Ghost tales from oldest city

In the nearly 450 years of St. Augustine’s existence, many bizarre, eerie and inexplicable events have taken place here. Nowadays, the town’s ample supply of ghostly phenomena entices thousands of visitors and has brought television crews who attempt to capture the elusive spirits on audio and video. Whether or not you’re convinced that supernatural beings inhabit our town, it’s intriguing to consider the possibility they exist. Lily, for instance, the ghost who haunts room 3A at the St. Francis Inn, has been spotted numerous times by the inn’s staff and guests. She doesn’t like certain TV programs and turns them off when no one’s looking. She’s also been known to steal a kiss from the sleeping husband of a honeymooning couple. And who is the ghostly man who wanders the basement of the Lighthouse keeper’s residence, leaving behind a trail of cigar smoke? In “Ghost Tales from the Oldest City,” author Suzy Cain, takes readers on a tour of the city’s most famous haunted locales. Such phenomena as the house where an unseen child cries in the night or the spectral woman in white who carries a suitcase as she wanders the halls of the Casa de la Paz Inn at 22 Avenida Menendez bring chills and thrills to those attuned to the spirit world. Why is it that St. Augustine seems to have more than its share of ghostly presences? Those who look at the phenomena more dispassionately might conclude that the days when rooms were lit only by flickering candlelight, and a lantern’s gleam barely pierced the darkness of streets and alleys, shadows and fog from the river were easily interpreted as visitors from the spirit world. Old houses tend to creak and groan. The wind might whistle down a chimney and sound like a baby crying or cause a poorly latched door to swing open. Then there’s the human propensity to expand and enhance legends of the supernatural as they pass from person to person. A slender volume illustrated by local artist, Dianne Jacoby, “Ghost Tales form the Oldest City” is an entertaining read that will make you look at many familiar locales with a new perspective. When St. Augustine’s streets are empty and a fog is rolling in off the river, who’s to say what’s hidden in the shadows? Q&A Author Suzy Cain: Q. HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ST. AUGUSTINE’S GHOSTS? SUZY CAIN: My family and I moved to St Augustine from Vero Beach in 1994 and stayed there until I immigrated to New Zealand in 2006. When I arrived in St Augustine, I was not sure what I would do for work. One night I saw a woman dressed in historic clothing, lantern in hand, leading a small group through the old city. I was immediately intrigued and later found out that she was leading a ghost tour. Her name was Sandy Craig. I tracked her down and soon took a job leading ghost tours (with Tour Saint Augustine). 2. HOW DID YOU AND ILLUSTRATOR DIANNE JACOBY MEET AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO WRITE THE BOOK? Dianne and I met when she joined the Tour Saint Augustine staff. Many of the people we met during the tours asked if the stories were written down. They were not, and so we decided to do just that. Dianne is an artist and she and I got together to talk about the stories and how we wanted them to be presented. Our efforts culminated in a self-published book in 1997, and we sold more than 10,000 copies. We managed all the marketing, sales, distribution and promotion, but when I moved to New Zealand, it became unfair for her to do it on her own, so I approached Pineapple Press, and they agreed to publish a new edition of our book. 3. HOW DID YOU DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN THE PARANORMAL? I have always been fascinated with great stories (and ghost stories always are great ones). With my theatrical background, being a ghost tour guide was just up my alley. Combine that with a love of history, and it is the perfect job. During my years in St. Augustine, I also formed a small theater troupe called City Gate Productions (of which Dianne was a part), and we produced murder mysteries and historical plays as well as a play for students about the history of St. Augustine. 4. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO LEAVE ST. AUGUSINE FOR NEW ZEALAND? It was hard to leave beautiful St. Augustine, but I had always wanted to live in New Zealand from the time I was a kid. The first job I had upon arriving in Wellington was in the mayor’s office taking care of the correspondence. I am now working for The New Zealand Festival as the executive coordinator. It’s a multi-arts festival that is produced every two years. It features theatre, music, dance, fine arts and a Writers Week program. My husband and I love living in Wellington and our two son Wilson, 21, and Joseph, 23, (and now three cats) live here as well. *** Q&A with Dianne Jacoby, illustrator 1. HOW AND WHERE DID YOU AND SUZY MEET? We met when we began giving Ghost Tours of downtown St. Augustine almost 20 years ago. We were the first to conduct guided walking ghost tours in town. Now it’s a big business with many companies involved. After five years, we decided it was time to write a book about some of our favorite ghosts. We carefully researched our stories, most of which were handed down by oral tradition. Some stories we collected or experienced ourselves. 2. HAVE YOU DONE BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS BEFORE? Yes. I have illustrated a number of books and have shown my paintings throughout the country. Now I am specializing in murals and commission paintings. 3. WAS THERE A REASON TO CHOOSE THE LINE DRAWING STYLE YOU EMPLOYED TO ILLUSTRATE THE BOOK? To me drawing is the essence of all art. I love the expressiveness of line drawing, so it was a natural choice for the ethereal, dramatic look I wanted. I had long wanted to draw my impressions of the spirits in their historical locales about town. 4. WERE THERE PARTICULAR PLACES IN TOWN THAT PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR THE DRAWINGS? I felt it was important to place my images in the proper context as far as historical authenticity. So I loved using the coquina City Gate for the cover. Also the wonderful variety of textures found in the cemeteries are so evocative of our transient past. 5. AS A LONG-TIME ST. AUGUSTINE RESIDENT, DO YOU RECALL ANY GHOST STORIES OR LEGENDS YOU HEARD REPEATED AS A CHILD? My mother’s father was a railroad engineer for the FEC who died in the FEC hospital here in town as a result of injuries from a train wreck. A switchman near Palatka was asleep and did not switch his train’s track and a head on collision occurred with another train. When my grandfather was thrown off his train by the impact, he slammed into the switchman standing by the tracks. The switchman was killed by the impact. My grandfather died some time later. When I began giving ghost tours in town several people with psychic ability told me my grandfather walks by my side to protect me from harm. I find consolation in the companionship of this man who died so long before I was born. 6. HAVE YOU EVER FELT YOU WERE IN A PLACE THAT WAS HAUNTED? Yes. The strongest feelings I have experienced are in the back of the Tolomato Cemetery, inside the De Mesa House on St. George St. and in the northwest corner of the Alcazar building. 7. DOES YOUR INTEREST IN THEATER TIE IN WITH EITHER THE BOOK’S CONTENT OR YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS? Oh yes. The ghosts of St. Augustine were just waiting to be portrayed, so several years ago, I wrote a play called “Haunted Theatre: the Last Act.” We will perform it again this year in late October — just in time for Halloween! Our spirits speak in first person to tell the tragic and terrifying experiences of their lives throughout time in St. Augustine. I see theater as a 3-D art form, so it is definitely an extension of my drawings. More Sharing Services 0 Share on facebook Share on twitter Login to post a comment Mobile Menu Best of 2014 Local News Sports Entertainment Obituaries Opinion Living Daily Jail Log Police Report Slideshows High School Football Find Local Events Real Estate Classifieds Jobs Publications Manage Print Subscription St. Augustine 450th Subscribe Subscriber Rewards Advertise Welcome, guest Login Switch to Full Site © 2014 Morris Publishing, Inc. Privacy Policy Contact Us Site Map Posting Rules Newsletter Subscriber Services All-Access Support Line: 1-866-471-4909