On Oct. 28, SUNY Oswego’s own storytelling class held the eighth annual Ghost and History Storytelling Tour at the Oswego Town Rural Cemetery. The event was funded by the Shineman Foundation which sponsors several Oswego community projects and multiple events and programs on campus as well. This event was made possible by the Oswego Town Historical Society and the SUNY Oswego Theatre and History departments. 

This free event was held in the Oswego Rural Cemetery. It is one of the oldest cemeteries around with its first recorded burial on Sept. 9, 1820 with the internment of Abram Clark, according to the website of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. The cemetery holds many historical figures and unique people.

Professor Jonel Langenfeld ran the event with the help of George Demass, an Oswego historian and an alumnus of SUNY Oswego. Apple cider and plenty of donuts were provided, allowing everyone to have multiple of each. 

Transportation was provided to the cemetery. People had to park on campus and were taken by bus to the cemetery. This is due to the limited amount of parking within the cemetery, and made transportation easier for people attending the event. 

The event began with a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” followed by stories from people who influenced or had some connection with Oswego but were not buried in the Oswego Rural Cemetery. This included stories shared by actors for Harriet Tubman, SUNY Oswego’s founder Dr. Edward Austin Sheldon, Dr. Richard Shineman, the first “supermodel” Audrey Munson and more. This part of the event allowed audiences to get an understanding for Oswego’s history and the important figures who have touched it. 

After the actors finished telling their stories, the event split into two groups: the first group took the cemetery tour while the second group stayed under the tent for trivia. The trivia asked questions about ghost facts, movies and other “spooky” topics. Prizes were awarded, including Oswego merch and more. 

The tour included a walk around the cemetery, stopping at specific graves to hear stories about the people buried in their respective locations. For example, one man had his three wives buried next to him, all named Mary. Another man named Captain John Budds, who loved the sea and worked at Oswego’s West Pierhead Lighthouse, fell 15 feet from the lighthouse and was injured, but managed to go to work two days later. 

One of the most famous and influential individuals buried at Oswego Rural Cemetery is medal of honor recipient Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. Oswego born, Dr. Walker was the second female doctor in the United States who served in the Civil War. She was captured by the Confederate Army and kept for five months, sustaining lifelong injuries that contributed to her death later in life… Her accomplishments earned her the medal of honor in January 1866.