Many haunted items are
said to be housed in the Jefferson Museum.
The haunted Jefferson Historical Society and Museum is
located at 223 West Austin Street Jefferson,
Texas 75657.
From reportedly very haunted Civil War artifacts,
Country store items, Rare ghost possessed
antique furniture, Gun and weapon collections
that some believe their owners still watch
over from beyond the grave.
Some of Sam Houston's
papers are said to be haunted also and often
move on their own accord. Early farm tools
and a pioneer doctor's instruments often are
the subject of man of ghost photos.
And don't if visiting forget to stop by The very haunted and ghostly active paranormal hotspot The
Moseley art gallery. Strangely is said to be one of the
most haunted hotspots in the building. And is haunted by a ghost they Call Josie Pearl, and another called "old man Jessie". This is also home to a ghostly cat called Bingo that is said to be often glimpsed out the corner of ones eye. Both human ghost are said to be very active and are known to touch people on the back of the neck, and they are often photographed.
A Real Ghost
Photo of the very haunted Mirror ghost at
the Grove.
When in Jefferson, Texas
you might just be haunted by or might encounter
ghost of several long dead Civil War soldiers. And a host
of the most diverse group of otherworldly
spooks and specters that you might ever want
to meet. One of the best ghost tours I’ve ever been on was in Jefferson. Sponsored by the Historic Jefferson Railway Company, the tour is 100% free and precedes scheduled evening train rides. And as many locals tell and certainly highly recommend the only one in town worth taking.
A famous Jefferson ghost is that of a man called Jay Gould his ghosts is said to haunt Austin Street to Jay Gould's Private Rail Car. This is a very haunted area and try to take a all digital pictures here you can. You as many do, might get the best ghost photos ever and this capturing evidence of lingering spirits might surprise you and even the most hardest of skeptics.
Vale Street toward Bateman Alley, thought to be the notorious Murder Alley of local legend. The locals say many ghosts join togther here and often EVP's of screams or recorded day and night. One ghost that haunts this spot is said to often scream... "Quick hurry Up And Run!" and another often says in low deep mans voice. "Beware of Ms. Lucy...she'll poison you tonight and steal you blind!"
Often locals will tell you that legends
and rumors of bodies buried in backyards is
the reason so many ghosts haunt the town
today.
No visit is ever complete unless you visit the most haunted and paranormal active location "The Grove", a historic property in
Jefferson,
Texas.
... The
ghost stories go back over 100 years at this 1861 home.
www.thegrove-jefferson.com/Guests at the one hundred and fifty year old building on the historic Jefferson waterfront regularly report similar occurrences. Whispers from nowhere, orchestra music from a closed dining hall, knocks on walls and headboards, the smell of cigar smoke in the smoke-free building, faucets opening of their own accord, and doors pulling back when pulled shut!!!
People who have been the only guests in the hotel have heard the click-clack of footsteps walking the halls in the middle of the night - even though the hall is carpeted! Children have been heard laughing and romping throughout the hotel in the middle of the night. A child calls for mama, a baby cries, but no children were staying in the hotel!
A former desk clerk named Michael was ending his shift. It was the middle of a slow week and there were no "paying" guests staying at the hotel overnight. Michael made his rounds upstairs, turning off lights and locking rooms before leaving for the night. He was closing the last door in the long, dark hallway when the doors started opening and slamming shut all at once!
Lights turned on and off as Michael dashed downstairs and phoned his friend Phyllis, a desk clerk at the Excelsior Hotel across the street. Phyllis reports that Michael was in a complete panic when he called, screaming that he was alone in the hotel but that "all heck" was breaking loose upstairs! He said he could hear doors slamming and the sound of footsteps and someone dragging furniture. Michael locked up and waited in the street for his ride that night.
Then there is the story of a couple in ROOM 5 whose young son awakened them repeatedly because a man in a long coat and high boots would not go away. Whispers and repetitive knocks are common occurrences.
At times there is a thick white cloud with a thin, long-haired blonde in the mist. She seems to be emotionally attached to a bed that was moved from ROOM 12 to ROOM 14.
A ninety year old man reluctantly told his tale of wandering the hotel at one in the morning after not being able to sleep. He saw the petite blonde woman floating down the stairs smiling at him, only to disappear before she reached the bottom step. He said he never believed in ghosts until he saw her!
