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The Mystery of the Cooper Family Falling Body Photo is Solved

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The picture of the Cooper Family with a falling body has gone many rounds within paranormal communities. Many alleged ghost photos will remain a mystery, but perhaps this mystery behind the photo is now solved?

Although the final piece of evidence in this ongoing case with the photograph topping most haunted photographs lists was dropped in 2020, there are still stories about the creepy ghost story behind the picture, and those articles detailing the exposed hoax about it, rarely mentions the final part of it. 

So let’s get into it, who were the Cooper family, what happened in the picture, and who is behind this enduring legend that has been passed around the internet for a long time now? Let’s get into the story behind the picture and the many twists and turns it took along the way. 

The Story of the Cooper Family and the Falling Body

Although the details vary a lot on the different retelling, there is mostly one way to start the Cooper Family Falling Body. Sometime in the 1950s the Cooper family of Texas bought an old house and moved into it. On their first night there, the father took a photo of Mom and Grandma posing with the two kids at the dining room table. Everyone was happy and smiling. They were living the American dream.

But when the photo was developed, they saw, to their horror, that what looked like a body falling or hanging from the ceiling had materialized behind them. It hadn’t been there when the father took the photo. 

The Ghost in the Photo: The photo in question was this and caused a lot of debate over the years. Now, it seems the whole story is out.

So where did this thing come from? Was it an apparition of a deceased former tenant of the house? No one knew. Many theories has since been put forth, like that the house was built on top of a location were many black Americans were lynched and it was a ghost from that for example.

According to some variations of the legend, the little boys had nightmares for years because of this picture. Some versions ended with the family deciding to move out of the house because they couldn’t deal with the spooky haunting that was going on in the house. 

The Truth Behind the Picture

So what really happened? Double exposures were not an uncommon thing in analog photographs before the digital age, but not all pictures garnered so much attention as this one. According to many “experts”, they deemed the picture legit. At least according to the posts without any sources. But the truth ended up being not like how the internet treated it. 

The picture seems to have been passed around on lists like most mysterious photos, or scary ghost pictures since at least 2009 when it was posted on a fan site for the horror writer Thomas Ligotti. As for the story behind the picture, talking about showing the Cooper family from Texas appears to have been invented in 2013.

And what happened to the Cooper family? The fact is, that they weren’t even named Cooper, but Copper and someway along the way of copying and pasting, it was changed. One of the boys in the picture recognized himself when it went viral and he didn’t seem very amused by the picture. 

He said: When my older brother sent me this link I was floored. We are the two boys in the picture. Well we were back in 1959. I have many picture like this one, but not this one. My mother had a habit of throwing away pictures that she didn’t like. Eventually the ones she kept were passed along to me. What annoys me is that somebody got hold of a family photograph. The story is almost entirely fiction. Our last name is Copper, not Cooper. Does anybody know who did this?

In 2015, photographers and others on Metabunk took a deep dive into the picture in the forum Robert Copper sent it to. Is it even a man in the picture? Some have pointed out that when turned around, it looks more like a woman striking a ballet pose, even going as far as identifying the person hanging from the ceiling as It’s the ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn superimposed, upside down over the photograph among other women.

Thinking that this would be the end of it, people put the case to rest for a time. But it wasn’t solved yet.

The Perpetrator Comes Forward

There is a book written about it called “urban legend: the true story of the Cooper family photo.” By Richard Ramsdell. People started to question this publication so close to the Metabunk debate. In 2020 however, in the same thread where Robert Copper came forth as one of the boys in the picture, he now reappeared as Richard Ramsdell, the author of the book as well as and the one behind the photo as well as in the photo. 

He wrote: I want to thank all of you for the many hours of entertainment. I am the younger boy in the photo and I am Richard Ramsdell.

I stumbled across this thread in May of 2015 and was shocked to see an early artwork of mine getting so much attention and speculation. (I was floored by the sheer number of websites that perpetuated the Cooper family story.)

I created this image in 1981, in the darkroom. I once had a website where it and others were displayed. Somebody must have snatched the image and created the Cooper family story. The original “hoax” story is not mine. But it is hilarious!

I am one of the 2 creators of the Bristel Goodman online ARG. We were just trying to make a webseries and stumbled into the ARG world. It was an accidental ARG. After that it seemed obvious to create Robert C. just to mess with you. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. The whole thing was just so crazy. (And yes, I was able to entertain friends for many nights at the pub.)

Very quickly I thought of writing the book. I had just made 2 Apple iBooks, so I had some skills there. (The Amazon books have been converted from the iBooks. I agree, they look like crap in comparison.)

Of course the book is total fiction (mostly), the truth just isn’t as challenging for me. Clearly I’m not a skilled author, but I hoped that the imagery combined with a fun story would help me make a couple of bucks. Thanks to those of you who bought it. It makes me smile to know that a couple of you enjoyed it (dierdre, Ray Von G).

