FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Oct. 21, 2004

CONTACT:  Ken Stewart, (605) 773-3804

“Haunted South Dakota” coming to the Cultural Heritage Center

PIERRE, S.D. -- If ghost stories send a shiver up your spine or you’ve ever wondered if your house could be the abode of other-worldly visitors, the South Dakota State Historical Society has your type of program on Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Cultural Heritage Center. 

Ken Stewart of the State Archives will be sharing an overview of hauntings and spiritual manifestations that he has collected over many years from throughout South Dakota during “Haunted South Dakota” at 2 p.m. in the Education Room. Joining Stewart for the free program will be Sioux Falls psychic Donna O’Dea, who has utilized her psychic talents in various buildings in the state, including the Pettigrew Mansion in Sioux Falls. 

“Stories of hauntings and ghosts are always fascinating,” said Stewart. “In Pierre, the old World of Donuts building was supposedly haunted by the ghost of Louis Kehr, who had shot himself in the building’s upstairs apartment in 1938. Subsequent renters and owners reported hearing footsteps going up and down the stairs when no one was there. Cleaning people in the building also reported feeling like they were being watched.”  

“I don’t know if ghosts exist or not,” said State Historical Society director Jay D. Vogt, “but hearing the stories really adds another dimension to the history of some of the state’s wonderful old buildings, gold mines and other locales.” 

Regular hours of the museum in the Cultural Heritage Center are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and 1-4:30 p.m. weekends and most holidays. The State Archives is open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and the first Saturday of each month.

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The South Dakota State Historical Society, an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the State Archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative offices. Call (605) 773-3458 or visit www.sdhistory.org for more information.