Walking into some rooms, one can get the feeling of being watched. In ROOM 19 a man told his wife to go back to sleep when she awakened him with rants about a petite woman who chilled the wife's arm with a touch of her hand. Another woman took one step into the same room and refused to stay there - stating that she could tell the room was haunted.
Camera crews from various local TV stations and reporters from radio stations have all had their own weird experiences while taping programs in the hotel including strange shapes on video and odd sounds on tape.
The identities of the hotel ghosts and paranormal activity still remains a real haunted mystery to this day. A psychic years ago said the hotel has seven nonpaying guests! Story from: www.historicjeffersonhotel.com
White Oak Manor, a B&B in Jefferson, TX. is one of the most haunted places one could ever stay. Also, the rumor says that Speilberg filmed the huge cypress tree outside the bedroom window at White Oak Manor for the movie. True or not, the tree has an eerie presence to it, and whenever you might look at it, as many report you might get a chill.
One of the most famous ghost
to seek out amongst the many is that of Jack.
This ghosts is known to be a ladies man, and is often encountered on Dallas Street where a lot of paranormal activity has been reported. And
will often pinch unsuspecting woman on the
bottom. He is known to haunt the downtown
area once and a while and is often captured in many ghost photos. Jack is said to be extremely active near the Lone Star Carriage Company on Walnut Street on only FRIDAY and SATURDAY nights between the hours of 7:PM until 10PM. Many report strange things happen at this location during these hours. Ghost photos, EVP's and some have even reported seeing his full body apparition.
If you go to this the most haunted location in Jefferson, Texas on these nights and wait until 10pm you might just be surprised at what you might experience. I suggest you get their early because usually a crowd of ghost hunters and the curious always gather waiting for someone out of the blue to feel him touch them.
Most of the actual haunted
activity that goes on usually is associated
with physical interactions with the dead. Just out front of to the right near Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club is also where a strange woman's ghost is said to lurk in the shadows. They call her Crazy Susan and her ghost is most often glimpsed as a old woman walking with a long cane. Many say they capture EVP's of her tapping walking stick that she used pretending to be blind and somewhat crippled when she was alive. Patrons usually go there specifically on Friday nights for the all Karaoke or to see bands they often see her ghost very near the hour of 8:p.m. the time around which she was said to be found dead sitting against the front door. They describe her ghost which they often mistake for a live woman as a white haired old lady very short and dressed in rags who asks for help or a donation of cash.
Excelsior House
The Excelsior House will welcome you as it has welcomed travelers since the late 1850s. Famous people registered at the Excelsior House include Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lady Bird Johnson to name a few. The house is haunted by a headless man on the second floor and a woman in black who is often seen carrying a baby.
The Excelsior House is an old very strange and hotel haunted by a headless man on the second floor, and a woman in black who has a baby.
The woman has appeared and frightened many guests, And some say she is also a thief and will steal cash if you leave on top a table if you turn your back. They are possibly the spirits of roaming ghostly guests or former thieving ghost employees.
Rumor has it that Stephen Spielberg spent some time in Jefferson once not so long ago. Supposedly, he stayed at the Excelsior House and left in the middle of the night when a rocking chair in his room would not stop rocking, although he stated that no one he could see was in the chair.
He and his crew spent the rest of the night at a motel In Marshall and to their dismay also found out it was haunted.
And the most famous of them is the ghost of Diamond Bessie.
Diamond
Bessie The Jewel Of Texas
Excelsior House 211 W. Austin
Street Jefferson, Texas 75657 903-665-2513
1-800-490-7270, is a very haunted high point
of the city. Many often report over the many
years of Diamond Bessie's ghost searching
for her lost diamonds searching frantically
and rattling all the guest at the Excelsior
House.
Each year in May the Diamond
Bessie Murder Trial is performed. Many say
at this point and time her ghost is it's most
active. Some believe because her spirit can
find no peace because the living keep replaying
the last judgment of her lover (and husband),
Abraham Rothschild.
Diamond Bessie is the popular
name given to Bessie Moore, née Annie
Stone, a prostitute whose murder in the woods
outside of Jefferson, Texas propelled her
to the level of local legend. She was killed
by a single gunshot wound to the head sometime
during the early afternoon of Sunday, January
21, 1877. Her accused killer was her lover
(and husband), Abraham Rothschild, the dissolute
son of one of the most prominent society families
of the day.
