On this page you will find stories as told by family members, former employees, friends, and others. We would like to make you part of this page! We are always looking for pictures and stories. If you visited the "House" by sneaking in some dark night and would like to share that, let us know. We are always looking for information and pictures. As you may imagine we have lost contact with a lot of people who are important to us and the history of the "House". We intend to continually add stories and make changes to the site so check back often. So please email us with your pictures, stories, comments, and suggestions.
Thank you.
The Louellen Test Hesse Family
My Story by Garry Ledbetter (Includes Some Employee Pictures)
Tuesday, October 26th 2010 at 9:35 pm |
My mother, Denzil Featherston Totman shared her memories of being a teenager and working at a drive-in, The Pole, at Illinois and Westfield Blvd. Mr. Test visited The Pole often and on occasion would invite those working to come to his home to swim and have a good time. My mother went with her friends and had a great time and they all thought highly of Mr. Test. He always enjoyed the company of the young people. In later years she and my father, William Totman went to see Mr. Test and had a time of fellowship. It was a joy for both of them to share the memories of the past. As a teen my husband, Richard Williams visited the Test Estate to swim when invited by a friend, Phil Imes, whose aunt was Mr. Test’s secretary. He shares the story of Mr. Test telling of the wagon loads of meat that were brought out for the feeding of the cats and the blue lights that were to keep the bugs away. I have a paperback book, The House of Blue Lights which has always been special to me. We also had a lady in our church who was a housekeeper for Mr. Test. I have forgotten her name, but I know that she lived fairly close in the Castleton area. Thanks for the memories and good luck in putting them all together.
Respectfully,
Barbara Williams
Thursday, January 13th 2011 at 11:58 pm |
I lived in Lawrence and attended Lawrence Central High School, graduating in 1957. Yes, I and other members of the football team and our dates ventured to the "House of Blue Lights" one dark, cloudy evening in the summer of 1956. We were scared to death because of the things we'd heard and the fear of "getting caught". The biggest discovery/disappointment was the huge fence we ran into in the driveway. There was a "rumor" that the fence was electrified and if you touched it, you'd be shocked to death. Needless to say, that was the end of our venture. Our dates stayed in our cars and locked the doors. They were scared of the "ghost" rumors….and truthfully, at the young age of 16, we were scared too with our imaginations running wild….ghosts, electric fences, etc. I'm now 71 and happilly retired. Over the years, When people find out I went to Lawrence Central, I'm almost always asked about the House of Blud Lights, asking "did you ever go there?" At first we had to play the macho role and told people "yeah…we went up there". It's a good thing our noses didn't grow. The joy of our experience was the maximizing of our imagination. Over the years, even though all the "rumors" have been dispelled, I still smile and chuckle to myself when I think of House of Blue lights caper and enjoy telling my story. Thanks for the wonderful memories and fun.
Best regards,
John Powell