Fairmont thespians to share spooky Halloween history with Marion County Historical Society
Oct. 14—FAIRMONT — As Halloween creeps closer, so too do the ghosts of Marion County's past.
In fact, they have scheduled a visit to the Marion County Historical Society later this month — all with hopes of exciting visitors young and old about local history.
The Fairmont Senior High Thespian Troupe 2 will put on their ghastliest performances yet during a two-night event beginning at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27-28. Their performances will bring spooky stories from Marion County history to life.
These performances will pull from a "Mid-Century Murder" theme, showcasing the scariest local crimes and ghost stories from the 1940's to the 1960's.
Each day, the event will begin with an hour of no-scare spookiness aimed toward children, followed by an adult-oriented, scarier event from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $6 for children, and $9 for adults.
Visitors can explore the haunted Historical Society Museum, and might find spooky surprises in store once they step into the Historical Society's famed jail cells.
David Tucker, a historian and tour guide at the Historical Society, said that representatives from the Historical Society will also share unnerving pieces of Fairmont history pulled even deeper from the past.
This will include the well-known stories of Welsh American siblings Aunt Sukey and Slow River Charlie from Rivesville.
Aunt Sukey was condemned as a witch and thrown into the Paw Paw Creek in 1786 — allegedly on Halloween night. She had a pet nanny goat, which residents accused of being a nefarious "demonic spirit," Tucker said.
Her brother, Slow River Charlie, was also slain following accusations he could manifest magical powers through playing the fiddle.
While these might seem like silly stories anecdotally, they actually provide a lasting commentary on prejudice, Tucker said. The underlying reason the siblings were executed is because residents alleged they were practicing witchcraft when speaking their native Welsh.
"It shows that the worst demons are the demons of ignorance, stupidity and prejudice," Tucker said. "They were both victims of that."
With a month of insightful and exciting Halloween programming on the horizon, Tucker said he hopes the Historical Society can help community members get excited to learn about the history of the place they call home.
"West Virginia is a state that may be in some aspects poor, but it's very rich in history, and it's very rich in folklore," he said.
In particular, Tucker hopes the event will inspire local youth to explore the subject of history more deeply.
"So many kids today actually know very little about history," Tucker said. "Our aim is to try to teach the kids a little bit about history and give them a good time, too."
Reach Jack Walker by email at jwalker@timeswv.com.