Diamond Bessie Ghost Photo
sent to us by Gayle Gervais.
Bessie was born in 1854 in Syracuse, New
York, and the abundance of attention from
men resulting from her striking beauty is
said to have led her down the proverbial "wayward
path" at a young age. At 15, she left
home and took up with a man named Moore. After
this affair ended, she entered into prostitution
(though she kept Moore's name). By all accounts
she adapted to the life quickly, and her numerous
male admirers showered her with gifts of diamond
jewelry. A story that she had a large inheritance
from her father may be apocryphal.
Bessie plied her trade in brothels in Cincinnati,
Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, and finally
Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she met Rothschild
sometime in 1875. From this time until her
death, they were together. There is evidence
they entered into a legal marriage in Illinois.
Rothschild's reluctance to legitimize their
relationship may have been what motivated
her murder. Bessie was pressuring Rothschild
to marry her, and according to various accounts,
she may have claimed she was pregnant (an
autopsy later showed that she was not) and
threatened to reveal this scandalous fact
to Rothschild's father.
Whatever the motive, it is known that Bessie
and Rothschild's relationship was tumultuous,
marred by alcoholism and physical abuse. Rothschild
is said to have forced Bessie to prostitute
herself numerous times during their travels
together, and to give him $50.00 a day. She
may have been suffering from a venereal disease.
In Cincinnati, Rothschild was once arrested
for beating her in public, and she accused
him several times of trying to steal and hock
her diamonds.
On January 17, 1877, the couple registered
as husband and wife at the Capitol Hotel in
Marshall, Texas, about 18 miles south of Jefferson.
After two days they traveled to Jefferson
by train. Jefferson was at this time one of
the largest and busiest river ports west of
the Mississippi River, and it is possible
Rothschild might have thought he could sell
some of Bessie's diamonds there. In any event,
the exact nature of Rothschild's business
in Jefferson is not known, nor at what point
his plan to murder Bessie might have been
hatched.
The couple registered at the Brooks House
in Jefferson as "A. Munroe and wife".
Their fine clothes and, of course, Bessie's
diamonds made an immediate impression on the
townsfolk. Rothschild is said to have first
addressed his "wife" as Bessie during
this trip, and the locals adapted this into
"Diamond Bessie."
On the morning of January 21, Rothschild
bought a picnic lunch, and the couple crossed
the bridge at Cypress Bayou, walking away
from town along the Marshall road. The last
person to see them together was Frank Malloy,
who noticed them in the restaurant before
11:00 AM; Malloy took special note of Bessie's
massive diamond rings. Approximately three
hours later Rothschild was seen crossing the
bridge back into Jefferson alone.
When questioned about his wife's whereabouts
at the Brooks House, Rothschild claimed she
had stayed across the Bayou to visit friends.
The following morning, he took breakfast alone
at the hotel, where he was seen wearing Bessie's
rings. On the morning of Tuesday the 23rd,
he boarded a train to Cincinnati with Bessie's
luggage.
Bessie's body was discovered in the woods
along the Marshall road on the afternoon of
February 5 by Sarah King, an African-American
woman out collecting firewood. The remnants
of a picnic lunch were still scattered about.
The body was fully clothed, and had no jewelry.
In Cincinnati, Rothschild began drinking
more heavily and was reportedly becoming quite
paranoid, believing himself to be followed
everywhere. He tried to shoot himself outside
a saloon in late February, but only succeeded
in putting out his right eye. After a few
days in the hospital, he was arrested and
jailed, awaiting extradition to Texas for
the murder of "Diamond Bessie Moore."
With Rothschild's real identity known, the
case quickly became a cause celebre. The public
fascination with the murder of a beautiful
young woman at the hands of a wealthy scion
of society held a lurid appeal comparable
to the contemporary murder trials of O.J.
Simpson or the Menendez Brothers. It was Texas'
first big murder case, called by Texas governor
Richard B. Hubbard "a crime unparalleled
in the record of blood."
Though Rothschild was the black sheep of
his family, their fear of devastating scandal
evidently prompted them to rally to his side
and hire him a formidable defense team. Rothschild
had no fewer than ten high-priced attorneys.
