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The 2008 Saints and Sinners Oakwood Cemetery Tour Saturday, October 27, 2008 It took a mixture of virtuous, upright citizens and wayward scoundrels to make Fort Worth the spirited city it is today and many of both were laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery. That eternal slumber was interrupted for a few moments on Saturday, October 27, when some of those saints and sinners got restless, began to wander about and talked about their life and times. Historian Quentin McGown was the tour guide for both sessions taking hundreds of people on a guided stroll under the famous towering oaks through this pioneer Fort Worth cemetery. Quentin introduced us to the "Father of Fort Worth," John Peter Smith and many more of Fort Worth's famous and feared. Gambler Luke Short and one-time City Marshal long-haired Jim Courtright and Courtright’s sassy wife Betty confronted each other again, this time with words instead of pistols. Lynched outlaw Jim Miller was lurking nearby. Ada Mustard relived the horrors of the Texas Spring Palace fire in 1890 and Belle Burchill looked back on her life as a champion of orphans, a suffragette, and Fort Worth’s first postmistress. The weather was perfect, the actors were terrific, the crowds were great and interacted spontaneously with the performers to add to the great moments. Many people strolled off on their own after the tours and explored and experienced the great history and beauty of Oakwood. Proceeds of this year’s tour benefited the North Fort Worth Historical Society and the Oakwood Cemetery Association. Plans are already underway for the 2009 Oakwood Tour. Dates will be on October 24 and 25 with afternoon and evening tours. Visit the Stockyards Museum website and the Oakwood Cemetery website for more information. Lots of people from the North Fort Worth Historical Society, the Stockyards Museum and Oakwood Cemetery volunteered to help make everything go almost perfectly. If you would like to be a NFWHS volunteer and take part and help with the Museum and the several special events and the effort to preserve and restore the history of Fort Worth, please consider joining, attending the interesting monthly meetings and participating the expanding programs of the Society and Museum. For more information, call 817-625-5082 or email nfwhs@sbcglobal.net. |
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©2009 North Fort Worth Historical Society Last Update: 3/1/2010 |
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The 2009 Saints and Sinners Oakwood Cemetery Tour Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25, 2009 Nearly 400 people toured the Oakwood Cemetery this year. Tours open to the public were held on Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. A special twilight tour and performance was held at 6 p.m. on Saturday to a sold out crowd of 65. |
