When one thinks about Oxford, visions of the Square, the Grove and all things “Ole Miss” are conjured up. Ghosts, typically, are not. Jennifer Vesey, owner and founder of Oxford, MS Ghost Tours, wants to change that.
Ghost tours are a popular tourist attraction in many parts of the United States, especially in nearby historic cities such as New Orleans and Hot Springs, Ark. When Vesey moved to Oxford from Memphis, she decided to start one of her own, the first in the area.
The walking tour begins on the Square and proceeds to multiple locations, such as the courthouse, the Chancery Courthouse and the Thompson House. Each location has a story or two, totaling six stories, that shed light on Oxford’s more sinister past, as patrons stand in the very spot said crimes and tragedies occurred.
“Our walk is very connected in the stories,” Vesey said. “You can see the history there. And that’s the beautiful thing about the Square, too. It has changed, like the storefronts and stuff like that, but the layout is almost exactly the same. And I think that’s beautiful, because you can really visualize the history there.”
In preparation for the tour, Vesey did extensive research on the city, using various sources — ranging from newspapers dated over a hundred years ago to the internet and books from the Lafayette Public Library — all to make sure her content was as accurate and intriguing as possible.
Vesey holds an electricity monitor throughout each tour, which detects the electromagnetic fields around a person. When it lights up more, and there is no electrical source nearby, Vesey believes that the monitor indicates spiritual communication from the dead.
Batesville, Miss,. native Dani Stetka attended one of Vesey’s tours.
“It was such a fun way to learn about the history of Oxford while getting a walking tour of the present day Square. Jennifer did a great job of seamlessly blending facts with lore, keeping the stories moving along and keeping us intrigued even through some of the more gruesome details,” Stetka said. “I would, and have, recommended this (tour) to adults of all ages. It would make a great beginning or ending to a fun night out on the town.”
Vesey charges $15 per ticket and runs tours every night throughout the year. Multiple tours a day are offered in the month of October, and private tours are available.
“I want everybody who wants to learn about the history of Oxford to be able to come on tour,” Vesey said. “So whether they have a handicap, they’re older (or) they may be more low income, I want to welcome all people from all different backgrounds. And so when creating the tour and the walking path, I wanted to make sure that it was easily movable and that I could adjust the route as needed to help accommodate those people if need be.”
Owen Plaisance, a junior public policy leadership major from Thibodaux, La., is a fan of ghost tours.
“Growing up in Louisiana, ghost tours have always been very popular and interesting to me,” Plaisance said. “I would really like to go on one here in Oxford because I am sure there’s lots of dark history this town holds. It’s important to know about the town you live in.”
Vesey aspires to open more tours in the future, with ideas such as a historical home tour and a cemetery tour.
“It’s really amazing to know that I can find something that I’m passionate about and make a business out of it,” Vesey said. “And so it’s a confirmation for me. All the hard work that I’ve done is being made into something really cool and really beautiful.”