Murrell Home Hosts Slate of October Activities

Contact: Martha Ray or Shirley Pettengill (918) 456-2751
(918) 456-2751

Park Hill, OK
September 29, 2008
For Immediate Release

For the sixteenth consecutive year, the George M. Murrell Home in Park Hill will be the backdrop for storytellers spinning yarns about the "Hunter's Ghost" and other chilling accounts. The event will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25. A number of events are scheduled for the month of October at the home.

"The innovative, family-oriented program will feature various storytellers situated in a number of rooms to tell tales about the Murrell House, the Cherokee country, and other ghost stories," said Shirley Pettengill, who manages the historic house for the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Hunter's Ghost is the legend that grew out of the years George Murrell operated the mansion as his "Hunter's Home" before the Civil War. He often hosted fox hunts in the Cherokee Nation. This and other tales related to the historic home will be revived.

"These will be family-oriented stories for adults and children," said OHS Program Director Whit Edwards. "They'll be told amid odd noises, eerie music, dark shadows, and unexplained phenomena."

Storytellers will come from all over the area, including Broken Arrow, Pawnee, and Tahlequah. Visitors will also have a chance to explore the smokehouse and sample some hot cider and cookies provided by the Friends of the Murrell Home support organization.

Sessions will begin every 15 minutes from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with visitors moving through the house to listen to stories from six storytellers. A donation of $5 is requested, with reservations required because of limited seating, and Pettengill says children under 6 are not encouraged to attend. For reservations, telephone the home's staff at 918/456-2751 or e-mail .

The Friends of the Murrell Home will host a series of three workshops at the historic Murrell Home site in Park Hill during the weekend of October 3-5. They will include corset making, reenactors' instruction, and jewelry making. The events are part of a community-wide event called "Tahlequah Traditions: A Homecoming of Art, Culture, and People."

The Corset and Underpinnings Construction Workshop will be held on Friday, October 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants will learn the history of corsets and how to make a Civil War-era undergarment. Cost is $15 and includes written materials and a grommet kit. Patterns and fabric materials will be available for purchase at an extra charge. The instructor for the event is Cherokee National Treasure and historic textile expert Wendell Cochran.

The Ladies' Camp of Instruction will be held on Saturday, October 4, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This information session is aimed at women interested in becoming historical reenactors. Women will learn about clothing, manners and customs, and daily activities from the mid-nineteenth century. Martha Ray of the Oklahoma Historical Society will conduct the workshop. Cost is $20 per person, or $15 for Friends of the Murrell Home members, and includes all materials.

The Civil War Jewelry-Making Workshop will be held on Sunday, October 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. Attendees will learn about period jewelry and will make a historically accurate necklace and earring set from the Civil War era. Cost is $25 per person and includes all materials. Martha Ray will instruct.

Reservations are required for all workshops. To check on availability and for more information, please call (918) 456-2751.