So who is Richard Ramsdell? In addition to being the little boy in the picture, he now claims that he was behind the editing of the ghost in the photo. According to his IMDB he is: Richard G. Ramsdell, an editor, colorist and producer, known for Bristel Goodman (2014), and Speed of Love (2010). Born and raised in upstate NY he has graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Salzburg College and the University of Florida. He is a visual artist of over 30 years, with a number of fellowships, grants and international exhibitions to his name. 

Worth noting that some of the photographs of him have a very artistic use of double exposure. Is the story behind this strange photo finally solved then, or are there still more layers to peel off? A hoax within the hoax as it were.

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References:

Debunked: Cooper/Copper family ghost photo | Metabunk 

The Cooper House Ghost Photograph | Ghosts and Hauntings | Stronghold Nation 

https://www.ligotti.net/photoplog/index.php?s=603c6358a4c4550f05b422dc56cc32f0&n=2112

The Cooper Family Falling Body Photo 

Debunked: Cooper/Copper family ghost photo | Page 4 | Metabunk 

Richard G. Ramsdell – Biography – IMDb

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San Fernando Cathedral and the Ghosts Haunting it

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The oldest church in San Antonio, Texas is said to be haunted by the spirits of those entombed in it. The San Fernando Cathedral holds many legends and myths, and some of them might be of the paranormal sorts.

Inside of the San Fernando Cathedral, located in the heart of San Antonio, Texas a group of people is renovating the Gothic revival church. When working away, they come across bones entombed inside of the building. The work disturbs the bones’ peace and awakens their spirits. Today, they are still said to haunt the place. 

The church stands as a testament to the city’s rich history and cultural heritage, predating the United State as a nation even. Established in 1738 by a group of 15 families from the Canary Islands, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating religious community in Texas. The cathedral’s Gothic Revival architecture, with its imposing spires and intricate stained-glass windows, has long been a focal point for both worshippers and tourists. It even got a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1987. 

Read More: Check all ghost stories from the USA

In addition to worshippers, there is also a trail of ghost pilgrims that have started to seek out the ghosts that are said to haunt the church. 

The History of San Fernando Cathedral

The 56 Canary Islanders came to the New World in 1731 wanting a new life with land and the Spanish title of hidalgo. But they had been lied to, the King of Spain only wanted to send some countrymen to the territories before the French came and claimed it instead. 

They had to start from scratch as there was nothing there. That is when they started to build the Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria and Guadalupe and named after Spain’s Ferdinand III of Castille. For this reason the interior is an image of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Churches

Perhaps they thought it would keep them safe from the Lipan Apache, who declared war on the Spaniards that had arrived on their land, even before the Canary Island settlers arrived. 

Throughout its existence, San Fernando Cathedral has witnessed numerous historical events, including the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. 

Remember the Alamo!: The Battle of the Alamo, fought from February 23 to March 6, 1836, was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. A group of Texian defenders, including notable figures like James Bowie and Davy Crockett, fortified the Alamo Mission against Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Despite a fierce 13-day siege, the Mexican army ultimately overran the Alamo, resulting in the deaths of almost all Texian defenders. This battle became a symbol of resistance and sacrifice, galvanizing Texians to continue fighting for independence, which they ultimately achieved later that year.

Legend has it that Mexican General Santa Anna raised a flag of “no quarter” from the cathedral’s tower, signaling the commencement of the siege. A sign meaning that there would be no prisoners taken and all would die. Today it is considered a war crime. It is said that the Texans only answered by shooting their cannons. 

Over the centuries, the cathedral has undergone various renovations and expansions, each adding layers to its storied past.

Unearthed Secrets Within the Church Walls

Back to the story of unearthing the bones said to haunt the church. In 1936, during a significant renovation project, construction workers made a chilling discovery near the cathedral’s altar: bones, nails, and fragments of military uniforms. Many believe these remains belonged to soldiers from the Battle of the Alamo, interred hastily during the tumultuous period. Perhaps it was Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie?

If this burial by Colonel Juan Seguin really happened or not is uncertain. There were no survivors of the battle, and the defenders of Alamo were said to not have been given a proper burial by General Santa Ana and simply burned on pyres or tossed in the river. 

This is what has been said was the catalyst for the haunting that has been talked about ever since. But was it only the unearthed bones now haunting the church, or something else that was awakened?

Ghost Stories From the Cathedral

San Fernando Cathedral is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States. Dark silhouettes have been observed moving silently along the cathedral’s interior, often vanishing when approached. 

San Fernando Cathedral: Although a wonderful thing to look at without the light shows, the lights help chase the shadows away. Source: Wikimedia

Some individuals have reported sudden drops in temperature, the faint scent of incense when none is burning, or even the strong smell of rotten eggs. There are also those speaking of the distant echo of disembodied voices during quiet moments.

Orbs in Photographs

Photographs taken inside the cathedral sometimes reveal unexplained orbs of light, which some interpret as manifestations of spiritual energy. 

A history from 2007 is put forth to showcase this phenomenon, when a tour-goer went on Halloween and got a picture of a shadowy figure, some say, a face kissing a skull. The church was going through renovations at the time, and according to rumors, the workers inside felt a chill and saw three balls of light hover at the entrance.

Although one of the most retold stories, not many sources provide picture evidence though. 

