Naperville's Official Ghost Tour™
The True Story of Naperville's Grave Robber
or, "The Falacy of Diane Ladley"
The above is the "True Story" according to Miss Ladley's Book.
Now, let's check the "newspapers of the day" for the story - from 1912, when the event actually happened...
It is my hope that the true story of what happened with Charles Hillegas and his wife will find its way into the history books despite this fallacious tale spun by Miss Ladley. Hopefully, this web page, a feature story from the Naperville Sun newspaper (October 30th, 2011), as well as the telling of the true story on our tours, will eventually replace the fanciful and irresponsible tales currently being pawned by Miss Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Acadia Publishing.
By the way, Charles' wife is not named Sarah, her name is Jessie. And if you'd like to hear Jessie Hillegas actually speaking, you can hear an EVP recording of her ghost on the Official Naperville Ghost Tour with Kevin Frantz. I'll also be happy to share with you the "actual true story" of Charles & Jessie Hillegas, their lost graves, and the haunt that continues to this day. We've even got an EVP recording of Charles Hillegas admitting what he did! You can hear it, too, on our Official Naperville Ghost Tour.
The Ghost Tours of Naperville
NapervilleGhosts.com
or, "The Falacy of Diane Ladley"
As a Naperville researcher and historian there are few things more precious to me than our town's heritage and folklore. Those who lived here before us left us tales of their determination, vision, brotherhood, and valor. The founders of Naperville were lives lived with purpose and honest homespun values. They cared about eachother and the future of their beloved town, Naperville. We are the worldclass city that we are today because of their vision and sacrifice. It is up to us, as researchers, to keep these historic stories alive, to inspire new generations. Accurate reporting is crucial.
I write you today because there is a cherished piece of Naperville's history that is being seriously mistreated. It has been deliberately spun into tale that is irresponsible research, at best. I refer to the case of Naperville's Grave Robber, Charles Hillegas, as it is "researched" and published by Diane Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Arcadia Publishing.
This story is one of Naperville's true gems - To think that a man in Naperville's history actually disinterred a loved one and brought her back home is beyond the scope of belief! But it IS true. The problem though is that the true story is being lost to the indifference of Diane Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Arcadia Publishing.
Diane's personally researched book, Haunted Naperville, is published by Arcadia Publishing. (Evidently, Arcadia Publishing has no fact-checking department) Note: "Haunted Naperville" is now being pawned with a new title: Naperville's Haunted Memories.
I refer to pages 70 & 71 of Ladley's book. They tell Ladley's account of the "True story of Naperville's Grave Robber." By the way, Ladley's part-time tour hosts tell the same story on her ghost tour as well. Below are the actual scanned pages from Ladley's book, pages 70 & 71 (Copyright Ladley, Arcadia Publishing), telling the "True Story," based on Diane's research, of Naperville's graverobber. These are the actual page scans:
I write you today because there is a cherished piece of Naperville's history that is being seriously mistreated. It has been deliberately spun into tale that is irresponsible research, at best. I refer to the case of Naperville's Grave Robber, Charles Hillegas, as it is "researched" and published by Diane Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Arcadia Publishing.
This story is one of Naperville's true gems - To think that a man in Naperville's history actually disinterred a loved one and brought her back home is beyond the scope of belief! But it IS true. The problem though is that the true story is being lost to the indifference of Diane Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Arcadia Publishing.
Diane's personally researched book, Haunted Naperville, is published by Arcadia Publishing. (Evidently, Arcadia Publishing has no fact-checking department) Note: "Haunted Naperville" is now being pawned with a new title: Naperville's Haunted Memories.
I refer to pages 70 & 71 of Ladley's book. They tell Ladley's account of the "True story of Naperville's Grave Robber." By the way, Ladley's part-time tour hosts tell the same story on her ghost tour as well. Below are the actual scanned pages from Ladley's book, pages 70 & 71 (Copyright Ladley, Arcadia Publishing), telling the "True Story," based on Diane's research, of Naperville's graverobber. These are the actual page scans:
The above is the "True Story" according to Miss Ladley's Book.
Now, let's check the "newspapers of the day" for the story - from 1912, when the event actually happened...
The above ^^^ snippet comes from a newspaper dated
May 8th, 1912. It refers to the return of the corpse to Naperville, from Seattle,
on May 6th, 1912.
This story >>>>>
appears in the newspaper on May 15th, 1912 (it publishes once a week).
It reports that Charles attempted to rob the grave the same
day his wife was buried, May 6th, 1912. He failed.
One week later, the following Monday, he succeeded in robbing the grave
and bringing her home to his mother's house,
on May 12th, 1912.
What the... ???? What is Diane talking about in her book and tour?
An 18-year gap? Built the house as a wedding present? She died in Dec. of 1898??
No one discovered her the next day??? Institution on the east coast??
Vowed to create a formula? The legend deviates from the truth??
How can Ladley's book and tour have EVERYTHING in the story wrong?? Everything!
And Ladley makes it a point, TWICE - in italics both times, to claim that what she's telling us is the true account!
Where did she get so much wrong information? She gives no references or footnotes.
So, where, we wonder, did this fictitious tale of hers come from?
hummmm...
May 8th, 1912. It refers to the return of the corpse to Naperville, from Seattle,
on May 6th, 1912.
This story >>>>>
appears in the newspaper on May 15th, 1912 (it publishes once a week).
It reports that Charles attempted to rob the grave the same
day his wife was buried, May 6th, 1912. He failed.
One week later, the following Monday, he succeeded in robbing the grave
and bringing her home to his mother's house,
on May 12th, 1912.
What the... ???? What is Diane talking about in her book and tour?
An 18-year gap? Built the house as a wedding present? She died in Dec. of 1898??
No one discovered her the next day??? Institution on the east coast??
Vowed to create a formula? The legend deviates from the truth??
How can Ladley's book and tour have EVERYTHING in the story wrong?? Everything!
And Ladley makes it a point, TWICE - in italics both times, to claim that what she's telling us is the true account!
Where did she get so much wrong information? She gives no references or footnotes.
So, where, we wonder, did this fictitious tale of hers come from?
hummmm...
It is my hope that the true story of what happened with Charles Hillegas and his wife will find its way into the history books despite this fallacious tale spun by Miss Ladley. Hopefully, this web page, a feature story from the Naperville Sun newspaper (October 30th, 2011), as well as the telling of the true story on our tours, will eventually replace the fanciful and irresponsible tales currently being pawned by Miss Ladley, Historic Ghost Tours, and Acadia Publishing.
By the way, Charles' wife is not named Sarah, her name is Jessie. And if you'd like to hear Jessie Hillegas actually speaking, you can hear an EVP recording of her ghost on the Official Naperville Ghost Tour with Kevin Frantz. I'll also be happy to share with you the "actual true story" of Charles & Jessie Hillegas, their lost graves, and the haunt that continues to this day. We've even got an EVP recording of Charles Hillegas admitting what he did! You can hear it, too, on our Official Naperville Ghost Tour.
The Ghost Tours of Naperville
NapervilleGhosts.com