Situated on 14 acres and founded in 1870, Fairview Cemetery is the final resting place of many citizens of Wrightsville. Now you have a chance to learn more about the prominent families, business owners, veterans, foundry workers and other townspeople who are buried there. Historic Wrightsville Inc. will host "Who Is Who in Fairview," a Stories by Lantern Light program, on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15. Tours will start at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. The rain dates will be Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22.

"This tour will be self-contained in the cemetery," noted Jeremy Young, who has written the program. "In the past, we've toured all over the town and we've focused on the buildings and events that have happened in town. This year, we're going to focus on the people of Wrightsville - the colorful people who really bring the tapestry of this town to life."

There's no better place to do that, Young noted, than in the cemetery, located at 600 Hellam St. While tour participants may recognize some famous Wrightsville names on the tour, many of the people were ordinary citizens who have impacted the town's history. "Wrightsville was a foundry town. It was industrial," Young stated, noting that his own family members were foundry workers. "There are family names who have worked generationally in the foundry, and they are important. They kept the town going, and it's important that these people are highlighted." While much of Wrightsville's history focuses on its important role in the Civil War, Young noted that many modern graves in the cemetery are also historically significant. "People sometimes forget that the '60s, '70s and '80s are also history," he stated. "These people may not have paragraphs of illustrious history associated with them, but the family names are still important."

In doing research for the tour, Young talked to people living in town and asked about their memories of some of the people who will be featured on the tour. "The really cool part about living in a small town is, boy, did we have some really fun people who lived here," he said with a laugh.

The lantern tour is Historic Wrightsville Inc.'s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds benefit the operation of the organization's museum on Locust Street and the Burning of the Bridge Diorama on Hellam Street. Refreshments will be offered at the end of tour.

Young noted that even though the tour coincides with a traditionally spooky time of year and although it takes place at night in a cemetery, it's not about ghosts and goblins. "It's a tour about history," he stated. "When you come on this tour, you're taking something away. I'm hoping to hear a lot of 'oohs' and 'ahs' and 'I didn't know that' on the tour. If one person walks away with an aha moment when they leave, we've done our job."

For more information or to purchase lantern tour tickets, call the museum at 717-252-1169.