Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com
Scaring Up Business: The Spooky Industry of Local Ghost Stories Besides Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego, notable ghost stories can be found throughout the county —the Starr Clark Tin Shop, a stop in Mexico on the Underground Railroad, and Casey’s Cottage at Mexico Point State Park where visitors report ‘hearing faint organ music or cries for help, furniture being moved and candles jumping off shelves.’
TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.
Given the rich history of Oswego County, tales of ghosts and spirits have been around for centuries in nearly every corner of Oswego County
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he city and county of Oswego boast rich histories that are also lucrative in one aspect of local lore: ghost stories. And our area hosts attractions, businesses, events, organizations and more that cater to folks interested in raised spirits. Given the rich history of Oswego County and its connection with historical highlights such as the Seven Years War and War of 1812, as well as serving as the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad, tales of ghosts and spirits have been around for centuries in nearly every corner of the county. In 2022, the Hometown Ghost Stories YouTube Channel posted a documentary titled “The Many Hauntings of Oswego County,” that encompassed a number of local tales and declared “Oswego, New York, is one of the most haunted cities in the entire state.” Their show focused on such folklore as Fort Ontario, the Seneca Hill ghosts of a mother and daughter reported along county Route 57 and the hauntings on Gray Road south of Oswego. It’s not surprising that Fort Ontario comes up over and over, said Caroline Lamie, who is the office manager and ghost hunt and tour coordinator at Fort Ontario State Historic Site as well as vice president and senior board member of the Central New York Ghost Hunters organization. “Fort Ontario has a long history of ghost sightings, during the day as well as at night,” Lamie said. “Soldiers would see several. Music, whistling, humming and singing are heard almost daily. Sometimes you can walk into a building and hear
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‘hello’ or ‘hi.’” Spectral soldiers such as George Fikes and Basil Dunbar are the most famous ones, but ghost sightings span centuries back, including by one soldier who left his post when spooked, and was almost court-martialed until his friends backed him up, Lamie said. “We have a lady that says her name is Lizzy, she tends to be weeping, and a boy, David, that is very talkative,” Lamie said. “We even have a picture of a young shadowy boy. All different uniforms have been spotted. Even wide brimmed hats.” Ghost sightings and folklore are part of the draw for some visitors. “I get called down to admissions to talk to people with an interest,” Lamie said. “People assume we are haunted because we are old and our history.” But notable ghost stories can be found throughout the county. The Haunted History Trail website also notes the Starr Clark Tin Shop, a stop in Mexico on the Underground Railroad where “witnesses have reported shadows, voices and the feeling of being touched,” and Casey’s Cottage at Mexico Point State Park where visitors report “hearing faint organ music or cries for help, furniture being moved, candles jumping off shelves, missing keys found in bizarre places, the sense of being watched and sightings of a young girl standing near a tree under which she was buried.”
Tim’s Notes
Enduring appeal Ghost investigation has scared up cyclical interest in popular culture, re-
