Galena is tucked away in the far northwest of Illinois, almost within easy reach of Wisconsin to the north and Iowa to the west. It is a city steeped in rich history, but has a small population of just under 3,500. Among its many attractions is the ghost of Annie Wiggins.

Everyone loves a ghost, even those who don’t believe in them. Most of us classify them similarly to zombies, vampires, and other scary entities; a lot of fun to watch in a movie, but hey, let’s be serious. Could the ghost of Annie Wiggins be any different? Could there really be a lost soul haunting Galena, still living in the mid-19th century?

The answer is quite disappointing, no. The conclusion is not based on any lack of scientific evidence for ghosts, but on the fact that Annie Wiggins’ origins are freely known and admitted by her creator, Wendy Heiken.

However, that is not to say that the ghost can be ruled out. On the contrary, this ghost can open up a whole world of exciting history through a fascinating walking tour of Haunted Galena that has allowed thousands of people to discover what life was like in this small town, back in the 1840s.

Wendy, also known as Annie Higgins, tells the stories of Galena through the eyes of real people who lived in the city in the 1800s. This is what brings the story to life, lifting it from 150 years ago to placing it squarely in a current reality. All the stories told are quite true. Only the ghost of Annie Wiggins has been created, and yet…

The Sac and Fox Indians lived in this area before the French established several trading posts in the 17th century. Galena was organized as a town in 1826 and incorporated as a city in 1841. The area is rich in lead deposits, and in fact, the city’s name comes from the technical term for lead sulfide: galena.

Probably the best known of Galena’s former citizens is Ulysses S. Grant. He came to the city in 1860 to work in his father’s store that sold leather goods. In a short time he became one of the best-known generals on the Union side in the Civil War. Does her ghost of him now haunt the streets of Galena? Who knows.

Another famous name is associated with this city – Abraham Lincoln. He once delivered a rousing speech from the balcony of the DeSoto House Hotel, a building that still stands today. But perhaps the most famous of all Galena residents, past or present, is Annie Wiggins, a charming ghost who never really existed as a living person.