They immediately secured a change of venue,
as feelings toward Rothschild in Jefferson
were so hostile that any possible jury pool
was hopelessly tainted. The townsfolk were
known to have contributed money to reimburse
Sheriff John Vines for his trip to Cincinnati
to arrest Rothschild.
The case finally went to trial in December
1878 in Marshall. While in jail in Marshall,
Rothschild's cell mate was Jim Currie, a railroad
employee who had shot two actors, killing
one; the wounded victim was actor Maurice
Barrymore.
Rothschild was convicted — the jury
foreman reportedly drew a noose on the wall
during deliberations with the slogan, "That's
my verdict!" — but the conviction
was overturned on appeal. There was widespread
opinion that Rothschild's wealth, and Bessie's
being a prostitute, was influencing the appellate
court. One newspaper editorial bitterly wrote,
"Certainly all that is required to save
a red-handed murderer from the gallows are
two or three active friends and sufficient
money..."
After much legal wrangling, Rothschild went
to trial again on December 22, 1880, this
time in Jefferson. Rothschild did not testify
in his own defense, and his lawyers made mincemeat
of prosecution witnesses. Rothschild, to the
dismay of many, was acquitted, and rejoined
his family in Cincinnati. Editorialists were
again bitter, one writing, "...one of
the vilest and meanest murders ever perpetrated
goes unpunished through the inefficiency of
the legal system."
Rothschild quietly faded into obscurity,
but Diamond Bessie became a figure of folklore.
Every year in Jefferson during its annual
Pilgrimage Festival, a play titled The Diamond
Bessie Murder Trial, derived from court transcripts,
is performed. Diamond Bessie's grave in Jefferson's
Oakwood Cemetery is a popular tourist attraction;
unmarked for years, it bears a tombstone reputedly
installed in the night by an unknown admirer.
Diamond
Bessie's Grave: In Oakwood Cemetery
Diamond
Bessie's Ghost and Paranormal Activities
The ghost Of
Diamond Bessie is said to do many things to
those she dislikes or does not trust. From
slapping women across the face to climbing
in bed for a ghostly romp with a lone male
visiting town. Bessie is said to be most active
in December thru January. but many state that
she haunts the locale every day of the year
except on Halloween and All Saints Day.
Bessie has
also been known to steal diamond rings off
of the fingers of woman while they sleep.
She will also pull the covers off you at night
says one time Excelsior Hotel Guest Lisa Lee
Harp Waugh. The Excelsior Hotel in downtown
Jefferson. Maybe just a coincidence that it
is coined as the most haunted hotel in the
city of Jefferson.
Jack the
Ghost at the Jefferson Hotel.
"If you
are a woman and sleep alone in your room watch
out Bessie will let you get no sleep says."
Waugh the Great American Necromancer."
Bessie and I had a long conversation one night
in late 2002." says Waugh. " "She
told me personally that she felt that she
deserved more attention and any single woman
in a hotel room all alone needs to be out
finding a good man to take care of them."
Also the Jefferson
Hotel "Once known as the Crystal Palace
in the 1920's" being no exception to
the many ghosts that haunt the area. People
who have been the only guests in the hotel
have heard the ghostly sound of footsteps
walking the halls in the middle of the night
- even though the hall is carpeted! Children
have been heard laughing and romping throughout
the hotel in the middle of the night. A child
calls for mama, a baby cries, And often the
sounds of a child singing in whispers. Some
tells of an 1890's bride often heard weeping,
who hung herself. A psychic years ago said
the hotel has over seven nonpaying dead guests!
Room 19, where it is reported that a young
prostitute was murdered. Although no murders
are officially on file, one will never know
because the records were destroyed in a fire.
The woman was reported to have been killed
in the tub, but was left in agony there, not
taking her final breath until two days after
her mortal wounds were inflicted.
The Grove,
a historic property in Jefferson, Texas. The
Grove is featured on the cover of "A
Texas Guide To Haunted Restaurants, Taverns,
and Inns" by Robert and Anne Wlodarski.
Listed on the National Register of Historic
Places by the National Parks Service and designated
a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the
Texas Historical Commission, the house is
said to be one of the most haunted locations
in the entire state. though a local ghost
hunter often disputes this publicly. Often
sitting that the Jefferson and Excelsior Hotel
have more ghosts and paranormal phenomena
then openly admitted or reported.