Haunting Legends of the White Horse

Visitors and parishioners have reported a variety of unexplained phenomena, even a white stallion prancing about outside. 

When the Apache tribe tried for peace in the 1730s, they dug a hole in the ground and buried their hatchets, quite literally, as well as their arrows and clubs as a sign of a peace offering. They also buried a white horse, still alive. Horses were significant to their culture after the Europeans brought them over, and the white color symbolized peace. They danced around the hole in the ground and enjoyed their peace, even if it was only for a short time. 

The Ghost of the Monk Haunting the Church

Witnesses have described encounters with spectral figures clad in monk-like robes, silently traversing the aisles with his hood drawn over his face. This is the ghost most reported seeing and it is said to mostly appear in the back of the church and appears as quickly as he vanishes.

The tradition of burying priests and parishioners was common back in the day, and it’s not a stretch to speculate that a monk is one of the people buried within the foundations of the church. Perhaps he was worshipping in the church, or perhaps helped build it even. 

Read Also: The Murder Monk in Franziskaner-Klosterkirche, The Chanting Monks Haunting La Boquería Market, The Ghost Monks at Lyseklosteret and Ghost of the Cathedral — The Bloody Monk in Nidarosdomen for more ghost stories about monks.

One of the strange rumors from demonologists though, is that this is not a monk at all, but a dark spirit acting like one, and say that whatever you do, you should never follow the figure. 

Interior of the Church: San Fernando Cathedral is still a place of worship, even though it has been commercialized through tours, ghost tours being one of those. Perhaps you will see the ghostly monk said to roam there?

The Shadows of a Man

Additionally, the apparition of a man dressed in black has been reported near the back of the church. The story tells of a guest on one of the ghost tours listening to the guide in the church. She felt the stares and when she looked, she saw a man in dark clothes from another time, lurking just behind them, following the tour. In the end, he simply disappeared into thin air. 

A true story, or a good marketing strategy from the many ghost tours moving through the church? We will never really know. But according to the legend, this particular shadow of a man has been witnessed by more than one tour-goer, some sources claim six people saw the same..

A Living Monument

Despite its haunted reputation, San Fernando Cathedral remains a vibrant center of faith and community. It hosts regular masses, including the renowned Mariachi Mass on Sundays, blending traditional liturgy with lively musical accompaniment. 

Whether one is drawn to its architectural grandeur, its pivotal role in Texas history, or the haunting legends that envelop it, the cathedral offers a profound and captivating experience for all who cross its threshold.

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References:

I visited San Antonio’s San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest church in Texas, to meet a ghost

San Antonio Ghost Tours: Ghosts of the San Fernando Cathedral 

https://ghostcitytours.com/san-antonio/haunted-places/san-fernando-cathedral/?srsltid=AfmBOopBMMu5pnCRx1I7LpwM-mXSfH-D9goA5sfrvEyjEjTlFhSXjUZZ

San Fernando Cathedral: A History Of Shadows

Inside The Cathedral Said To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places In Texas – Grunge 

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Uncovering the Ghostly Legends of The Driskill Hotel in Austin

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The ghost stories about the cigar smoking cowboy, the two suicide brides as well as the playful ghost of a little girl has haunted the pristine rumor of The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas. But how much of the stories are true, and how many ghosts are still checked into the hotel?

Downtown in Austin, Texas, stands a grand hotel with a dark and mysterious past. The Driskill Hotel, built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill has been a staple of the city’s skyline for over a century and is the oldest operating hotel in the city. But behind its impressive architecture and luxurious amenities lies a darker side. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

Over the years, the Driskill has gained a reputation as one of the most haunted hotels in the country, with countless ghostly sightings and eerie occurrences reported by guests and staff alike. From the ghost of a young girl who fell to her death down the hotel’s grand staircase to the spirit of a cowboy who met his untimely demise in one of the guest rooms, Driskill’s history is steeped in supernatural lore. 

History of The Driskill Hotel

The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 by Jesse Driskill, a wealthy cattle baron who wanted to create a luxurious hotel that would be the jewel of Austin’s social scene. The hotel was designed by Jasper N. Preston, one of the most prominent architects of the time, and its grand exterior and opulent interior made it an instant icon after its grand opening close to Christmas that year. The Driskill quickly became the center of Austin’s social and political life, hosting events and galas that drew the city’s elite.

Read More: Check out all haunted hotels around the world

But the hotel’s fortunes took a turn when Jesse Driskill lost his fortune in a high-stakes poker game. He was forced to sell the hotel, and it changed hands several times over the years. By the 1920s, the Driskill had fallen into disrepair and was in danger of being demolished. That’s when a group of Austin citizens banded together to save the hotel and restore it to its former glory.

Driskill Hotel: The lobby of the Driskoll Hotel in Austin Texas, a portrait of the founder by the stairs believed to still haunt the hotel. // Source: Kenneth C. Zirkel/Wikimedia

Today, The Driskill Hotel is a beloved landmark in Austin, known for its rich history and luxurious amenities. But the hotel’s past is not all glamour and elegance – it’s also steeped in ghostly legends and spooky stories.

