Scott Williams - Haunted Texas: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends

Haunted Texas

Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends

Second Edition

Scott Williams

Revised by Donna Ingham

Guilford, Connecticut

Helena, Montana

An imprint of Globe Pequot

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2017 by Scott Williams

Map: M.A. Dub Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

ISBN 978-1-4930-2689-0 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-2690-6 (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.

Printed in the United States of America

Some of the places described in this book are on private property. Always obtain permission in advance to visit these sites. The prices, rates, and hours listed in this guidebook were confirmed at press time. We recommend, however, that you call establishments to obtain current information before traveling.

To my children, Avery and Grace, for keeping me motivated

Introduction

Ghost hunting is becoming an increasingly popular hobby. And for some, its even a profession. Televisions shows, books, and websites abound with ghost stories. Theres something about the idea of encountering something from the world of the dead that appeals to people.

Not everyone believes in ghosts. But you dont have to actually believe in ghosts to want to add a twist to your travels around Texas or spice up your vacations.

And who wouldnt be curious about a remote-controlled car in Austin, for instance, that not only operated without a battery but also greeted guests at a downtown photography studio as if it were the owners dog? And how do you explain the presence of so many haunted hotels in San Antonio, hotels that just happen to have been built on the site of a former cemetery?

Trying to solve these mysteries andjust as importanttrying to encounter a ghost in person are what ghost hunting is all about. People who explore cemeteries late at night or descend into dark basements where some unexplained presence has been felt are driven by their desire to make sense of the unexplainable and perhaps catch a glimpse of the hereafter.

Ghosts come in all shapes and sizes. My research into Texas ghosts has turned up adult ghosts of both genders as well as the ghosts of numerous children. Those ghosts whose identities are known almost always died in some tragic accident or as the result of an illness that claimed them well before their time. Ghosts seem to prefer old houses, historic buildings, downtown districts, and cemeteries. Ghosts are not limited to the human species, however. My research has uncovered the ghost of a woman in San Antonio who has been spotted petting a phantom cat, and drivers in the Rio Grande Valley have reported seeing ghost cows by the side of the road.

Now some might say that such claims are udderly ridiculous. But are they? Just because youve never seen a ghost doesnt mean they dont exist. Ghost-hunting groups are popping up all over the country. They meet to tell ghost stories, investigate haunted sites, and share their knowledge of ghosts and ghost-hunting equipment. Some ghost hunters are full-fledged believers in spirits, others go on ghost hunts as a lark. Some are skeptics who go ghost hunting to prove that spooky doings can be explained by natural causes.

Although you can find numerous books filled with ghost stories at the bookstore or your local library, youll not find many guides to haunted sites. And you definitely wont find a book quite like this one. I decided to write this book after seeing books on haunted destinations that, while interesting, were lacking in the kind of information travelers need to plan a trip around ghost-hunting excursions.

In this book youll find haunted hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, cemeteries, tourist attractions, and other sites scattered throughout Texas. Texas is a big state with a large population and a history wrought with conflict and struggle. People have been killed by hurricanes, wars, epidemics, and all sorts of other situations. It makes sense, then, for Texas to have so many ghost stories and haunted sites.

Listings for accommodations, attractions, or restaurants include paranormal activity, historical information (when available), and information travelers need if they want to stay at a haunted hotel or eat at a haunted restaurant. Youll also find information on sites that are not haunted. Theyve been included to make it easy to find a hotel near a haunted attraction (assuming there are no haunted hotels nearby) or a place to eat in a normal restaurant (assuming there are no haunted restaurants nearby) or a normal place to visit while taking a break from ghost-hunting activities. There are suggestions for day trips and getaway weekends to haunted sites located outside the cities covered within each region. Also included throughout the book, usually listed in the Attractions section for each city, are listings for places that are specifically open during October for Halloween and offer various sorts of scary good times.

Read on for information on when and where to find ghosts and for equipment you might want to bring on your search.

How to Find Ghosts

As previously mentioned, ghosts seem to prefer to haunt certain types of places, although a ghost can haunt anythingor anyone if it chooses. After all, whos going to stop it? The International Ghost Hunters Society claims ghosts are everywhere, and the American Ghost Society claims the most common places to find them are private homes, cemeteries, theaters, churches, schools, colleges, hotels, battlefields, crime scenes, and hospitals. Youll find all those sites inside the pages of this book.

The International Ghost Hunters Society suggests you plan your investigation near the new or full moon. The best opportunities occur two or three days before one of these moons and last until two or three days after. According to the society, this is because the lunar cycle generates the strongest geomagnetic earth fields, and since ghosts are electromagnetic in nature and part of the electromagnetic spectrum, they use geomagnetic fields to appear.

The society says another good time for ghost hunting is when a storm is approaching, although the group doesnt explain why. The staff at , a website for ghost hunters, says ghost encounters can occur at any time, but the most active period seems to be after 8:30 p.m. and before sunrise. The theory is that there is less solar interference after the sun goes down. Theyve also heard reports of greater activity at the end of the year and at midnight.

The International Ghost Hunters Society says the best time to photograph ghosts is at dusk or later. A dark background is necessary to act as a backdrop for capturing ghosts on film. Contrary to what you might think, the best way to capture a ghost on film, according to the society, is by using a flash.