Article Houston Chronicle

We met a reporter on our last trip and she did an article on us in the travel section of the Houston Chronicle news paper. Follows:
July 5, 2007, 2:18PM
JEFFERSON
State's most haunted town
By EILEEN MCCLELLAND
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
JEFFERSON — This East Texas town can lay claim to an impressive, unlikely history. In the 19th century, though far inland, it was second only to Galveston as the busiest port in Texas.
Now it's known as the most haunted small town in Texas due to fame on the Travel, Discovery and Sci-Fi channels, says Jodi Breckenridge, guide for the Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk.
Breckenridge, who says she's a skeptic, still gets rattled enough during these 90-minute tours to flee in fright.
On this Saturday night in June about 30 people buy $10 tickets in front of the Jefferson Historical Society Museum.
"How much of the money does the ghost get?" someone quips.
Breckenridge warns against taunting them: "Don't ever make fun of a ghost if I'm standing within 20 feet of you."
The apparitions hurl objects and lock tourists into one of the haunted restrooms around town, she says. Bathrooms that have proved particularly troublesome to escape include those in the supposedly haunted Jefferson Hotel, circa 1851, and the Big Cypress Coffee House, which used to be the Kahn Saloon at the turn of the 20th century. It was also the site of early country-music performances, occasional bloodshed, a brothel and a funeral home, all of which, one way or another, provoked the haunting.
This night doesn't bring much drama. A trio of black kittens crosses our path. Surely, that's an omen? Nope, nothing happens.
No one feels fondled by a mysterious hand, sees a malevolent gentleman in a top hat or hears invisible children singing century-old songs, all of which reportedly happened on other evenings. Neither does Breckenridge scare herself and run down the street screaming.
We traipse up and down quaint streets, stare at building facades and empty lots and hear about murders, legends and rumors of bodies buried in backyards. We crowd into the dark, hot, airless attic of the coffee shop hoping against hope that the construction equipment will fly across the room of its own accord.
We crave the paranormal. We've paid our $10!
But no one even gets bad vibes. We must be an especially insensitive lot.
Colin and Kim Bryce of Arlington and their children, Conner, 10, and Chloe, 4, are among the ghost hunters. Conner carries a ghost-detection device. Chloe's tennis shoes glow while she walks, providing a handy night light.
"They are thrilled about it," Kim says. "Conner, especially, thinks it's a huge adventure. He likes to investigate."
The Bryce’s are in Jefferson as part of a hobby sparked by watching Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi Channel. They've visited the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, La., and the Crescent in Eureka Springs, Ark., where they've had a few creepily close encounters. At the Myrtles, they spent one night on the front porch, driven from their bedroom by mysterious sounds, as if someone wearing boots were pacing in front of their beds.
Colin says he's seen the ghost of a Civil War soldier.
"My parents and everyone think I'm crazy," Colin says. "But after I had the first experience, it really changed my outlook on life."
With high hopes, they've booked a room with a bad reputation, Room 19, at the Jefferson Hotel. They aren't disappointed.
"My wife and my son got hit by French fries flying across the room," Colin says. "All four of us were sitting watching TV, and our leftovers were sitting across the room. All of a sudden I saw French fries bounce off her chest. It was kind of spooky. It seems like a crazy thing (for a ghost) to throw across the room."
And, no, her father says, Chloe didn't do it.
During the ghost walk, Kim Bryce also captures orbs (spheres of light indicating paranormal activity) with her Canon Digital Rebel in the coffeehouse.
I didn't realize that ghosts are supposed to show up best on camera, so I haven't brought a real one. But my cell phone captures one spectral image in the window of the Jefferson Hotel.
Breckenridge, ever the skeptic, peers at my prized souvenir and decrees that it's just the reflection of a streetlight.The ghost and I know the truth.

Jefferson Hotel Jefferson, TX. Room 19. June 2007 1 night

This was the "most haunted" room at the hotel. 19. We didn't capture any evidence however we all experienced and amazing display of poltergeist activity. After dinner in room Kim and Conner were hit in chest with left over French fries from across the room. We all saw the food fly across the room. WILD! No other activity. Houston Chronicle did article on our family.

Crescent Hotel Eureka springs, room 202 1night and 302 2 nights, June 8-10 2006

Back again.

Scott and I had to check on one of my projects in Arkansas, so I decided to bring the family and make another haunted trip out of it.  Scott brought along his nephew Steven.  Stevie also plays on our football team the Jaguars and is a buddy of Conner's. 

We used emf detector for 1st time with some wild results but it will take some time to get used to it and the false positives. 

During ghost tour closet door opened by itself.  We were all standing in the hallway on the second floor and it just opened while we were all watching.  It was surreal.  Kim thought she saw someone’s shoes at the bottom of door but when it opened to reveal nobody there.

On the second night our 202 Room door was found wide open after I shut it and locked to go down stairs with Conner and Stevie Kim was taking a bath and S and MB were in their room.  I came back a few minutes later and it was standing wide open.  Meanwhile Kim was still inside the bath none the wiser.

We had many orbs in many of the photos but I really don't consider that to be paranormal at all anymore.  We also had several strange experiences but none worth recording. 

I shared my last experience of being grabbed on the shoulder with the ghost tour and apparently it happens a lot in that room.  The host says it means they (spirits) like me.   She also says she thinks I am sensitive.  I hope she didn't mean in the "easily hurt or damaged" way...? 