Ghostly legends of The Driskill Hotel

The Driskill Hotel is no stranger to supernatural activity. Over the years, countless guests and staff members have reported eerie encounters and ghostly sightings. Disembodied voices, apparitions, strange noises, mysterious leaks and cold sensations are only some of the rumors people staying and working at the Driskill have experienced. 

The Haunted Song: “Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man” is a song from rock band Concrete Blonde, from 1992. Napolitano was inspired to write “Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man” after a supernatural experience she had during an overnight stay at the Driskill Hotel, in March 1991, on tour as the opening act for Sting: “There’s this horny ghost there that goes for women. ‘I wanna see you naked,’ that was the vibe. The minute I took my clothes off, I felt like there was someone watching me. He kept turning the lights on and off in my room. I finally unplugged all the lamps. Then he turned on the light in the closet and really slowly opened the closet door, just like a hand was opening it. The light in the closet shined out into the room onto the bed. Then I knew for sure he was there. I just said, ‘I know you’re here, but I know that you’re not going to hurt me, so I’m going to go to sleep now.’ I just got this feeling of amusement, like he was playing. He was just like a rascal. It was like a game. I guess I’m lucky he was in a good mood.”

The amount of information that has been passed down through the years have created many different variations and at times conflicting ghost stories. Here are just a few of the most chilling legends associated with the hotel.

The Ghost of Colonel Driskill

Jesse Driskill, the hotel’s founder, is said to haunt the halls of the Driskill to this day. Right after the hotel opened, he fell under financial stress as he had spent it all on alcohol, women and gambling as well as hotels. Besides the harsh winter and drought the following year after opening killed his cattle. Because of this, he had to give the Driskill up almost as soon as it opened and sold it to his brother in law. He had lost his fortune and built it up again many times, but this time, he wouldn’t recover financially. He died in May, 1890 of a stroke.

Legend has it that his restless spirit wanders the hotel, checking on the guests and staff and making sure everything is running smoothly. Some guests have reported hearing footsteps and the sound of a cane tapping on the floor, as if Colonel Driskill himself is still in residence.  Driskill’s portrait hangs in the hotel’s grand lobby and some claim that this is the man they interacted with. 

It is especially the room that was his favorite, overlooking 6th Street & Brazos that is haunted according to the stories. He has been seen by visitors, smoking a cigar as he looks out the window. 

The smell of cigar is most connected with his haunting, the smell lingering in the lobby he used to greet guests. Security guards also claim to have heard his voice, asking for a match behind them, although nothing was there except the smell. 

The Suicide Brides of The Driskill

Some of the more well known ghost stories from the Driskill are about the brides supposedly haunting it. The staff have reported about a woman crying on the floor when it is empty. Even the singer Annie Lennox claimed that one of the ghost brides had helped her choose a dress when she put two on the bed before taking a shower. When she came back, one of them was back in the closet. 

Some say that perhaps in the 1950s, a bride stayed in room 525 when the fiance called the wedding off the day before. According to the lore, she hanged herself in the room. 

The same thing happened several years later in the same room twenty years later on the same day. Or was it really the same room? Was it even a suicide the first time? Some claim that both brides killed themselves in room 525, but one of the stories is also said to have taken part in Room 329, and at least one source claiming it was in room 427 or 29.

One story goes like this: A bride checked into her room in the early 1990s. Or was it in the early 1980s? 1989 as some claim it was? This was by the way during a time when room 525 was shut off before it reopened for guests in 1998. 

According to the legend, she was a socialite who had just been left by her fiance. She booked a five day stay at the Driskill. She had one final day where she went shopping for around 10 to 40k the second day she stayed there, all on her fiance’s credit card. 

On her third day, she put up a “do not disturb” sign on her door. She lined up all of her new stuff by her bed before shooting herself in the head with a pillow muffling the sound. Some say they found her in the bathtub after they broke into the room after they suspected something was wrong. 

The True Story of the Ghost Brides

How true this story is, is uncertain. There are many dates, room numbers and little detailing of the incidents, especially the first. According to the Austin Ghost Tour, this version was written by an employee in India for a company in New York that has never been to Austin. So what is the true story then?

Police reports talk about Tara, and she was not a socialite. She was said to have bought alcohol, cigarettes and a people magazine, instead of shopping goods. It is said that she would have died of alcohol poisoning if she hadn’t shot herself. 

According to guests staying there, they claim to sometimes see the ghost of the woman dragging her many bags from her shopping day up and down in the halls of the hotel. There is also said to be a ghostly wailing coming from the rooms the brides died in. 

The Child Ghost Playing at the The Driskill Hotel

On the fifth floor of the hotel is a mysterious portrait that is said to have caused supernatural occurrences. The portrait is unnamed, but based on a painting by Charles Trevor Garland (1855-1906) known as “Love Letter” by or for a Richard King. 

It depicts a little girl with flowers in one hand and a letter in the other. Some claim it is haunted by the four year old daughter named Samantha Houson, of the US Senator Temple Lea Houston, who died in a horrible accident at the hotel. 

