MISTRESS OF HAINTS RETURNS TO ABINGDON FOR ANNUAL TOUR

Through the month of October 2009

For information, call 276-676-0849.
Come be entertained and learn a little of Abingdon's local lore.

Who would have thought that a small Virginia town could have so many ghosts? Donnamarie Emmert, self-proclaimed "Haint Mistress" and author of Haunted Historic Abingdon Vol. 1, never dreamed of such a thing---at least, not until she started talking to people about the spirits that abide in their homes!

"A friend gathered local history and legends for a tour he and his daughter led one Halloween. They were astonished at the attendance and crowd response. He handed me his research and said, "I think you can do something more with this." Boy, was he right!" Emmert states.

The Halloween of 1996 ushered in the first Abingdon Spirit Tour and it has grown into a much-anticipated event. Before she started the first tour, however, Emmert conducted her own research of historic accounts of Abingdon and interviewed witnesses of the ghostly activities in their homes and businesses. "I am still amazed at the stories I've been told. Haints, spirits and ghosts are everywhere!" says Emmert.

The offshoot of these "haint tours" is Haunted Historic Abingdon Vol.1, a collection of ghost stories Emmert has gathered over the years about historic downtown Abingdon. What is unique about this book is that it is a map not only of local haunts, so to speak, but local history as well.

"Getting the history right is very important to me. I want people to not only be entertained by the ghost stories but learn about our wonderfully rich tradition here in Abingdon," Emmert says, smiling. "It takes lots of research to piece together some of our local lore. But one thing's for sure: Abingdon has a colourful past! The ghost stories are like the exclamation marks in our local history!"

Included in the book are such well-known sites as The Tavern, Barter Theater, and Martha Washington Inn. Read,too, about the ghost of reclusive Leticia, the real "ghost writer" at the Abingdon Virginian, and about the fire that changed the face of Abingdon forever.