Haunted History: A guide to the most haunted places in East Texas

TEXARKANA, Texas ( KTAL/KSHV ) – This spooky season, join us as we delve into the chilling ghost stories that have permeated the history of East Texas. Ghostly sightings and eerie tales of inexplicable encounters have transformed into enduring urban legends around the world.

In East Texas, various cities harbor their own share of ghost stories, with origins tracing back before the Civil War era. Here are some of the region’s renowned historical sites, cemeteries, and buildings with a haunted past.

The Historic Jefferson Hotel: The More the Merrier

Sometimes called the most haunted hotel in Texas, the Jefferson Hotel is a horror icon in its own right. Originally built as a cotton warehouse in 1851, it became a roaring nightspot and speakeasy named “The Crystal Palace.”

Paranormal experiences at the hotel are not just passed through word of mouth. Guests are encouraged to write their encounters in the hotel’s “Book of the Dead.” The hotel boasts ghostly activity reported in every room, although some have witnessed more than others.

A boy and girl who died in the cotton warehouse are said to roam the halls, laughing and playing. Watch out, though; they’re also reported to prank the guests. Tales say a man often appears in the night and vanishes into a closed door. However, Room 19 is famous for being the most active. The story says a teen girl was killed in the bathtub when the building was still a brothel. Some say she appears in the shower steam and writes warnings or pleas for help in the mirror.

The Excelsior House Hotel: Poltergeist Central

More than just a haunted hotel, the Excelsior is rumored to have inspired the filmmaker Steven Spielberg to create a horror movie classic. The Excelsior is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Texas and has been host to famous guests including Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, Lady Bird Johnson, and former President Rutherford B. Hayes.

Some guests, locals believe, decided to stay. A ghostly figure of a woman in white is said to float down the hallways. The spirit is believed to the the ghost of a brokenhearted woman named Emily, who took her own life in the hotel when her fiance broke off their engagement. Many strange phenomenon have occured in the hotel, but the most famous involves Spielberg.

In 1973 Spielberg was reportedly scouting locations for his film “The Sugarland Express” and checked into the Jay Gould room at the Excelsior. The story says he tossed his briefcase onto a chair, but it flew right back at him. Early in the morning the ghost of a small boy reportedly woke the director up and asked if he was ready for breakfast. Spielberg immediately checked out of the hotel. He later wrote and produced the film “ Poltergeist ,” which locals believe was inspired by his experience at the hotel.

The Grove: Home is Where the Haints Are

This historic Victorian home, built in 1861, is known as one of the most haunted houses in Texas. The Grove boasts numerous ghostly sightings and experiences throughout its existence.

The first reported sighting happened when T.C. Burke bought The Grove in 1882. His family moved in and then right back out, stating they “couldn’t live in that house!” When Miss Louise Young initially moved into the house in the early 1900s, she often told her friends about the “haints,” a Creole word for spirits or ghosts, that lived there. Towards the end of her life she became terrified, installing a porch light and insisting there were people outside that disappeared when she turned on the light.

When the Grove family owned the property, Mrs. Grove reported seeing a black swirling mass in the bedroom, unexplained voices, disembodied footsteps, objects moving on their own, and ghosts. Former owner Patrick Hopkins, who opened the restaurant, claimed to have seen a woman dressed in white walking down the hallway. Numerous others have witnessed the lady in white at one time or another and many other strange experiences.

Stagecoach Road: Tales of the Old West

Stagecoach Rd. dates back to before the Civil War. Established in 1850, the Marshall-Shreveport Stagecoach line stretched from Shreveport, La. to Marshall, Texas, and served as the primary means of transportation between them. The historic section of the road stretches from E. Popular St. in Marshall to near Hwy. 43 in Karnack.

The old dirt road is lined with oak trees, and the roadbed has been trampled down as much as 12 ft. in some places. It regularly draws ghost hunters to investigate the paranormal sightings reported in the area.

One tale is that the ghost of a woman and two children can be seen along the trail. Some say the road is haunted by the victims of stagecoach passengers attacked by bandits. Locals say that bandits were reportedly hung from the trees as a warning to others, and some travelers have reported that a “hanged man” bumped the top of their car under the tree where he died.

Texas & Pacific Railway Hospital: Deadly Diagnosis

A long abandoned building once stood at 1602 W. Grand Ave. in Marshall, Texas. The Texas & Pacific Railway Hospital dated back to the 1920s when it served employees of the railroad. Eventually, the building was abandoned and stood vacant for decades.

Many locals say the building was haunted, drawing the curiosity of ghost hunters looking for apparitions. Much of the interior deteriorated, with missing walls, broken stairs, and a crumbling ceiling. However, the most dangerous thing about the hospital was the asbestos, which can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma when the fibres are inhaled.

The building was demolished in 2023.

Panola County Highway 2792: A Violent End

An old, dilapidated home sits along FM 2792 outside of Carthage, Texas. In the 80s, it was home to a couple and their small child before she met a violent end.

The story says her brother came to ask for money to buy drugs. When she refused, he attacked, shooting her, stabbing her, and then drowning her in the bathtub. The man was reportedly found later wandering the streets covered in blood.