The girl often called Samantha was playing in the Grand Staircase of the Mezzanine in 1887. This is before the painting was created though, or perhaps around this time. That May the hotel also closed its doors, so it had to have been before this.

Driskill hosted a function that year for a Legislative Session that year. US Senator Temple Lea Houston had seven children. Only four of their children survived childhood and one of them who didn’t was said to have been Samantha. The Senator had given his daughter a ball to play with. Skipping in the staircase she reached for her ball to bounce, but she fell and died of a broken neck. 

People claim to have heard the sound of the ball bouncing from the walls as well as hearing the giggles of a little child. Guests have reported seeing apparitions of children playing in the hallways. When children come back from playing, they often claim to have played with a little girl called Samantha. 

It is especially heard around the stairs, but as mentioned, the portrait on the fifth floor is also said to have strange things like dizziness and strange sensations around it that people often claim is connected to the girl. It is said that the painted girl looks eerily similar to Samantha. Perhaps the wildest story is how the girl’s expression in the painting seems to change when looking away. 

The Presidential Ghost

One of the more famous ghosts said to haunt the hotel is Lady Bird and Lyndon B. Johnson, often referred to as LBJ. The couple first met in the Driskill Dining room in 1934 and returned every year for special occasions. It is said that the hotel was Lyndon B. Johnson’s favorite place in the city. It was even here he waited for the results of his 1948’s Senate run, his 1960’s Vice President run and in the presidential election in 1964. 

Read Also: The Ghost Within The White House

According to those visiting the ballroom, they sometimes claim to see the late president with his wife in the mirrors as they pass by.

The Ghost of a Mrs. Bridge Minding the Front Desk

One of the former employees of the hotel said to haunt it, is Mrs. Bridge. She worked at the hotel for many years in the early 1900s and it is said she is sometimes still working. At night, people claim to have seen a woman in a Victorian dress, fussing over flower arrangements in the lobby. It is said that her apparitions are often accompanied by the smell of roses as she loved flowers when she was alive. She has also been seen walking from the vault to the lobby where the old front desk used to be. 

The Ghost of Peter Lawless

One of the ghosts haunting the hotel is said to have a more poltergeist presence than the other. Peter Lawless worked as a ticket agent for the Great Northern Railroad in the early 20th century. Peter Lawless was born July 23, 1851 and died in Austin on June 29, 1931. After his wife passed, he moved into the Driskill. 

From 1886 to 1916, he lived and worked from the fifth floor where he set up shop. Years it is said he lived there vary. Ever since his death people claim to have seen Lawless coming out from the elevators, looking at the time and his railroad watch and greeting the staff at the front desk before vanishing into thin air. 

Housekeeping claims he is watching them as they are cleaning and there have even been those claiming to have seen him stepping in front of a bus outside the hotel. His ghost is said to have dark hair and pants with a white shirt and a pocket watch.

The Royal Haunting in the Mirrors

The Driskill Hotel is also said to be the place of a certain royal haunting.This haunting legend tied to Empress Carlotta of Mexico. She was born Charlotte and was a princess of Belgium. In the 1850s, Carlotta and her husband, Emperor Maximilian, ruled Mexico, seen as a puppet regime, but their reign ended in tragedy when Maximilian was executed, and Carlotta descended into madness. Heartbroken she survived with the support from European courts, suffering paranoid delusions.

The Ghost of an Empress: Empress Charlotte in mourning clothes. Photography by Eugène Disdéri, 1867.

After their fall, eight ornate gold-framed mirrors, originally meant as a belated wedding gift for Carlotta, made their way to the Driskill in 1930. It is not known if Empress Carlotta knew about the wedding gift at all, but some say that she is now haunting the mirrors. Adorned with a color palette of gold and white, the Maximilian Room features unique accents such as eight lavish gold leaf mirrors, originally discovered in the 1930s. This charming space has since been converted into an area for premium dining events, with 1,500 square feet of space and room for 20 to 150 attendees.

Since their installation in the hotel’s “Maximilian Room,” guests and staff have reported eerie experiences, including sightings of Carlotta’s ghost. One photographer claimed to see a woman in a white gown appear in the mirrors but vanish when he turned around, leaving only her reflection. Many believe Carlotta’s spirit haunts the mirrors, watching over the last remnants of her lost empire.

Why did the Hotel Become Haunted?

The Driskill has had many faiths coming through its doors throughout the years, but could it be another reason for it being haunted? Something older perhaps? One of the many reasons the hotel was built on this exact spot was because of the artesian water right by it. Driskoll thought that this would supply the hotel with water for years to come. 

This artisan water used to be hollow ground for the native Americans though. Both the Apache, Tonkawas as well as the Comanche used to believe that the water from the spring had the power to hold spirits. Many believe this is the foundation that started the haunting. 

Many paranormal investigators have spent numerous nights in the hotel in search of ghosts. Could the hotel really be haunted? Could it be that the ghost of Driskill is still smoking in the lobby, or could it actually be from the tobacco shop that used to be in the lobby still lingering? Could there be something lurking within the mirrors and paintings as well as the rooms not of this world?

