Denville’s Haunted History Tour featured creepy tales from the town’s past. According to an introduction at the Denville Museum, all of these stories were based on official documents and police reports.
The stops on the tour seemed to have little to do with the stories themselves as much as they contributed to the ambiance. One of the first stories, about a man being buried alive beneath a Burger King, was told next to St. Francis, a senior living residence.
Wendy McDonald, one of the tour participants, said that she liked some of the older history, like the idea that St. Francis was built in place in an old mansion and parts of that building are still visible.
McDonald’s husband, Danny, said that he liked learning more about the town in general. “I love Denville,” he said, “I like the history of it. It’s interesting.”
Stories ranged from historical factoids to unexplained disappearances. However, a tour that was meant to be creepy turned out to be a heartwarming display of community.
About 15 minutes and to live tweeting this tour, I hit a bump in the sidewalk and was sent flying from my wheelchair into Diamond Spring Road. One of the tour assistants and my high school history teacher, Peter Zablocki, had been helping my mom and I navigate through the various terrains, from grass to concrete.
When I fell, he and the McDonalds ran over to help. In a remarkable stroke of luck, Danny McDonald is a volunteer firefighter and EMT. His wife is a special education teacher. Danny quickly checked me for injuries and, with the help of the others, lifted me back into my wheelchair.
The McDonalds said they would help me catch up to the tour.
In the next moment, Sgt. Dennis Subrizi, who was my high school’s student resource officer, pulled up beside us, saying he got a call about the incident. When he recognized me, he smiled and said that he would give us a police escort until we reached the group again. This allowed us to walk in the road, where the terrain was easier to roll over.
The McDonald’s broke into a full sprint, Wendy scanning the ground with her flashlight for cracks while Danny pushed the wheelchair and my mom ran beside us.
We eventually caught up for the tour in time to hear about a suit of armor on display at the museum. I was so busy profusely thanking the couple that I barely heard the story. Wendy said that, when she and Danny first saw us walking, Danny immediately expressed a desire to help so they hung back in case they were needed.
That innate desire to help shocked me and moves me to tears even as I write this. The tour was about Denville’s history but, to me, it’s people like the ones I encountered at this event that define the community of Denville.
Julie's Corner 