Spirits Of Oakwood Tours Of Tyler's Oldest Cemetery Feature 'Ghostly' Volunteers - Staff Photo By Tom Turner OAKWOOD SPIRITS: Jimmie Horton portrays Col. Thomas R. Bonner, a colonel in the Confederate Army and later a member of the Texas Legislature. By JACQUE HILBURN Feature Writer Stories of the dead will be brought to life Saturday during special "spirit" tours of Tyler's oldest graveyard, Oakwood Cemetery. Guided by ghostly volunteers dressed in period costumes, "Spirits of Oakwood" tours are scheduled March 29, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a cost of $5 per person. The last tour begins at 4:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund the repair of broken monuments, said Maxine Herbst, who chairs Oakwood's restoration committee. "There will be all new spirits this year and all new stories," she said. "We had such a crowd last year, this year we decided to extend the hours." - Staff Photo By Tom Turner Sheryl Chester portrays one of the more than 100 black citizens buried in the cemetery. This is the fourth year for the tours, which coincide with the Azalea and Spring Flower Trail. Oakwood Cemetery is filled with people who helped build the city's early foundation, as well as the unidentified, forgotten and downtrodden. The 19.5-acre site, located off Palace and Oakwood streets, includes more than 2,000 markers, but far more graves are actually located there. A complete accounting of all of Oakwood's dead has been lost to time and progress, but many live on in stories and legends shared by the living. - Staff Photo By Tom Turner Josh Herbst portrays one of the 231 unknown Confederate soldiers buried in the Soldiers' Plot at Oakwood Cemetery. Many of the soldiers, originating from many areas of the South, were stationed at Camp Hubbard for training during the Civil War. There's the story of Katie Bannon, 18, who committed suicide on the eve of her wedding to avoid marrying a man she didn't love. Far less information has been unearthed about the oldest grave site, which belongs to little P.M. Scott, 4, who died Sept. 2, 1852. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Spirits highlighted during Saturday's tour are expected to include: Jimmie Horton is expected to portray Col. Thomas Reuben Bonner, an attorney and businessman later elected to the Texas Legislature. Joshua Herbst is expected to portray the 231 unknown Confederate soldiers, whose bodies were buried during the Civil War in a 300 by 300-foot plot in the middle of the cemetery. Sheryl Chester volunteered to represent the souls of the city's early black citizens, many of whom were former slaves. "There appear to be about 100 people buried in that section," said Mrs. Herbst. "The markers were removed in the 1930s. Only three markers remain in that section. A lady got a WPA grant, and she had that section cleared and leveled." Established in 1849, Oakwood Cemetery is part of an original 640-acre tract acquired for a public square. The land was divided and a portion was deeded to the city for a cemetery. The graveyard includes the resting places of early settlers, business executives, politicians, war veterans and others. Even though the site is owned and maintained by the city of Tyler, the municipality is barred from spending public money on private grave markers. The Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee, which includes members of the Mollie Moore Davis Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was formed in 1997 to help the city care for the site. "In trying to develop a fundraiser for it, we tried to think of something interesting," Mrs. Herbst said. "This is a way we can educate people about the history of Tyler and help raise money too." Each tour is expected to last about an hour and 30 minutes. Parking is allowed at True Vine Baptist Church. Directional signs are located throughout the city to guide visitors to the location. For more information on tours or support of the cemetery, call 903-593-4642. Donations to help with the project are welcome. Checks made payable to Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee can be mailed to Mrs. Herbst, 2509 Bateman Ave., Tyler 75701. For information, call 903-593-4642 or e-mail mhautumn@aol.com. To see pictures and article go to http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080324/NEWS08/803230335