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References:

Featured Image: Spawnzilla/ Wikimedia

The Haunted Driskill Hotel – Austin Ghosts

The Haunted Driskill Hotel | Austin’s Haunted Hotel

Who is Haunting the Driskill Hotel? – Austin Ghost Tours

Is this Painting in the Driskill Hotel Haunted by a Little Girl’s Ghost?

The Haunted Driskill Hotel – Austin Ghost Tours 

The Haunted Driskill Hotel — Eerie Lights 

‘I talk to ghosts and they’re my friends – what it’s like working in a haunted hotel’ – Mirror Online

Room With A Boo: Haunted Hotels in Texas

Haunted Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas

Driskill hotel in Austin Tx… Suicide Bride from Houston?

Driskill Hotel

9 Allegedly Haunted Paintings — And The Disturbing True Stories Behind Them

The Love Letter’s Replica Painting Inside The Driskill Hotel

Home of “The Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man” | bumpinthenightblog

Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man – Wikipedia 

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The Haunted Aldridge Sawmill Ghost Town in Angelina National Forest

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The now deserted ghost town deep inside of the Angelina National Forest in Texas was once a prosperous lumber town. Today the only residents of the Aldridge Sawmill ghost town said to remain are the ghosts of those that ended their life in one of the many freak accidents.

The Angelina National Forest in Texas harbors more than the tranquil beauty of nature of pine and loblolly trees. In the midst of the forest, it houses a haunting history that whispers through the rustling leaves and echoes within the remnants of a once-thriving sawmill town that reminds of Texas’ once thriving timber industry. 

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from USA

Now you can find the graffiti covered ghost town of it deep in the Angelina National Forest in Jasper country, not too far from the Neches River. According to local legends, it said that some of the people living there never really left. 

A Sawmill Town’s Demise of Aldridge Sawmill

In the early 1900s, Angelina National Forest thrived as a sawmill town, bustling with over 1,000 residents around Aldridge Sawmill. At the height it had its own post office, shop, hotel, school, saloons as well as its own train station. 

However, this prosperity was marred by calamities and according to history, the community was often an unhappy one. In 1911 the original mill was destroyed by fire, most likely arson by unhappy workers as it was a dangerous job, often with little pay. It was rebuilt but the mill was once again destroyed in a fire in 1914 and 15. The mill shut down in the early 1920s and people started to leave this once prosperous town.

Left in the aftermath was a silent and eerie ghost town, as residents fled the specter of disaster, abandoning homes and dreams in the process. The last one of the townspeople left in the mid 1920s and only some of the structures of the town can be seen today. Even the rail tracks were torn apart, and today, the only way to the ghost town is by hiking through the forest. 

Echoes of a Tragic Past in Angelina National Forest

Even though no one lives there anymore, hikers and campers claim to have seen and heard something move around the old mill community and local legends and ghost stories have emerged in the century after the town was abandoned to be consumed by the Angelina National Forest

Read More: Check of all stories from Haunted Forests

Hikers threading the forest paths claim to hear the disembodied dying screams of a young woman—a former resident who met an untimely end in a freak accident while visiting her boyfriend at the ill-fated sawmill. 

The story of the woman’s tragic demise at the dilapidated mill has been a source of chilling fascination for those familiar with the local lore. According to the haunting tale, the woman met her untimely end after getting too close to the saw and becoming entangled in its merciless blades, resulting in a painfully grotesque fate. It is said that her spectral presence now wanders the crumbling confines of the old mill, serving as a haunting reminder of the calamity that befell the once-thriving community. The harrowing legend of her demise has woven itself into the fabric of local folklore, perpetuating the eerie mystique of the abandoned mill and captivating the imagination of those drawn to tales of the supernatural.

Ghosts Among the Trees

The abandoned ghost town around Aldridge Sawmill stands desolate in the Angelina National Forest, the century old structure covered by graffiti and trashed by hikers. It’s not supposed to be anyone there, but if you by chance hear someone scream in the night, it is someone that is not supposed to be there at all. As the moon rises in the darkened sky, casting an eerie glow over the dilapidated buildings, the echoes of the past seem to linger in the air.

The whispers of the trees and the creaking of the old wooden beams create an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue, as if the spirits of the ghost town were still lingering among the ruins. Visitors recount tales of strange sightings and unexplained phenomena, adding to the mystique and allure of this forgotten place. The history of Aldridge Sawmill and the surrounding ghost town is shrouded in enigma, drawing in those who seek to uncover its secrets, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the otherworldly presence said to inhabit the desolate remains.

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References:

A Sawmill Ghost Town Aldridge, Texas 

East Texas Throwback: Ruins of Aldridge sawmill town hidden away in Angelina National Forest

SOUTHEAST TEXAS TALES: Crumbling walls all that’s left of Jasper County sawmill  

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The Texan Hauntings of Cameron Park

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Within the hardest of Waco Texas legends, lies some of the softest ghost stories – like with the stories of Cameron Park in Texas, where some of the most famed stories are about the mysterious Witch’es castle to the tragic lovers quarrel. 