No

I don't think I am.  In any way. 

Eureka Springs was born on July 4^th, 1879…offspring of the many legends and stories of the MAGIC HEALING SPRING of the Osage Indians.  These legends and tales were spread word of mouth from Indian to traders and trappers and explorers who spanned the region from the Great Lakes to Southern Florida.  The Osage Indians were hunters and this area made an ideal habitat for their lifestyle.  The heavily wooded Ozark Mountains were rich with wildlife for hunting and trapping… and the Osage made the ideal “Guardians” for the Magic Healing Spring.  They permitted anyone to come to the spring to drink and bathe and heal - even the white man.  The area was considered by the Osage to be SACRED GROUND because of the healing quality of the waters.  As such, no form of hostility was acceptable and weapons were not permitted in the area of the springs.  Fear of antagonizing the SPIRIT OF THE SPRING was a strong incentive for hospitable behavior by all who visited the area.

In 1854, a doctor named Alva Jackson came to the area on a hunting trip.  He had long heard of the healing waters and, although he lived in a neighboring community, had never really believed the tales.  He was hunting in the area with his son who suffered with a chronic eye infection.  Dr. Jackson sent the son down the mountain to wash his eyes in the spring and, within three days, the eye infection had been cured.  Dr. Jackson began bottling the water as “Dr. Jackson’s Elixir”.

By the 1870’s, the region was well known by the white man and small groups of health seekers came to the area in search of whatever cures were needed.  At that time, a group of approximately 400 settlers had gathered around what we now know as Basin Spring.  The Osage Indians had hewn the basin out of a large rock ages ago and the spring flowed freely into that basin.  The community was a ramshackle assortment of tents, lean-to’s and shanties.  During an Independence Day celebration, the idea was proposed to formalize the settlement.  A group of seven wealthy businessmen, including Alva Jackson, calling themselves the “Eureka Improvement Company” took it upon themselves to see to the development of this “Health Resort”. By the next year, the city charter had been formalized and the population had grown to 15,000.  By the turn of the century, our full time population had grown to more than 20,000 permanent residents.
By 1880 an elegant, 4-story hotel known as the Perry House was built on the site of the healing spring.  Like most other buildings in Eureka at that time, the Perry House was built completely out of wood and by 1890 it had fallen victim to one of the four fires that completely leveled Eureka Springs to the ground.  By 1895, William Duncan organized the capital stock necessary to build the Basin Park Hotel on the site of the former Perry House.  Following the lead of the Crescent Hotel, it was decided to use our local limestone to build the hotel.  In the ten years it took to build the property, Duncan overextended his interest in the project and bankrupt the Citizens Bank and almost every other investor in the Syndicate.  The hotel finally opened in 1905. William Duncan died in 1907 but it is believed that he continues to roam the hotel in his trademark brown suit and derby.........

Crescent Hotel Eureka springs, room 203 on March 10-12, 2006

We recently visited the Crescent hotel in Eureka springs, room 203 on March 10-12, 2006.  We had gone to Little Rock for a Stones concert and as a result of some recent interest in the paranormal.  We decided to seek out a "haunted location" to spend a couple of days at.  The result...The Crescent Hotel.  Said to be one of the most 'haunted' hotels in the world.  After our three days there I would have to agree.   As far as I know we have never had an paranormal experience before.  But that has changed.

We... is me, my wife, my son age 8, and my daughter age 3. We had multiple unexplained experiences.

The first day I was in the bathroom holding my daughter struggling to hold her up and wash her hands at the same time. I was grabbed on the shoulder by what I thought was my wife's hand. I quickly turned spun around to tell her I was kind of busy, and saw she was on the other side of the room sitting down watching me. She said I turned pale and wondered what was wrong.

When we were unpacking and putting our stuff in the dresser I took out the Gideon Bible and placed it on the bedside table on impulse. We went to dinner and found when we got back it was across the room on the other bedside table. We were all sure it was moved after we left and no housekeeping was in our room.

Throughout our stay we constantly had trouble with the bathroom door. On a few occasions we both were sure we locked the door (it had a bar type lock that takes a deliberate action to lock), and when we finished using the bathroom and turned to come out we found it unlocked and open about 6 inches. Also on the first day my wife went in the bathroom and shut the door and locked it. When she finished she couldn't open the door, it was unlocked and we could see the handle turn as she manipulated trying to open it. After about 10 seconds of trying she was able to open it easily. On the last day my wife got up early to take a bath while the rest of us were still asleep. While she was in the tub she heard a murmur outside the door and the doorknob was jiggled for a few seconds. She assumed it was our daughter, which is normal occurrence at home. She stood up put on a towel and opened the door to find us all still fast asleep. A little while later she woke my daughter and put her in the tub for a bath while she dried her hair and put on her makeup. My daughter started giggling and talking to someone unseen, saying things like " you look like a princess", and "don't that tickles". She later said a princess there in the bathroom told her she looked like a ballerina. I don't think we have ever even used the word ballerina around her before.

It was creepy in the middle of the night for sure.   With everyone asleep, Kim awoke in the middle of night when someone unseen sat on edge of bed. She could see bed covers smash down. Room temperature also dropped at same time. She covered her head and eventually fell back asleep.