PENDLETON — Olney Cemetery came alive Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9, as costumed performers portraying characters of Pendleton’s early days stood beside their tombstones and welcomed guests to the Olney Cemetery Walk.

“It went so much better than I could’ve hoped,” said library assistant Heather Culley. “It was just full and everybody had a good time.”

Actors enthusiastically played Pendleton’s residents of yesteryear, including Nancy Despain, Aura Goodwin Raley, Hank Vaughan, Dorothy Lampkin Engle, Frederick Lampkin and Lot Livermore.

Culley lead a group of attendees between the various characters and added information about the era and those involved. She said roughly 90 people took part in the tours over the two days they were run and she hopes to be able to expand the program even larger next year.

“I hope to do this every year,” she said.

The Pendleton Public Library put on the event with help from Pendleton Parks & Recreation, Heritage Station Museum and Pendleton Underground Tours.

Next year, Culley said, she hopes to be able to add more characters, including Umatilla County Sheriff Til Taylor. She said she is seeking an actor on horseback to play the part.

Culley said the original idea was for a haunted cemetery event, but concerns over respecting those interred at Olney Cemetery lead herself and others at the library to get more creative and the Historic Olney Cemetery Walk was born.

“We just did colorful historical characters from Pendleton’s past,” said Culley. “It was a lot better than I could’ve even dreamed.”

As former library director Mary Finney stood beside the headstone of Aura Goodwin Raley, she recited tales of the early days of Pendleton. Goodwin Raley, who lived from 1829-1913, is often regarded as the “mother of Pendleton” after she and her husband Moses Goodwin donated land for the original town plat, a cemetery, the courthouse and college.

“I chose Aura because I know she was one of the early persons,” said Finney. “I think when you study their life you realize what a hardship — what deprivations they go through and you cannot do anything but really be awed by what they went through.”

Finney explained to attendees the experiences of Goodwin Raley’s life including her travels on the Oregon Trail and the role she played in the early years of the town.

“It’s quite an honor,” she said of the experience. “I hope I’ve gotten most of it right”