Deep within the heart of Waco, Texas lies a realm cloaked in mystery and shadows—Cameron Park, of downtown Waco Texas. While the park is celebrated for its natural beauty, beneath the towering trees and winding trails, a tapestry of ghostly tales and paranormal encounters unravels. 

The stories from Waco, Texas also hold darkness in them. From the treacherous Jacob’s Ladder to the enigmatic ruins known as the Witch’s Castle, Cameron Park beckons the curious and the brave to explore its haunted corners.

Jacob’s Ladder: A Staircase to the Unknown

Cameron Park harbors more than just scenic landscapes; it cradles a notorious paranormal hot spot known as Jacob’s Ladder that has been going its round at least since the 1980s close to the Redwood Shelter in the Cameron Park called “Grabby”. 

So what is Jacob’s Ladder, really? This treacherous staircase of 88 steps inside of the Park is said to be haunted by a “grabbing ghost” whose spectral hands reach out to climbers, tugging at their clothes in an eerie attempt to pull them down. The stairs in the park have been recorded as early as the 1910s. 

Read More: Check of all stories from Haunted Forests

Apparently the ghost was taken by something when the spirit was a man that murdered dozens of pregnant women that he threw out into the Brazos river in Waco, Texas. 

Jacob’s Ladder: Source/Flickr

Daredevils who ascend Jacob’s Ladder find themselves teetering on the edge of both the physical and supernatural, as the ghostly presence lingers, a phantom warning of the perils that lie beyond the veil.

Lovers’ Leap in Cameron Park

In Cameron Park you will also come across the Waco legend of the Lovers’ Leap. It tells the story about a Native American princess of the Wah-Wah-Tee that fell in love with an Apache man. The earliest documentation of this story is around 1912, but who really knows how old this story is. Their tribes did not approve of their relationship, as they were opposing tribes, but the two lovers decided to be together no matter what. 

As they held around each other, they threw themselves off the cliff and fell into the river below the, This is how it earned its name, and how it remembering it intends to keep it. 

Lovers Leap: Source/Flickr

It is said that if you visit the Lovers’ Leap around the Full Moon when the river is full, you can see two ghostly figures dance right above the shallow water. Even though the historical remarks of history are taken into account, no one can deny its effect on its visitors and the views of the Brazos River below.. 

The Witch’s Castle: Echoes of Accusations:

As the moon casts its ethereal glow upon Cameron Park, stories emerge of ghostly pursuits by the Witch’s Castle. Visitors speak of eerie encounters with the alleged witch, her spectral form chasing down the unsuspecting through the winding trails. The chilling presence in the night air leaves an indelible mark on those who venture into the moonlit embrace of Cameron Park, where the line between the living and the spectral blurs.

Within the depths of Cameron Park, a dilapidated structure known as the Witch’s Castle stands as a testament to a darker chapter in Waco’s history, sometimes known as the Witch’s House. It is probably the most well known story in Waco and has a few variations and is recognized as the terrible smell of something terrible, like a pile of dead bodies is smelled coming up the proximity of the old house. Some say it is a true story of a woman being a nanny in the Victorian times, chasing vagrants off the property. Some say the spirit of a woman is still lingering.

Legend whispers of a woman accused of witchcraft in the late 1800s or early 1900s, residing within the now-crumbling walls grief stricken and wailing wandering around the woods of the park. Blamed for the mysterious disappearances in the surrounding woods, a vengeful mob gathered and set her home ablaze, condemning her to a fiery fate and she died at the hands of the mob. 

Today, the ruins echo with the spectral cries of the accused, and some claim to catch glimpses of the witch’s figure wandering through the park, a silent sentinel of the past. She allegedly kidnapped people that got stranded within the park. 

The other legend associated with it is about a boy and a woman. The boy kept inviting all of his friends over to the house, and everytime he did, one of his friends would go missing. Allegedly, the boy murdered his friends and hid them in the park. After a while people took notice, although they blamed the mother and the woman, because they suspected she was a witch. 

According to the stories, they eventually burned down the house of the mother, although the son was never found. whether he was a homicidal murderer or a young boy and a World War I Soldier was never clear. 

But does the Witch’s castle really exist though? It is a framework of a sort of house in the park, but if it really was one, we will not know. It burned down in 1961 close to the park and people generally accept it as the location, even if it looks nothing like a castle. The address was 3613 Greenwood Drive in Cameron Park, but if it really was haunted, there is little to no evidence of it. 

A Night at Cameron Park

As night descends upon Cameron Park, the shadows lengthen, and the mysteries within its confines awaken. The treacherous steps of Jacob’s Ladder, the crumbling remnants of the Witch’s Castle, and the whispers among the trees converge to create an atmosphere that transcends the ordinary.

In Waco’s Cameron Park, the past intertwines with the present, beckoning the daring to explore the haunted enigma that lurks within its moonlit embrace—a place where the boundary between the corporeal and the spectral is blurred, and the stories of the accused linger like echoes in the night.

