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Ghost Walk

History comes alive in annual Batavia Cemetery Ghost Walk

By Howard B. Owens
Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.
Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.
Photo by Howard Owens

The Batavia Cemetery Association sold 160 tickets -- a sellout -- for the 2023 Ghost Walk on Saturday, which is the third or fourth straight sellout for the association's major fundraiser, said President Sharon Burkel. 

"The money goes for the upkeep of the cemetery," Burkel said. "We have some small investments, but we mostly survive on fundraisers and donations."

Beyond raising money, the 10 stops on the walk help tell the story of early Batavia, from Joseph Ellicott to Dean and Mary Richmond, William Morgan, and John Yates.

"It also brings awareness of the cemetery so people realize that it's here," Burkel said. "They can come and walk through and enjoy the architecture and the genealogy and the history.  There's some very impressive people in here."

Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.
Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.
Photo by Howard Owens
batavia cemetery ghost walk
Connie and Charley Boyd as Mary and Dean Richmond in the Richmond Mausoleum.
Photo by Howard Owens.
dean richmond
Patrick Weissend as Joseph Ellicott.
Photo by Howard Owens
brisbane
Dan Snyder as Albert Brisbane.
Photo by Howard Owens
william morgan ghost
Joshua Pacino as William Morgan.
Photo by Howard Owens

Halloween candlelight ghost walk October 21

By Press Release
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File Photo by Howard Owens

Press Release:

The Batavia Cemetery Association is excited to announce that the annual Halloween Candlelight Ghost Walk will be held on Saturday, October 21. Join us for some spooky fun on a ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue to meet the famous and infamous movers and shakers who not only shaped and influenced the City of Batavia, but the United States and the world.

The guided tour on candlelit paths will bring guests to hear men and women, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both. Confederate Major Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the north; surveyor and land developer of western New York Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, will tell their stories.

Listen to Utopian socialist Albert Brisbane; Mary Elizabeth Wood, the first librarian at the Richmond Memorial Library and founder of the first library school in China; and Dr. Martha Morgan, a compassionate doctor who spent most of her professional life working at the State Lunatic Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  

Meet Civil War General John H. Martindale, and maltster and brewer Eli Fish. Shipping and railroad magnate Dean Richmond and his wife Mary will greet guests in their beautiful mausoleum on the last stop of the tour.

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every fifteen minutes until 8:45 p.m. Admission is $15. Reservations are required. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, go to bataviacemetery.org.

HLOM to host ghost stories and ghost walks on west side of town

By Press Release

Press Release:

Join us on Friday, September 29, and Thursday, October 19 at 7 p.m. as Connie Boyd shares the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia's past. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body-snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. 

This presentation is the same as our Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want to or aren't able to go on our guided Ghost Walks. Tickets are $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727.

“This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by
GO ART!”

Please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a West Side Ghost Walk on Fridays in October. The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place on October 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 7 p.m. We will also be adding second walks beginning at 7:30 on October 6, 13, and 20.

Take a walk on the west side and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts, and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell, and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $15.00 or $10.00 for museum members and reservations are required with purchase. Tours are limited to 20 people each. The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately 1 1/2 to two hours in length.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St. Batavia.

Ghost Walk at Historic Batavia Cemetery scheduled for Oct. 22

By Press Release

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Press release:

The Batavia Cemetery Association is excited to announce that the annual Halloween Candlelight Ghostwalk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22. 

Join us for some spooky fun on a ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia to meet the famous and infamous movers and shakers who not only shaped and influenced the City of Batavia but the United States and the world.

The guided tour on candlelit paths will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both. Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the north, Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws, and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

New visitors this year include Albert Brisbane, a utopian socialist and the chief popularizer of the theories of Charles Fourier in the United States, Mary Elizabeth Wood, the first librarian at the Richmond Memorial Library who is best known for her work in promoting Western librarianship practices and programs and founding the first library school in China, and Dr. Martha Morgan, who spent most of her professional life working at the State Lunatic Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

You will meet Civil War veteran General John H. Martindale, who was Military Governor of the District of Columbia in 1865, James Holden, a sergeant in the American Revolution and Eli Fish, maltster and brewer. Dean and Mary Richmond, who greatly influenced business and civic life in western New York in the 1800s, will greet guests in their beautiful mausoleum on the last stop of the tour. Mr. Richmond amassed a great fortune in Great Lakes shipping and was the second president of the New York Central Railroad. Mrs. Richmond vastly expanded her husband’s fortune after his death and sat on the boards of many businesses and civic organizations. 

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every fifteen minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Reservations are required. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact (585) 943-5662.

Don’t forget the Holland Land Office Museum’s first West Side Ghost Stories program on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Join Connie Boyd as she shares the sinister and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia’s past. Tickets are $5/3$ for museum members. And back and expanded by popular demand, the HLOM will host the West Side Ghost Walk on October 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 7 p.m. Hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia’s past. Tickets at $15/$10 for members. For reservations call 343-4727.

HLOM to host Westside Ghost Walk on three Friday nights in October

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Back and expanded by popular demand, please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a Westside Ghost Walk on three Fridays in October.