Some who travel through the area have reported not being able to breathe. Others claim to have seen a light turn on in the home’s attic or spotted the woman’s ghost in the window or hallway.

Union Station: Mind the Platform

Union Station is one of the most famous haunted locations in Texarkana. The beautiful old building straddles the border of Arkansas and Texas and is a popular stop on Texarkana ghost walks.

Many soldiers who fought during World War II made their way through the station. Throughout the years, it has been home to a gentlemen’s club, restaurants, and bars. The site was also home to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office during the Phantom Killer’s murder spree.

Railroad workers have reported seeing a ghostly woman in a blue dress standing on the platform. The ghost of a man is also reported to wander Front St. in front of the station. Some say the apparition is the ghost of Ed Coy , burned alive by a white mob in 1892. Others believe the ghost of Will Driver, killed in 1907, haunts the street.

The building was abandoned as it became neglected and no longer safe, but the Texarkana Station still operates on the grounds.

Hotel McCartney: Checked In, But Never Checked Out

Near the old Union Station stands the Hotel McCartney , built in 1929. During its heyday the hotel was popular with those working on the railways or traveling through town. As highway travel became more popular, business slowed, and the hotel eventually closed in the 1970s.

People on the Haunted Texarkana Ghost Walk have reported seeing figures in the building and shared photos they say depict the ghosts.

Rose Hill Cemetery: A Tragic Accident

The Rosehill Cemetery serves as the final resting place for some of Texarkana’s pioneers and veterans, dating back to the Civil War. But some of the more restless spirits are those of the Paragon Saloon Tragedy, who were buried just inside the gates.

The poor souls were reportedly killed when a storm in 1882 caused the saloon building to collapse and catch fire. Ghost hunters have reported capturing the sounds of a large group of people in the area.

Bowie County Family Clinic: No Running in the Halls

The Bowie County Family Health Clinic has served the families of Texarkana for many years. But some, it seems, don’t want to leave.

Employees of the clinic have reported strange experiences and sounds. Others have claimed to hear children playing and laughing in the hallways.

The Paraseekers reportedly captured an EVP of a man demanding, “Do not touch it again!” during their investigation of the clinic.

Hotel Grim: The Crown Jewel of Texarkana

The Hotel Grim was once called the “Crown Jewel” of downtown Texarkana. The eight story hotel, built in 1925, served as a posh place where guests could enjoy the rooftop garden and many amenities. Stone walls and marble floors wowed guests in the lobby, and the hotel’s ballroom often hosted large jazz bands and high-roller poker games. On the second story was a barber shop, beauty salon, coffee shop and shopping area. Legend has it that the notorious robbers Bonnie and Clyde stopped at the Grim to grab a sandwich at the cafe during their famous crime spree.

It fell into disrepair and lay empty for three decades until the City of Texarkana restored and redeveloped the building into residential apartments .

There are many reported supernatural experiences at the Grim throughout the years. Some visitors said they have been pinched, had their hair pulled, or even heard an opera singer. Local lore says that when you look at the sign near sunset you can see a faceless woman in one of the top windows.

Slaton Cemetery: The Ghost Light

It’s said that a ghostly blue light floats through the Slaton Cemetery , which lies between Lonestar and Daingerfield. During the day, the cemetery is a popular spot for bird watching. But come nightfall, it’s a very different story.

There are many tales from the cemetery ranging from creepy to downright frightening. Some visitors have reported experiencing cold spots or bushes moving when there is no breeze. Two unfortunate souls were reportedly found dead in the cemetery, their faces frozen in fright. One visitor claimed that a tractor beam dragged his car in while a voice called his name over and over.

The Hanging Oak: Racial Violence and Cursed Branches

Sometimes truth is more terrifying than fiction. In a violent reaction to the end of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, a period of horrific racial violence and lynchings began. Some of these occurred in front of the Shelby County Courthouse in Center, Texas, where the “ Hanging Oak ” once stood.

Although far from the only victims, the last two men hanged in front of the courthouse are the most well known. In August 1920, a Black teenager named Lige Daniels was accused of the murder of a local white woman. While the sheriff was out of town a mob of around 1,000 people stormed the jail, dragged Daniels to the tree, and hung him. A photo of Daniels’ body hanging from the tree above a crowd of white men and children, some of whom were smiling, was turned into a postcard . Even though some mob members posed for the photo, none were held responsible.

Local superstition says the rope used to hang Daniels turned black. The branch Daniels was hung from died but was used again in the lynching of another Black teenager in 1928. After Eolis “Buddy” Evans was accused of murdering a local man, a mob confronted the sheriff in front of the jail and took him from his custody. The mob decided to hang Evans from the same branch since it was “dead anyway.”

The Texas A&M Forest Service says the branch was collected by a local craftsman, who made gavels from the wood, some of which are still in use today. The tree died in 1990 and was removed. A memorial to Daniels and a marker describing the racial terror lynchings was placed at the site in 2018 by the Equal Justice Initiative.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.