Went On a Ghost Tour of SA

We heard the most gruesome tales of murder, entombment, decapitation, and mass burials. Best part was when our host J.R. hauled out the divining rods, EMF meters, Ovilus, and infrared detectors.

Well worth the time (2 hrs.) and effort (briskly walking 2+ miles in the dark in the middle of San Antonio!)

Walking With Jefferson's Ghosts, part 3 (conclusion)

If the first tour frightened me, the second one terrified me. I discovered I had a sensitivity to the paranormal, especially if the entity is dark or malevolent.

Tour #2 began at the Jefferson General Store around 10 p.m.. We were introduced to the story of "Roy", the ghost of a little boy about 6 years old, dressed in denim overalls. He likes to play in the store, and on the sidewalk running parallel outside. He's made such an impression, the owners of the toy store across the street have named it after Roy.

Next to the store is one of the few vacant buildings that is wholly inaccessible due to the building's deterioration. It used to be a bank (you can see the metal inset in front of the doors), and it was there I first felt a prickling of the hairs on my head.

We continued into the residential area where we passed an empty lot located next to the Governor's House. There I had such a bad feeling, I remained in the street. Our psychics were so spooked, they continued on down the street, reluctant or refusing to stop. Jodi explained the site is known to contain a very evil male spirit, and he has attacked people in the past.

This house is one of the very active historic houses in Jefferson. Also known to host a violent past is the Schluter House (below), which saw the murders of carpetbaggers during the reconstruction period after the Civil War.

We also passed another vacant lot, but this one was surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. This lot used to have a house where Diamond Bessie lived. The story of her life and death (murdered by her boyfriend) is fascinating (Google it, you'll see). More interesting is the fact that she is buried underneath six layers of concrete because she was interred wearing her extensive jewelry collection. This site played havoc with our digital cameras, giving us light streams and streaks on many of our pictures. (I didn't have my digital with me, but I saw what the others were taking.)

The worst (or best?) experience was the story of the "man living on the second floor" of the McKay house, which is now a B&B. Paranormal groups have encountered this angry spirit, and they have EVPs of a voice growling, "Go away!".

Jodi assured us that these ghosts are pretty much "stuck" in their locations. Which meant we didn't have to fear taking a ghost with us, or accidentally irking it to the point where one would come after us, following us back home.

Once I returned to my own B&B, I quickly showered and crawled into bed. My laptop computer lay on the writing table near the bed where I'd left it on but closed. It was in 'sleep mode'.

Some time during the night I was awakened by the sound of my laptop powering on. The light of the screen brightening splayed out like a horizontal halo. Even more frightening, I heard the computer tap-tapping, as if someone was using the touch pad. This went on for several minutes while I cowered underneath the covers and prayed for protection. Yep, I did. The tapping sound stopped, but the screen remained lit for I don't know how long. The next morning, I opened the laptop to see my mainscreen, exactly the way I'd left it the day before.

Would I recommend this tour? Most definitely! Jodi Breckenridge is a hoot of a host, a true Jeffersonian, and extremely knowledgable about the local history and haunts. Please feel free to Google for more info.

You can also get some good idea about the ghosts and haunted locations from two books that I own. GHOSTS OF EAST TEXAS AND THE PINEYWOODS by Mitchel Whitington (2005, 23 House Publishing), and A TEXAS GUIDE TO HAUNTED RESTAURANTS, TAVERNS, AND INNS by Robert Wlodarski and Anne Powel Wlodarski (2001, Republic of Texas Press). Both feature a photo of The Grove on their covers.

Ghost Walking in Jefferson, part 2

Jodi proceeded to tell us about several places in Jefferson that were haunted, or about activities there which made people believe they were haunted. Of course, all of this was viewed from the OUTside as we passed by on the street or sidewalk. That is, until we got to the Coffee Shop, which is also a kareoke bar, and located across the street from the Jefferson Hotel.

She took us inside where the proprietor gave us some interesting firsthand information about his encounters. Specifically, what occurred upstairs on the second floor. Immediately thereafter, Jodi led us all upstairs into that area, which was pitch black.

