A real shame: The Rainbow Lounge Raid of 2009

On June 28, 2009, the Rainbow Lounge, a LGBT club in Fort Worth, was raided by the Fort Worth Police (FWPD) and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) for suspicious (homophobic) reasons.  A patron was seriously injured in the raid.  Several TABC employees were fired but neither that agency nor the FWPD will admit the reasoning.

It's a fun place with really nice people.  How dare they.  The bartender said that threatening notes are still left on the front door saying another raid is imminent.

Kind of a shame...

The Armour Swift Meatpacking Plant-Forth Worth Texas:

I'm a strict vegetarian, but I love decaying historical buildings.  It appears as if this old meat packing plant is going to be torn down soon.  Click here to see the Fort Worth Star Telegram article, which includes a history of the property.


I was not willing to jump the fence in broad daylight with tons of cars driving by.  But click here to see some pictures from someone who was.  

Follow Up-Haunted Houses in Austin: Austin State Hospital

I was wrong, a horror house.

From the Austin American-Stateman's Article, dated 11/18/11:

Psychiatrist kept working with children for 5 months while abuse claims investigated

A former Austin State Hospital child psychiatrist accused of sexually abusing his patients was allowed to continue working with minors at the facility for five months while the state investigated the allegations against him.

Dr. Charles Fischer, 59, was fired this week amid accusations that he had abused at least one patient while working in the child and adolescent unit of Austin State Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility for people with mental illness. The investigation was started by the Department of Family and Protective Services in May, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the case. On Oct. 24, the department told hospital officials that the psychiatrist had been involved in two instances of sexual abuse with at least one patient.

Officials have opened a wider inquiry into accusations from at least eight possible victims dating back to 2001.

Read More

Must've been a rough night

This individual was observed on a weekday morning at approximately 8:00AM at the intersection of Barton Springs and South First in Austin.  He was gone by 5:00PM.  I hope he walked away with his wallet.

(Note: This guy was not homeless.  You can tell by his clothes.  I would never take a picture of a homeless person like this).  

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Neill-Cochran House

The Neill-Cochran House, located on San Gabriel Street in the University of Texas' West Campus neighborhood, is a really creepy place.  I used to live right near it when I was at UT but never really noticed it.  They say Colonel Neill on horseback has been seen in the courtyard and Robert E. Lee has been seen on the front porch and second floor balcony.

When I was taking pictures of this place, I smelled this really sweet rose scent by the courtyard.  It was very strange.  There were no flowers or anything that I could see, and it was very strong.  If you've ever been to West Campus, you know the whole neighborhood pretty much smells like a dumpster.  So yeah, it was weird.

Colonel Andrew Neill

The Central Texas Paranormal Conference completed a paranormal investigation here last week.  I wonder what they found...

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Inn at Pearl Street

The Inn at Pearl Street, located at MLK and Pearl Street in the Judge's Hill Neighborhood, is supposedly haunted by Stella Snider.  Stella Snider lived here at the turn of the 20th century.  Two of her children died young and they say her ghost is seen carrying an ill child and rocking a child in a rocking chair.

The backyard

Haunted Houses in Austin: Carrington's Bluff

Carington's Bluff Bed and Breakfast, located on David Street at the western edge of the West Campus neighborhood, supposedly has two ghosts.   They say an unidentified female ghost haunted the main house and an unidentified male ghost haunts the cottage.  Click here to read more about what staff and guests have reported.

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Raymond-Morley House

The Raymond-Morley House, located on Baylor Street in the Old West Austin and Clarksville Neighborhoods, is supposedly haunted by a Civil-War era woman waiting for a Union soldier.  This is not a commonly reported haunting, it's just mentioned in one book.  

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Confederate Woman's Home

The old Confederate Woman's Home, located in Hyde Park, is well known for being haunted by its former residents.  There have been numerous paranormal investigations.  It's now used by the Austin Groups for the Elderly and houses several other nonprofits. 

It looked so much better before they "restored" it.  Never paint limestone!

Haunted Houses in Austin: Austin State Hospital

Building 501, now the Administration Building.  It used to be the whole hospital.

Ok, so this isn't really a house but it is a temporary (used to be permanent) home for people with psychiatric disabilities.  Formerly known by names that are now offensive (Texas State Lunatic Asylum, Texas State Insane Asylum, etc.), Austin State Hospital has a reputation of being haunted but since its still in use as a treatment facility, no investigations have been done.  And the state keeps its secrets well.

There was, however, a somewhat famous incident that occurred on the front steps of the building above. On December 29, 1891, a former patient shot and killed the superintendent of the facility at the time on those steps.  The perpetrator was readmitted as a patient afterwards.

