Edification instead of frights aim of Elgin Cemetery Walk

The annual Elgin Cemetery Walk is just around the corner.

But if you're looking for it to scare you or otherwise put you in the Halloween mood, try a haunted house instead.

Organizers at the Elgin Historical Society say the 22nd annual walk - which runs from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 - is to educate and enlighten.

"Bluff City Cemetery is more than a cemetery - it's a natural setting with rolling hills, significantly marked trees, art, architecture, natural beauty, and wildlife," said Mary Hill, Elgin historical society president who will serve as one of the guides of the walk.

"Guests will learn about the community of Elgin, funerary customs, monuments and markers, the history of Elgin citizens, and find out that cemeteries can teach us about life in general," Hill added.

The walk will contain a cast of real characters:

Bonnie Conte will portray Nettie Dunlap, the adopted daughter of a shoemaker who had the voice of a nightingale.

Marge Edwards of the Dundee Historical Society will give a presentation on interesting epitaphs, both humorous and romantic.

Mike Alft, former Elgin mayor, will portray Arwin Price, another former Elgin mayor.

Linda Rock will take on the role of Dr. Mildred Engelbrecht, who went on to become an internationally known bacteriologist.

Ken Gough will play Walter Mallet, a volunteer soldier in the Civil War who was wounded in the battle of Shiloh and spent some time at the infamous Andersonville Prison.

Mike Delehoy will pretend to be Rodolphus Padelford, a former Elgin city clerk and early photographer in Elgin who produced daguerreotype, a type of photography created on a copper plate.

August Conte will bring Albert Marckhoff back to life.

Marckhoff was the first sexton of Bluff City Cemetery whose duties included laying out the cemetery and transferring bodies from Channing Cemetery.

Tickets are $6 in advance and may be purchased in advance at: the museum, 360 Park St., Ziegler's Ace Hardware stores at 215 N. Spring Street and 1158 Lillian St.

Tickets at the gate will be $7 and $3.50 for those under the age of 18. The walk takes about 90 minutes to two hours to complete.

Proceeds from the walk support the Elgin Area Historical Society's museum, also known as "Old Main."

Hill said the walk drew about 300 people last year and will be held rain or shine.

"It's fun. It's interesting," she said. "The cemetery itself is beautiful.

For more information, call (847) 742-4248 or visit www.elginhistory.org