It didn't help that the place had been decorated for Halloween, complete with torture rack, mummified remains, and assorted body parts. It also didn't help that I was definitely uncomfortable - to which Jodi remarked that many of us may be psychically "sensitive" to spirits and may not know it until tonight.

Worse, digital cameras were coming up with some freaky glowing lights in their pictures, which made no sense when the shots being taken were of the ceiling and walls (there was no power upstairs.)

Other stops along the way included several vacant buildings and one shop which I had visited earlier in the day. To hear the story of THE CHAIR over in the corner of the room, then to hear the psychics exclaim that two children were "sitting on the stairs and watching us", while another malevolent male spirit was watching us from the back of the room was enough to spook me. I didn't care that a fourth entity, who was the ghost of a woman who used to work at the store, had vanished into one of the walls and was waiting for us to leave. Once I left that store, the air had a much "cleaner" smell.

We ended the tour at The Grove, which Jodi gives a 60 on her 1 to 10 scale. The Grove has such a rich history of appearances, occurrances, and sightings, that several books have included this home (still with people living in it!) in their listings. You can also Google "the grove Jefferson Texas" and find lots of references to it. In short, Jodi refuses to step foot in the house.

She told us the story of when she brought a basket of goodies to leave on the front porch as a welcoming present. After fixing the basket the way she wanted, she reached for the card she'd placed next to her, only to find the card gone. As she was using the tailgate of her truck as a temporary table, she searched the truck bed for the card, under the truck, and several feet beyond the truck, hoping to find it, without any luck. Finally, she decided just to leave the basket on the porch and call the new tenants later. When she walked to the front door, there on the welcome mat was the card, in its envelope, lying face-up.

Like I said, Jodi swears she'll never set foot on the property again. And I believe her...because as she was telling this story, the EMF detector (the one with the row of lights across the front) began spiking into the red. It was as if the ghosts were confirming her story. Needless to say, the rest of us hurried back into town for the second tour.

To be continued again tomorrow.

The Most Haunted Town in Texas, part 1

I just spent the night in Jefferson, Texas, which bills itself as THE MOST HAUNTED TOWN IN TEXAS. I took both of the ghost walk tours hosted by Jodi Breckenridge, and let me tell you there were times my hair stood up on end.

"If the town has a violent history, and the town itself has changed very little, you can bet it's going to be haunted." Jodi was right. If just half of the stories she conveyed actually happened, it would be enough to make the most jaded skeptic into a believer.

A bit of history here about Jefferson: Its population blossomed to over 30,000 soon after the Civil War. Steamboats wound their way up the Caddo Lake, and the town bustled with saloons, inns, and bordellos. But because the town put its money on the steamboats and not the railroads, the population began to dwindle until now it has around two thousand citizens.

The ghost walk is in two parts. Part one begins at 8 p.m. at the museum and lasts until 9:45-ish. The second half meets at the Jefferson General Store right after the first one ends, and lasts until midnight. Jodi leads you on a brisk walk through downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods which boast a multitude of historical placques.

A self-confessed chicken, Jodi doesn't hesitate to vacate a site if "signs" of activity persist while she's leading the tour. On this particular Friday night, we were graced with the presence of two paranormal investigators (complete with EMF detectors and tape recorders) and two psychics.

Texas Law says that if you own a building or home that's suspected of being haunted, you must reveal that information to any prospective buyers if you try to sell it. But if you own a hotel or B&B, you are not required to tell the tenants or overnight guests.

Which brings us to two of the most famous hotels in Jefferson - The Jefferson Hotel, and the Excelsior Hotel.

If you want to spend the night in one of the haunted rooms at the Jefferson, hotel management will be happy to accomodate you. Ask for Room 19 if you really want a sleepless night. Or Room 14. Or Room 5. On a scale of 1 to 10, Jodi ranks "The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas" at a high 8.

However, she ranked the Excelsior directly across the street at a 20. Not only will the hotel staff there deny it's haunted, but they will not let you know if the room you're given has a history of apparitions, etc. Take your chances there, and chances are you won't have a peaceful sleep.

(to be continued)