Jackson’s historic ghosts visit on Oct. 26
Jackson’s historic ghosts visit on Oct. 26
Jackson’s Mayor James O’Connor is probably the only city mayor who ever gave orders to shoot to kill anyone from Memphis or Shelby County who tried to come into Jackson. It was the yellow fever epidemic of 1878-1879, and it was believed the sick people from Memphis would spread the disease.
Come to the Downtown Ghosts Dinner Theater from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 26, and you’ll find out more surprising facts about Jackson.
The eighth annual event, sponsored by the Jackson Area Business and Professional Women, begins in Riverside Cemetery at 5:30 p.m., then moves to the Baker’s Rack for the dinner theater at 6 p.m. Ghost tour director Christopher Stevens promises an evening with great actors, including Tommy Rhoads, a Union soldier, and Beth Bates as Sue Shelton White, Tennessee suffragist.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve had a love of history and haunted happenings. Directing the ghost tour perfectly melds these two into a delightful experience. There’s nothing quite like learning a bit of local history with your hair standing on end,” Stevens said.
Some other ghosts include: At Riverside Cemetery, Bri McCrudden as Mary Jane Butler; Bruce Boone as Judge Milton Brown; Deanna McCrudden as Anne Sharpe Brady; Eliza Gibson as Corinna “Miss Pet” McCorry; and Deborah Simer as Mrs. Jefferson from Atlanta, Georgia.
Alyssa Marshall, who portrays Nancy Russell in the dinner theater scenes, said, “I’m so excited to learn about Jackson’s history by becoming one of its earliest residents! My character, Nancy Russell, came to Madison County in 1822. Her story is very interesting.”
Other ghosts dropping in to visit at Baker’s Rack dinner theater will be: Melissa Roberts as Mary Sypert Curtiss; Lea King as Agnes Wilson Farrar; Dan Spangle as Tom Gaston; Gioia Carp as Lillianne Sullivan; Laura Hancock as Lucie Michaelis; Nick Hancock as Harry Blackstock; and Charlie Felton as Judge Hu Anderson.
Narrators who share the historic background include Wanda Stanfill, Stacy Miller, Lydia Hubbard, Mary Jo Middlebrooks, all members of Jackson Area BPW. Other ghosts may wander in from the “other side.”
“It’s great to be able to bring a part of Jackson’s history to life,” said Dan Spangle, who portrays Tom Gaston.
Deanna McCrudden, who portrays Mrs. Brady, said, “It’s going to be ghost-tastic!”
Tour tickets are $40 for the tour and dinner. The dinner served at Baker’s Rack includes poppyseed chicken as the entrée, with delicious desserts to follow. Call Stacy Miller at (731) 234-8129 or (731) 423-2234 for tickets.
The performance benefits JABPW’s Margaret Faulkner Scholarship awarded annually to a non-traditional female student returning to college to advance her career or change her career focus. Previous scholarship winners have been from Union University, Jackson State Community College, University of Memphis-Lambuth, and other regional colleges and universities. Scholarship applications are available on the JABPW website atjacksonareabpw.com.
Lydia Hubbard, a dinner theater narrator, said, “These ghosts tell tales that show us the history of Jackson. They’re not scary ghosts.”
Ghosts at Riverside Cemetery include Anne Sharpe Brady, mother-in-law to Casey Jones; and Corinna “Miss Pet” McCorry, a founder of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who was a war heroine at age 13, carrying bullets in her apron to soldiers under fire.
Judge Milton Brown was the founder of the Southwestern Baptist University – “what you good folks know as Union University. And I gave my own pocket money to help build the Memphis Conference Female Institute that is today University of Memphis-Lambuth,” Judge Brown says at Riverside Cemetery. He became judge of the Chancery Court of West Tennessee in 1835 and stayed in that role for the next 12 years.
Others who return from the “other side” to visit the streets of Jackson on Oct. 26 include those who lived full lives with their families as Jackson grew and changed.
Tickets may be picked up at TN Correctional Services West, Inc., 204 West Main St. or at Middlebrooks & Gray, 1651 Hollywood Drive, in Jacksonthrough Wednesday, Oct. 24, but must be purchased by Monday Oct. 22 for dinner seating.
What to know
What: Jackson Area Business Professional Women’s Downtown Ghosts Dinner Theater. Benefits the Margaret Faulkner Scholarship. Take a walk with the legends and spirits of Jackson.
When: Friday, Oct. 26, 5:30 pm. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Starts at Riverside Cemetery, 300 Riverside Drive, Jackson, Tenn., at 5:30 p.m., dinner theater at Baker’s Rack restaurant, 205 E Lafayette St, Jackson, Tenn. at 6 p.m.
Tickets: $40, includes dinner at Baker’s Rack. Call Stacy Miller at (731) 234-8129 or Middlebrooks & Gray at (731) 423-2234 for tickets. Tickets may be picked up at TN Correctional Services West, Inc., 204 West Main St. or at Middlebrooks & Gray, 1651 Hollywood Drive, in Jackson through Wednesday, Oct. 24, but must be purchased by Monday Oct. 22 for dinner seating.