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References:

Weirdly Waco | Wacoan 

Specters and spirits swirl through the lore of Central Texas

The Hauntings – Ghost stories from Waco | The Baylor Lariat

The Truth Behind the Witch’s Castle Found in Central Texas

 Cameron Park – Jacob’s Ladder | Haunted Places | Waco, TX 

Waco’s Haunted Heritage (Pt. 4) 

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The Anson Lights Highway Ghost

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In the quiet Texan town of Anson, a local legend has taken form after small lights no one could explain appeared. Is it the lantern of a ghost or is the Anson lights simply the lights from the cars on the highway?

There is something about the highway, especially along those monotone dusty roads that goes on for hours. The highway can make the mind wander, it takes you down a road, not only geographically, but something happens with the mind as well on long stretches of nothingness. Time passes differently when you are behind the wheel. Perhaps that is what happens along the highway in Anson? Where does the ghostly lights come from then?

Near Abilene, Texas is the quaint town of Anson, that may or may not have been the inspiration for the movie Footloose as they too had an actual no dancing law in the 80s. And although living in that movie sounds cool, living in the real town before Kevin Bacon, does not.

The Anson Lights: According to the local legend, If you drive by the cemetery and flick your light, supposedly the Anson lights will flick back. Is it a ghost? Is the strange light phenomenon because it’s a haunted place? Photo: Paul Cameron on Pexels.com

The landscape around this ghost town by the highway is flat and dusty. Nothing in the horizon except blue sky, red if the dust swirls in the air. The few growing things there is sparse, revealing everything in a spartanic landscape.

Read Also: Check out all of our ghost stories from USA

They don’t really like the fuzz down there, and they certainly don’t like the fuzz the legend the highway ghost had provided them with. “For a long time people were embarrassed by the Anson light,” then mayor (2000) Tom Isbell said in a great article in the Texas Monthly. “Anson has stories to tell, but for some reason we just don’t tell them.”

And for the time being, the town of Anson, is known for the Anson lights.

Where to See the Anson Lights?

The Anson lights have attracted many curious spectators, paranormal investigators and mediums to this town. But perhaps mostly, it is high school students with nothing to do in this no dance town on a Saturday evening. It can be a pretty scary sight in the dead of night, with only nearby coyotes howling and screaming.

Read also: Check out The Palatine Light and the Ghost Ship Behind it for another ghost story behind a strange light phenomenon.

To see the Anson lights, you must drive by the local cemetery, Mount Hope, just outside of the town. Then you follow a dirt road along the graveyard until you reach a crossroad. There you turn, facing the road again and stop your car and flash your lights at the end of the road. If you are lucky, you will see them, something will shine a light back. From the other side at an distance a flickering light can be seen.

The Lantern of a Grieving Mother

But what really is the Anson lights? Surely they are there as numerous Youtube videos and pictures have showed us them, so we do know the phenomenon is a real one, but is it a paranormal one as well? One of the most appealing explanation is of course the supernatural ones. Because a ghost town has its ghost stories as well.

The Haunted Lantern: Many of the ghost stories claim that the Anson Lights are actually the light of a ghost carrying a lantern.

One of the local legend behind the strange lights is the story of a grieving mother looking for her son on winter night. According to the story the mother went out looking for her son with a small lantern in her hand. It was a cold night in the snowy Texas winter and the wind was howling, the night grew darker. She never found him. Or… she hasn’t found him, yet.

It is said that even after her death, she kept on looking for her long lost son who disappeared that one cold fateful night.

This is what is told in The Big Book of Texas Ghost Stories by Alan Brown and in this book there is more than one legend of just who is flickering the lights back by the graveyard.

Read Also: Check out all of our stories about Haunted Cemeteries

In another version of the legend, the mother told her two sons to run to the store to pick up a few things. The mother gave them a lantern that they would flash three times with, if they got into trouble. And they did.

According to this story, the two little boys were killed by an oncoming train on their way home. They are now roaming the nearby area as ghosts, still flashing their light, trying to signal their mother for help.

Debunking the Legend of the Haunted Anson Lights

Who is to say that this ghost story didn’t happen? Perhaps no historic records in any case that we have found. And with every unconfirmed record, there is this voice saying, well… doesn’t really prove it didn’t happen though. What is proven though, is that there is a more logical than paranormal explanation to it.

At Abilene Christian University, a professor brought along his students to prove that the lights were actually coming from traffic lights from a nearby highway than from a ghostly mother with a lantern. With GPS trackers and binoculars, his students were able to document that the light were just lights from cars going south on a nearby road. A thing the Southwestern Ghost Hunters Association had already claimed a long time ago as they didn’t find anything paranormal about the Anson lights either.

Read Also: Another ghost story that got debunked was the hauntings in The Haunted H House

So, everyone happy then? Perhaps not the kids of Anson. The professor issued an apology for the reveal and to the locals of the town felt this was the story they could have fun with. What now? What now for fun?

The Anson lights is the approaching car lights from southbound traffic on US-277. Perhaps that is the true haunting, the cars going away. As the little town of Anson is closing up, boarding up their shops and the cars are streaming passed our out of the town, perhaps that is the true ghost of Anson.

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