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Jennifer Vesey started Oxford, MS Ghost Tour earlier this year. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

On the north side of the Courthouse, the group learned about a 1918 murder at the former Colonial Hote. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

Vesey carries an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) device, often used by paranormal investigators to detect spirits. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

The tour group listens to the story of the lynching of Lawson Patton in front of the Courthouse. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

Birthday girl Jamie Carr, middle back row, wanted to do something different for her birthday this year and opted for the Ghost Tour. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

From left, Kim Sartan, Kayla Laderoute, tour guide Jennifer Vesey and Heathern Evans. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

For Jennifer Vesey, history and the supernatural go hand-in-hand. A year after moving to Oxford, she realized that while the city is steeped in history, there were no ghost tours available.

She decided to start one herself, creating Oxford, MS Ghost Tour – a ghost and dark history tour that now gives residents and visitors a fresh perspective on the town.

“Oxford is rich in history, and it truly is a treasure,” said Vesey, who offers her tours by appointment only at $15 per person. “I want everyone to be able to come on tour and learn about the city. History, whether good or bad, deserves to be shared with those who care to learn about it. We learn from history, and it shapes the way we move forward in the future.”

After settling in Oxford, she visited the library and delved into local books and old newspapers to piece together stories from the town’s past. The resulting narratives formed the basis of her ghost tours, which focus largely on Oxford’s historic Square.

“I wanted to share the history of the town and those who built it,” she said. “Also as most people travel to Oxford, they soon discover that the Square is the heart of Oxford. Many of the events and stories we talk about on tour take place in or near the Square.”

Vesey’s tour emphasizes the town and the people who built it.

“The people in the community stuck together, and if they felt you did them wrong, they made sure you knew it wasn’t okay,” she said.

For those interested in the paranormal, Vesey’s tours come with a bit of ghost hunting. She carries an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) device, often used by paranormal investigators to detect spirits.

“The most haunted areas on our tour are right outside the Chancery building, near where the old jail used to be, and on the courthouse grounds,” she said.

While the ghost tour remains her main focus, Vesey is expanding her offerings. She’s currently working on a Historical Home Tour and an evening Cemetery Ghost Tour, which she hopes to launch by May.

The tours begin at 8 p.m. and last about an hour, hour and a half.

Some of the stories Vesey shares include the story of a man named Snyder who decided he was going to murder a few wealthy landowners; the trials of Will Mathis and Orlando Lester who killed two local police officers before being executed in 1902; a murder at the old Colonial Hotel, now the Thompson House; the lynching of Lawson Patton and the burning of the Square during the Civil War.

Last week, Oxford resident Jamie Carr took the tour with friends to celebrate her birthday. Coincidently, the tour ended in front of the BankPlus building, which Carr owns. She said she learned about the tour on social media and decided to do something a little “weird” and interesting on her birthday.

“I get tired of just dressing up and going to restaurants,” she said. “And I’m happy to support a female-owned business.”

For more information or to book a tour, visit Oxford, MS Ghost Tour online at www.oxfordmsghosttours.com.

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