Happy Halloween all y’all boils and ghouls!
Harry’s Boots wants to join in the spooky festivities this Halloween by sharing some creepy tales and tidbits from some true Texas ghost towns!
These haunted stories from the South will send chills down your spine and leave you shaking in your Harry’s Boots!
We suggest reading these scary Halloween stories, from real life ghost towns in Texas, around a campfire, in an abandoned barn, or graveyard. But beware, they aren’t for the faint of heart!
Spooky Stories from Texas Ghost Towns
The Haunted Hurricane Ghost Town of Indianola, TX
Image source: chron.com
During the 1800’s Indianola Texas was a thriving, bustling port city, that could rival the likes of Galveston and New Orleans. But, as this latest hurricane season has proven, mother nature has plans of her own when it comes to coastal cities in Texas.
Two massive hurricanes in 1875 and 1886 wiped most of the city off the map. And to add insult to injury, the parts of the town that weren’t washed away in the storms were burnt down in a horrific fire. Those who survived, mostly German immigrants, moved up the coastline to settle a new city, leaving behind the remains of a once great town.
Legend has it that the hurricane ravaged and burnt ruins are still haunted to this day, by the victims who lost their lives in the downfall of Indianola. There have been claims that the dead still walk the ancient wreckage as if continuing with their everyday lives, before tragedy struck their town. Some even report hearing whispers at night from long dead ghosts- doomed to haunt the past on the rocky shores of Indianola.
The Forgotten Ghost Town of Independence, TX
Image source: Baylor University
The town of Independence had all the makings of a historic destination that could stand the test of time back in the 1800’s. Not only was it named after the signing of the the Declaration of Independence, the small town was also home to Sam Houston and the original Baylor University.
But, the original towns folks’ love of learning and patriotism wasn’t enough to save it from decline. The construction of the college was halted indefinitely due to economic decline, and eventually moved to Waco, TX. All that’s left is the ruins of the Baylor Female Building pictured above.
Though, it’s ghost town fate was sealed by poorly planned railroad tracks that circumvented the town driving business and families out in search of more prosperous living.
Today, nearby locals claim the forgotten town lay on a convergence of electromagnetic fields, believing this too contributed to its demise. Legend has it, the land causes sleeplessness, headaches and even hallucinations. One man even claims he experienced visions of long-dead loved ones when he was lost and came upon the ruins of Independance, TX.
The Mysteriously Abandoned Ghost Town of Toyah, TX
Image source: Wikipedia
Though the town census, as of 2010, still boasted a whopping 90 citizens living in Toyah, Tx, not a living soul is often found walking the streets of this ghost town. Many of the structures still stand, filled with furniture just collecting dust – including a bank, whole houses, a grocery store and towering high school.
But nobody seems to know why the town was suddenly abandoned…
There are a few stories floating around from ghost town enthusiasts who have traveled to Toya to photograph the abandoned anomaly. Many have said they’ve seen a bizarre sphere of light hovering at night through the darkened streets. Several of those who have witnessed the mysterious orb immediately developed health issues after the sighting. Some equate the towns inexplicable vanishing to this light phenomena.
Visions of Death in the Ghost Town of Paducah, TX
Image source: Wikipedia
Another Texas town whose death is still a mystery is Paducah, in northwest Texas. Not unlike Toyah, the town has been abandoned leaving fully inhabitable structures, with the exception of a few collapsed brick buildings.
The husk that remains proves that, not long ago, the small town was bustling with cafes, pharmacies, a movie theatre, some department stores, a grand hotel and more. But it appears as if in a single moment the entire population just up and vanished.
The town continues to haunt and fascinate tourists – including one student who had a horrifying encounter…
While visiting Paducah, the student said the empty town was completely still, until she spotted a tall figure rounding a corner up the street. Hoping to get an interview she followed the person only to encounter something not of this world.
She claims the figure, hooded in darkness, stood taller and thinner than any human, and she immediately knew the stranger wandering the abandoned town alone was death itself, believing the town of Paducah’s abandonment had something to do with the arrival of the soulless, sinister visitor.
Barstow, TX
Image source: WikipediaMapio.net
No one would have expected the prosperous farming town of Barstow, TX, to inevitably end up a haunted ghost town, back in the 1800’s when it was 1,000 people strong. However, in 1904 after the Pecos River dam broke, sever droughts demolished all of the crops and devastated the Barstow economy.
Now, the dried up town exists only in the form of memories, dilapidated buildings, and a dark legend that surrounds it with mystique.
Many claim to have witnessed a group of robed specters, whose feet never touch the ground, floating around the dead town of Barstow. Nobody knows what they are, or what they want. Some think they are heavenly bodies while others believe they are members of the occult. They’ve been spotted hovering over surrounding fields, apparently congregating and conversing without making sound.