The Grove
is a private residence and tour home in the
old Stephen Smith Land Grant section of town.
The house was built in 1861 by Frank and Minerva
Stilley. Here are a few of the ghost stories
from The Grove:
* When the Grove family owned the property
(the name is just a coincidence), Mrs. Grove
reportedly brought a Bible to bed with the
intention of praying for her and her husband,
but she fell asleep. She awakened to a black
swirling mass engulfing the bedroom. There
were also unexplained voices, disembodied
footsteps, sounds of objects being moved by
unseen hands, and apparitions.
* Sudden odors have appeared in rooms: the
scent of a woman's perfume, or the smell of
body odor, as if someone hasn't bathed for
a long time.
* When Patrick Hopkins, the former owner,
was getting the restaurant ready to open,
a lady dressed in white walked down the hallway,
and into the ladies' powder room.
* Heavy mirrors have fallen off the wall without
explanation, and have landed without breaking
or crushing the objects beneath them.
* During its restaurant years, a waitress
walked out of the kitchen into the hallway
and was attacked by a black and white dog
that knocked her to the ground. After quickly
regaining her composure, she ran back into
the kitchen, screaming for help. Patrick Hopkins
searched the building and yard - there was
no dog to be found. It simply had vanished.
* During a Candlelight Tour, a couple visiting
from Dallas took a picture of the Christmas
lights on the neighbor's house to the east
of The Grove. Their photo showed the Christmas
lights in the foreground. In the background
was a lady in a high-collared, puff sleeved
white dressed surrounded by a ring of smoke.
* While rehearsing a dinner theater, a light
technician was on the front porch looking
through the window. Suddenly she felt someone
staring at her so she quickly glanced to the
right. Standing on the east side of the house
by the porch was a lady in white who began
walking behind the east side of the house.
Chasing the eerie-looking woman, the girl
turned the corner of the house, and the woman
had vanished. Ironically, at one time there
was a door on that side of the house leading
into the Blue Room.
* On that same rehearsal night, the actress
portraying the heroine came down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom step she glanced
to her right and saw a person in costume she
was not familiar with, standing in the corner.
When she began to ask the lady something,
the woman disappeared.
* Wet footprints have appeared in the middle
of the hallway, even though it wasn't raining
outside and there were no plumbing leaks.
Drops of water have been found on the staircase,
and on one particular mirror in the house,
all when the atmosphere was dry.
* A neighbor lady told a former owner, "Let
me tell you what my sister and I have seen
recently. My sister was standing on our porch
one night around 9 o'clock when she called
me out to see a glowing white figure across
the street. She looked like she was inspecting
the renovation of an old building. The figure
came from the east side of The Grove!"
She and her sister had witnessed this several
nights in a row.
* A renter lived in the garden cottage at
one time, and he looked out its window to
see a little girl playing out among the flowers.
He went outside, and she looked at him, then
disappeared.
* A shadow-figure has been seen in the garden
many times - striding quickly across it, or
simply just hanging around.
* Lights go on and off in the house, and the
chandeliers have reported to sway, even with
the absence of moving air in the room.
About Tamilla Easter Jackson
A graduate of Wiley College Bates has lived
in Marshall, Texas all her life. As the founding
member of Marshall, Texas Ghost Finders she
and her group of 35 other students have hunted
for ghost and paranormal activity through
out the City of Marshall, TX. " Growing
up haunted inn Marshall is a common thing."
says Jackson. Since she was a child she has
had over 30 or more encounters with the White
Lady of Marshall, Texas.
Each year during the STAGE COACH DAYS Jackson
holds several private ghost tours. Plan to
join MTGF for a real ghost hunt of the cities
downtown area. Come enjoy the Haunted ghost filled
fun!
Marshall, Texas Ghost Finders
15th Paranormal Workshop
Mark your calendar to join us! 2nd Weekend
in October each year. Paranormal, Fortean, Crypto zoology,
Supernatural, Ghosts , Psychics, Remote viewing,
Clairvoyance, Extra-sensory perception, Near-death
experience, Precognition · Psychokinesis,
Psychometry, Telepathy, Apparitional experience,
Parapsychology, Haunted locations UFOs, UFO
sightings, Paranormal UFO explanations, Paranormal
fiction, Ghost hunting , Folklore, urban legends.
