Event: UNH Manchester Presents Public Lecture Series on History, Media, and Dark Tourism
UNH Manchester invites the public to two engaging presentations that explore how history, media, and public policy shape our understanding of tragedy and myth. The lectures are free and open to the public as part of the Saul O Sidore Memorial Lecture Series, which has been fostering critical conversations on pressing societal issues since 1965.
The Saul O Sidore Memorial Lecture Series was established in memory of Saul O Sidore of Manchester, New Hampshire, to offer programs that raise critical and sometimes controversial issues facing our society.
2025 Series of Events
The Salem Witchcraft Trials and ‘Moldy Bread’: A Case Study in Fake News
Media, Myth, and the Salem Witch Trials
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 15 | 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: UNH Manchester, 88 Commercial St., Room 201 (Multipurpose Room)
Directions and Parking Info
Back in 1976, a wild theory claimed that the Salem witch trials were sparked by hallucinogenic fungus in rye bread. Experts quickly debunked it—but the media ran with it, and the myth stuck. Join us as we dig into how a catchy (but false) idea went viral and became a textbook example of early “fake news.”
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Margo Burns is the 10th-generation great-granddaughter of Rebecca Nurse, who was hanged in Salem in 1692 on the charge of witchcraft. They are the project manager and an associate editor of Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, published in 2009 by Cambridge University Press. Burns recently retired from St. Paul’s School as the director of The Language Center.
Ghosts Among Us: How Local Governments Navigate the Ethics of Dark Tourism
Date & Time: TBD (March 2026)
Location: UNH Manchester, 88 Commercial St., Room 201 (Multipurpose Room)
Directions and Parking Info
Tragedy draws curiosity—and tourists. Ghosts Among Us explores how cities in the UK and USA grapple with the complex legacy of dark tourism, where sites of historical trauma become major visitor attractions. From Salem, Massachusetts (1692 Witch Trials) to Clear Lake, Iowa (the 1959 Buddy Holly plane crash), local governments face the challenge of honoring victims while managing public interest. Ghosts Among Us examine how urban planning and policy attempt to strike a respectful balance between remembrance and tourism, turning uncomfortable history into thoughtful engagement.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr. Beth A. Wielde Heidelberg is a professor of urban and regional studies, specializing in architectural preservation policy at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She received her master's degree in urban planning from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and her doctorate in public administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has studied the impact of dark tourism on local government policy and urban planning for over ten years. Her research focuses on the impact of dark tourism on communities, and the difficult issues local governments must manage when their most famous local event and biggest tourist draw is based on tragedy, death, disaster, or frightening folklore.
Check back soon for date and RSVP link.