The experience has become popular for date nights, outings with friends, and even birthday celebrations.
Oxford has its share of famous writers, football traditions, and wonderful places to eat. But once the sun sets and the crowds thin around The Square, another side of this beloved Mississippi town is worth exploring.
One involving murder, mysterious footsteps, restless spirits, and a few characters who apparently have no intention of leaving.
Jennifer Vesey knows their stories, and she’s happy to introduce you to them.
Vesey owns and founded Oxford Ghost Tours, a nighttime walking tour that takes visitors through some of the town’s darker chapters. It’s part history lesson, part ghost hunt, and a rather entertaining way to spend an evening in Oxford.
The idea came about shortly after Vesey moved from Memphis to Oxford in August 2023 to work at the University of Mississippi.
“When I got here, I thought, where’s the ghost tour?” she recalled.
An avid ghost-tour fan herself, Vesey was surprised to discover Oxford didn’t have one. So she decided to create it.
She started going to local libraries, combing through historical books and old newspapers. Additionally, she also contacted residents who might have a ghost story or two tucked away—and they did.
By May 2024, Oxford Ghost Tours was officially underway.
And as Vesey quickly discovered, Oxford had more than enough material to fill an evening.
The tour covers five stops around The Square, where visitors hear accounts of murders, executions, local legends, and unexplained encounters. Vesey brings historical photographs, letting guests see what Oxford looked like generations ago.
One particularly fascinating story involves Will Mathis and Orlando Lester, whose names appear in newspaper accounts from more than a century ago.
According to reporting in The Vicksburg Herald, the two men were among four indicted in connection with the murders of two men named Montgomery. During the trial, Mathis’s wife testified that Lester fired the gun while her husband held a lamp.
Vesey says more than 10,000 people gathered in Oxford on September 24, 1902, to witness the executions of Mathis and Lester.
“I’ve had locals even come on tour and say, I’ve never heard of that before,” Vesey said.
Today, the names of the slain deputy U.S. marshals, Hugh and John Montgomery, appear on a public safety memorial near the courthouse. It’s a reminder of how much history can hide in plain sight.
Other stories date back to the Civil War, including the 1864 burning of Oxford, when much of the town was destroyed.
And then there’s Leonard Burt.
According to the account Vesey shares, Burt murdered his wife and was later shot while attempting to escape police custody in an alley near The Square.
Years later, a bartender told Vesey she had stopped walking through that alley after hearing footsteps rushing up behind her one evening. When she turned around, nobody was there.
Vesey has her own theory about who might have been responsible.
“I’ll tell your story over here, Leonard, but then I’ll give you your space, I promise,” she joked.
And the alley isn’t the only place where things have gotten a little strange.
Vesey recalled seeing what looked like a shadowy figure on a balcony of the Chancery building. She initially dismissed it as a trick of the light, until a guest standing with her back to the building said she felt someone watching her.
On another occasion, Vesey photographed what she believes could be a spirit in a courthouse window. Someone later contacted her, claiming to have encountered a similar figure near the stairs inside the building, sometimes accompanied by the faint smell of cigarette smoke.
For those hoping to communicate with Oxford’s supposed supernatural residents, brings an electromagnetic field detector and copper dowsing rods. Neither proves ghosts exist, but they certainly add another element of fun.
One of her favorite questions to ask the spirits is whether they approve of modern fashion.
“The answer is always no,” she laughed.
Apparently, even the dearly departed have opinions about what people wear these days.
Despite the spooky subject matter, Vesey emphasizes that the tour is about much more than ghosts.
“I hope that people know that even if they don’t believe in ghosts or they may be a little bit more on the skeptical side, they can still come on tour and really enjoy it and learn about the history of Oxford,” she said.
The experience has become popular for date nights, outings with friends, and even birthday celebrations. Because some historical accounts involve violence, Vesey recommends the tour for ages 14 and older, although she can adjust certain details for younger guests.
The one-hour walking tour covers approximately three-tenths of a mile and is designed to be accessible, with benches available at three of the five stops.
Tours are offered daily at 8 p.m., provided someone has booked. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for children, and advance online reservations are encouraged.
Guests meet outside the Oxford Parking Garage at 1102 Jefferson Avenue, near the red telephone booth. Be sure to find the right booth, as another is outside City Hall.
There’s something particularly impressive about what Vesey has accomplished. She saw an opportunity in a town already known for its history and found a creative way to share stories that might otherwise be forgotten. As Oxford’s only ghost tour operator, she’s turned her love of history and the paranormal into something that’s equal parts education and entertainment. And judging by the response from visitors, she’s onto something.
What makes it even more interesting is that Vesey built the experience herself, researching the stories, tracking down historical photographs, and piecing together an entirely new way for people to experience The Square.
For Vesey, who once dreamed of attending Ole Miss before eventually finding her way to Oxford as an employee, sharing the town’s history has become an unexpected passion.
For visitors, it’s a reminder that Mississippi always has something new to discover, even in a town you think you know.
So the next time you’re enjoying an evening on The Square in Oxford, pay attention to those old buildings, upstairs windows, and quiet alleyways.
You never know who might be watching.
-- Article credit to Meredith Biesinger for the Magnolia Tribune --
