WAUPUN — The Waupun Historical Society has begun preparations for this year’s annual Waupun Cemetery Walk. The Cemetery Walk is an evening of tours at Forest Mound Cemetery where members of the Historical Society portray historical figures who are buried in Waupun. In previous years the Cemetery Walk was held on the same night as the Waupun Halloween Celebration and went from 5:30pm to 7:00pm, but the schedule may be adjusted to better utilize daylight during the event.
The 7th Annual Cemetery Walk will be hosted in memory of the late Rohn Bishop Sr, father of Mayor Rohn W. Bishop. Bishop Sr. was the mind and driving force behind the creation of the Waupun Cemetery Walk in 2016 due to his great passion for Waupun’s history and a desire to present significant local histories to better engage with the community. Bishop Sr. tragically passed away in November of 2021 due to complications from a coronavirus infection.
The concept behind the Cemetery Walk is to tell the story of those who once lived in Waupun and their place in both Waupun’s and the nation’s history. Previous years have seen portrayals of various historical Waupun residents, including soldiers of American wars, inventors and industrialists, and local community leaders such as Clarence Shaler, Seymour Wilcox, and John N. Ackerman, the first Mayor of Waupun.
“This is the main event for our group,” Historical Society President Zac Dickhut said, “all free-will donations raised go directly toward preserving and sharing our community’s history for visitors and locals to learn from and enjoy. We are excited to share some new faces and all-new stories this year.”
The Historical Society will meet in August to discuss plans for the 7th Annual Cemetery Walk, such as who will play which roles, scheduling, infrastructure such as portable toilets and lighting, and other logistics. All are welcome to attend the tours; anyone interested in participating to portray a historical figure can get in contact with the Historical Society or stop at the Waupun Heritage Museum while it is open on Sundays or Wednesdays to get more information.
Waupun’s Halloween Celebration will be held on Saturday, October 29th. The Waupun City Council passed a motion at the June 28th meeting to hold the City-wide Trick or Treating from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, following Waupun Downtown Promotions’ “Halloween on Main” from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
