we learn about the grim and ghastly deeds of Lewiston's best and worst. Even though these events occurred a very long time ago these ghost still haunt our village."
She cautioned me, not to walk on any of their graves or I might bring someone home with me.
OK, I'm not that superstitious but I admit I was very careful where I walked.
There are about a dozen re-enactors who portray various characters from Lewiston's grisly past. As you meet these folks along the way you're encouraged to shine a flashlight on them as they speak. The effect is spooky. Even though I didn't see any ghosts I did feel their "spirits'" were amongst us.
The walk begins at historic Frontier House (circa 1824) on Center Street. We all looked carefully to see if we could spot the silhouette of a young lady or an elderly man who supposedly hangs out here. Nothing.
We moved across the street to explore past historic haunted buildings. On the front steps of the Lewiston Museum that was once the St. Paul's Episcopal Church (circa 1835) we met our first re-enactor. Kathryn Sirianni brought the character of Catherine Hustler alive. Catherine, along with her husband, owned Hustler's Tavern. It's where the cocktail was reportedly first invented in the early 1800's. She told a classic ghost story that put chills up my spine. I won't give it away. You have to be there to appreciate it.
We moved next to the Village Cemetery where it got even creepier.
Tim Henderson brilliantly portrayed Josiah Tryon, a local tailor and the deacon of a Presbyterian church. He stands beside his tombstone and recounts tales about how he and a group of volunteers broke the law and secretly escorted fugitives to Canada via the Underground Railway. It's recorded that he hid most of these slaves in the cellar of his brother and sister-in-law Sally Tryon's mansion that still exists today on the banks of the Niagara River.
Frank Filicetti, as Bates Cook dressed all in black related graveyard etiquette. Did you know why in a Christian cemetery graves are placed with feet to the east? That's so when you stand up in your afterlife you'll be facing the Lord. When you see a cherub on a tombstone it's almost always the grave of a youngster. Listen carefully to hear how the term, "dead ringer" came about.
Filicetti has us all on edge when he related the tale of Skadotti, a man-beast that continues to live on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment that sits nearby. Don't be scared when you hear the beast howl. It's only a tale -- or is it?
For Karen Scalzo and Nancy Sexton of North Tonawanda it was the first time they took the walk. They told me, "It was fascinating, very educational, interesting and spooky."
Contact George Bailey at wonderful.life@sympatico.ca
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HOW TO GET THERE
From Niagara, Ont. take the Lewiston- Queenston Bridge to Highway 104 East to 476 Center Street, downtown Lewiston, N.Y.
Marble Orchard Ghost Walks -- www.artcouncil.org/events or 716-754-0166.
