by Tracy Lawson, Wylie Historical Society
When the first train rolled into Wylie on the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway on October 13, 1886, many of the townsfolk who witnessed its arrival were recent transplants. As soon as the railway’s survey team determined its route and the placement of the depot, dozens of families moved from outlying villages and farms to what promised to be a new center of commerce.
Many of us who live and work in Wylie today also moved here for employment opportunities and improved quality of life. Even if you can’t claim roots that go deep in Blackland Prairie soil, you can bone up on local history at the Wylie Whispers Ghost Tour, which is set to take place on October 4-5, 2024.
Sponsored by the Smith Public Library, the Wylie Historical Society, and Wylie Parks and Recreation, the Wylie Whispers Ghost Tour will feature stops at buildings that date back to Wylie’s earliest days–and reveal some unexplained happenings reported by the business owners!
Tours are led by costumed volunteers from the Wylie Historical Society, who portray some of Wylie’s early citizens.
Beginning at 7:00 pm, tours depart every 15 minutes from the front lawn of the Welcome Center at the Brown House at 301 N. Ballard Avenue. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Tickets are on sale for $20.
The Welcome Center at the Brown House will stay open past regular hours so people registered for the ghost tour can tour the building, shop in the gift shop, and view four October exhibits: Mourning Rituals of the Victorians; Dia de los Muertos; magician Harry Houdini’s efforts to prove spirits do not exist; and Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, a Halloween prank that led to nationwide mass hysteria.
The exhibits are free and open to the public, Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm and runs through November 2. Local tourism information is also available at the Welcome Center.