Donna Ingham - Texas Myths and Legends: The True Stories behind Historys Mysteries

Texas

Myths & Legends

Legends of the West Series

Texas

Myths & Legends

The True Stories behind Historys Mysteries

Second Edition

DONNA INGHAM

Guilford, Connecticut

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Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2016 by Rowman & Littlefield

Map: Alena Pearce Rowman & Littlefield

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

ISBN 978-1-4930-2612-8 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-2613-5 (e-book)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

To Stephanie, the best choice our son ever made

Acknowledgments

F irst I must acknowledge the folklorists who have, over many years, collected and passed on tales of buried treasure, larger-than-life and unexplained creatures, ghostly visitations, mysterious phenomena, and legendary people. Many of these tales are preserved in the Publications of the Texas Folklore Society and provided the starting place for much of my research. From there I was aided by librarians, members of historical societies, chamber of commerce directors, archivists, and countless other individuals who were eager to tell what parts of a story they knew. And, of course, if Globe Pequot hadnt invited me to take on the project in the first place, I likely would never have gone chasing after these fourteen mysteries and legends and worked with editors Meredith Rufino, Greg Hyman, Linda McLatchie, and Courtney Oppel. Any book of this sort is a collaborative effort. I would be remiss if I did not also credit my husband, Jerry, first reader and willing field research partner, and my son, Christopher, always a patient and knowledgeable giver of technical and moral support.

Introduction

N o matter how sophisticated we think we are, were still drawn to the mysteries and legends around usaccounts of things that are as yet unexplained or unsolved. Every region has its own, but the tales seem to fall into familiar categories: lost treasures, legendary creatures or places that have fantastic attributes, haunted sites, and mysterious people. Rounding up over a dozen mysteries and legends of Texas, exploring their roots and sources, and speculating about the truth of them has been a challenging and enlightening project.

With no premeditation on my part, the chapters in this book seemed to come together in twos and threes: rumors of treasures like those buried by Jean Lafitte along the Texas Gulf coast and those discovered and then lost in silver mines in the Texas Hill Country; legends about the exploits of a white ghost buffalo and a pacing white stallion on the Texas plains; reported sightings of cryptid creatures identified as bigfoot and chupacabra in south and east Texas; accounts of mysterious sights and sounds at natural wonders such as Enchanted Rock and Mitchell Flat near Marfa; ghost stories still circulating in haunted cities like Jefferson and San Antonio; and mysteries associated with people such as Sally Skull, possibly a murder victim; Chipita Rodriguez, an accused ax murderer hanged in San Patricio; and Frenchy McCormick, a widow who stayed by her man and became the last living inhabitant in a Panhandle ghost town.

As suggested in the listing above, I did make a conscious attempt to provide some geographical diversity in the gathering of stories. So there are tales from the Gulf coast, from parts of south Texas, from the southwestern Big Bend country, from the plains of west Texas, from central Texas, from east Texas, and from the Texas Panhandle. Some tales involve greed and later hopes for redemption; some inspire apprehension or simply curiosity; some represent symbols of freedom and independence; some include violence and murder; and one is an outright love story.

Each chapter in this collection begins with a legend or a reported mysterious occurrence and then offers background and what explanations are currently available in primary source documents, secondary research material, and firsthand interviews. Bibliographies of print and online sources are included.

At least one interesting set of connections emerged during the research process. Jim Bowie, who figures in the chapter on the lost San Saba Mine, knew and did business with the privateer Jean Lafitte, the central figure in another chapter. According to one story, Bowie brought treasure with him to the Alamo in San Antonio, as mentioned in yet another chapter. Most of the legends and mysteries detailed in the book have been part of Texas folklore since the nineteenth century or before, but reports of chupacabra sightings are fairly recent and continue to be breaking news stories as people try to decide whether the creatures are a new species or merely rural versions of urban legends. Researchers, meanwhile, continue to pursue serious studies into the possibility that Texas bigfoot creatures do exist. The speculation goes on. And so do the folktales. These are just a representative sample. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Jean Lafittes Treasures

I n February the Texas Gulf coast is cold and blustery. The air has a damp chill that penetrates clear to the bone. On just such a day back in the 1880s, an old Confederate war veteran, cold and weary, rode through the fading twilight near La Porte looking for shelter.

Just as the moon was rising, he saw the silhouette of a house and, before that, a stable. The old soldier led his horse into the stable, unsaddled him, and tied him there; then, carrying his saddle and blanket, the traveler approached the house.

Hello! he called. Is anyone there? The only answers came from the howling wind and the crashing surf. He tried the doors. Locked. He found a window that he managed to open, and he crawled inside the house.

Hello! he called again. No answer.

By the light of a struck match, he could see that he was in a large room with a fireplace. Beside the fireplace was a stack of wood, and before long he had a fire going. He stood close to absorb the heat and then spread his saddle blanket on the floor. The saddle itself would be his pillow and his rain slicker his cover. Tired as he was, he had hardly lain down before he was asleep.

He couldnt say how long hed slept when he suddenly awoke, knowing that someone else was in the room with him, looking at him. By the dim light of the fire, he saw the figure of a man standing, staring, and somehow beckoning. The man, handsomely fitted out in tailored britches and a short jacket with wide lapels, stood still as death, his eyes unblinkingly arrogant. Yet those eyes had an appeal that caused the old soldier to get up and follow his eerie visitor out of the warm room, through the next room, and into a third. This room was small and barren. The cracks in its walls allowed the wind to whistle and moan its way inside.

The ghostly figure spoke: It is here, he said, stopping in the middle of the room. It is here that more gold lies buried than is good for any man.