The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11, 18, and 25.

Take a walk on the Westside and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past.

Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $10 and reservations are required.

Tours are limited to 25 people each. The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately one-and-a-half to two hours in length.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St., Batavia.

(Also, be sure to check out the Old Batavia Cemetery's Guided Ghost Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26; must RSVP by calling the Batavia Cemetery Association at (585) 943-5662.)

Mark Your Calendar: HLOM offers three Friday night Ghost Walks on the Westside in October

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Back and expanded by popular demand, please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a Westside Ghost Walk on three Fridays in October.

The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11th, 18th, and 25th.

Take a walk on the Westside and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $10 and reservations are required with purchase.

Tours are limited to 25 people each.

The tour begins and ends at the museum and will last approximately one-and-a-half to two hours in length.

For more spooky fun from Batavia’s past, please visit the Batavia Cemetery’s Ghost Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26th.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St. Batavia.

Saturday's Candlelight Ghost Walk in Historic Batavia Cemetery is a sellout

By Billie Owens

Tomorrow night's Candlelight Ghost Walk in Historic Batavia Cemetery is sold out.

Organizers say they even added an extra hour to the event, which requires reservations, but it still sold out.

Organizers are excited about the ghost walk's popularity and hope for a good turnout next year, too.

Proceeds go for cemetery upkeep.

File photos.

Mark Your Calendar: HLOM hosts Westside Ghostwalk Oct. 19, must RSVP

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a Westside Ghostwalk at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19th.

Take a walk on the Westside and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell and other famous and infamous Batavians.

The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately one-and-a-half to two hours long. Admission is $10 and reservations are required.

For tickets or more information, please call 343-4727.

Reserve your spot for a candlelight guided ghost walk in Batavia Cemetery on Oct. 20

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Join us for some spooky fun on Saturday, Oct. 20th, when the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia.

The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons. These are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

Also visiting will be: Rev. John H. Yates, poet, preacher, philanthropist, journalist and author of nationally known hymns; Civil War veteran General John H. Martindale, who was Military Governor of the District of Columbia in 1865; and Dean and Mary Richmond, who greatly influenced civic life in Batavia in the 1800s, will meet with guests in their mausoleum on the last stop of the tour.

Dean Richmond made a great fortune in Great Lakes shipping and was the second president of the New York Central Railroad. Mary Richmond vastly expanded her husband’s fortune after his death and sat on the boards of many businesses and civic organizations. 

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Reservations are required.

Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-3220.

Photos: Ghost walk through the Batavia Cemetery

By Howard B. Owens

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The Batavia Cemetery Association hosted its annual ghost walk last night, with local actors playing the roles of historic figures who are buried in (with the exception of William Morgan) the cemetery on Harvester Avenue.

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Gen. John Martindale, played by Derek Maxfield.

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Philemon Tracy, played Tim Buckman.

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Mary Elizabeth Wood, played by Anne Marie Starowitz.

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Dean and Mary Richmond, played by Charley and Connie Boyd.

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Patrick Weissend as Joseph Ellicott.

Candlelight tours and guided ghost walks of Historic Batavia Cemetery are planned Oct. 24

By Billie Owens

Press release:

On Saturday, Oct. 24th, the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth, the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every fifteen minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Tickets are available at the gate the day of the event at Historic Batavia Cemetery, Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Reservations are suggested. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery.

For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-0248. Join us for some spooky fun!

Candlelight guided ghost walk at Batavia Cemetery is Oct. 18

By Billie Owens

Press release:

From 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18th, the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both.

Some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour are: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth, the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons.

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Tickets are available at the gate the day of the event at Historic Batavia Cemetery, Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Reservations are suggested. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-0248.

Join us for some spooky fun!

GC Historians present Ghost Walk tour Friday, Oct. 12 and 19

By Billie Owens

The Genesee County Historians will present the 2012 Ghost Walk on Friday (Oct. 12) and again on Friday, Oct. 19.

Cost is $10 and tickets are available at the Engine House at 3 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia.

Tours are at 7:30 and 8 p.m.

For those unable to walk two hours, the length of the tour, a Power Point presentation is available for viewing.

For more information and/or to make reservations, call 344-2550, ext. 2613.

Batavia Ghost Walks

By Susan Kennelly

This was posted on my facebook today and I thought I would post it here as a reminder in case anyone was interested.

 

 

GeneseeCounty Ny

BOO! It’s a good weekend for some ghosts! Batavia offers a Ghost walk on Friday night and a Cemetery Tour on Saturday where you’ll travel luminary lined paths, and meet costumed actors portraying historic Batavians. Call 585-344-2550 ext 2613 for details on the Ghost Walk and for the Cemetery Walk, call 585-343-0248.

Historic Batavia Cemetery Ghost Walk

By Susan Kennelly

Historic Batavia Cemetery Ghost Walk, Candlelight Tour

I volunteered at the ghost walk tonight and it was a great time.  There is going to be another one next Saturday Oct, 24th at 7:00 pm. It's located on Harvester Ave.  Tickets are $10. in advance or $15. at the gate.  It's really worth checking out.  Great fun for the whole family.

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