And some old postcards:

Wouldn't that be cool if the red building, the old women's ward, still existed?  It's just a field now.


A good book about the history of the facility: Life at the Texas State Lunatic Asylum, 1857-1997

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Littlefield House

The Littlefield House, located at 24th Street and Whitis Ave on the UT campus, is supposedly haunted by Alice Littlefield, the wife of the famous cattle baron George Littlefield.  He supposedly locked her in the attic to keep her safe from marauding Yankees during the Civil War, but unbeknownst to him, the war was already over.  They say she haunts the upper floors and can be seen peering out the windows.

Alice Littlefield

Haunted Houses in Austin: The North-Evans Chateau

The North-Evans Chateau aka the Bellevue Chateau, located on the Bremond Block at 710 San Antonio Street, is supposedly haunted by Athalie North, the daughter of Harvey and Catherine.  She was a pianist but died young coming back from a music school in Europe.  They say she plays at various pianos throughout the house at all hours and her apparition has been seen.  

The North Family. 

I also found this old photo of what the house originally looked like (view from Nueces Street)

And today:

Haunted Houses in Austin: The Pierre Bremond House

I decided to do a series on real haunted historic homes in Austin for Halloween.  This is the first in the series:

The Pierre Bremond House is located on the Bremond Block, on W. 7th Street between Guadalupe and San Antonio.  Supposedly, Pierre's wife Nina haunts the home and can be seen floating around on the second floor porch.  This home used to be on the Austin Ghost Tours, but they no longer stop here.

Only in McLennan County Texas

Located in Bellmead, TX, McLennan County (home of Baylor University and the site of the former Branch Davidian compound)

Historic Goliad, Part 2

(I was too tired to go inside.  Maybe next year.)

According to the Texas Historical Commission:

"Presidio de Nuestra Senora de Loreto de la Bahia-(Fort of Our Lady of Loreto of the Bay) One of the most historic Spanish forts in Texas. Popularly called Presidio la Bahia, it was founded on Espiritu Santo (present Lavaca) Bay in 1722. Twice moved, it was re-established here in 1749 to protect Espiritu Santo Mission (1/4 mi. NW). In the chapel is the statue of Our Lady of Loreto placed here in 1749. The turbulent history of this fort has often rung with the sound of revolution. Between 1812 and 1820 several irregular 'filibustering' forces, including the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition and others led by James Long and Henry Perry, occupied or assailed the fort for various idealistic and profiteering motives. Here, too, 92 Texas citizens and soldiers drew up and signed Texas' first formal Declaration of Independence on December 20, 1835. In the ensuing War for Texas Independence, Col. James Fannin and 341 prisoners of war were held and, on Palm Sunday, 1836, were massacred in and around the fort by their Mexican captors. When the fort was authentically restored, 1963-67, by the Kathryn O'Connor Foundation, nine "levels of occupancy" were uncovered. Church services are now held in the chapel. The presidio has been named a registered National Historic Landmark. Recorded Teas Historic Landmark--1969"


Also, the Presidio is very famous for being very haunted.  Click here to read a paranormal investigation report.

Historic Goliad, Part 1

Located in Goliad, TX- The Birthplace of Texas Ranching


(I'm just going to let the Texas Historical Commission explain it.  I'm too tired.)


The marker reads:


"After battle of Coleto (March 19 - 20, 1836), where a Texas Army under Col. James Walker Fannin met defeat by Mexicans in superior numbers, the Texas soldiers were held in Presidio La Bahia, supposedly as war prisoners. However, by order of Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, approximately 400 of Fannin's men were marched out and massacred on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836. The wounded were shot one by one in the fort compound. Col. Fannin was the last to die. Because of their profession, Drs. J. H. Barnard, J. E. Field and Jack Shackelford were spared; about 25 men were saved by a Mexican woman, "The Angel of Goliad". Approximately 30 escaped by feigning death or by swimming the San Antonio River. The Texans' corpses were stripped and partly burned, but left unburied. This atrocity three weeks after the fall of the Alamo gave Texans part of the battle cry--"Remember the Alamo! Remember La Bahia!"--under which decisive victory was won at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Gen. Thomas J. Rusk and the Texan Army afterwards marched here and gathered the bones of Fannin's men from the terrain. From Presidio La Bahia the remains were carried in procession to the grave, and there given a military funeral and burial on June 3, 1836. (1968)."

The Scene of the Crime: The Days Inn Airport Corpus Christi

If you know anything about South Texas popular culture, you know that Tejano star Selena Quintanilla-Perez was murdered in this hotel on March 31, 1995.

I believe it happened in one of the two rooms to the left on the first floor.  The hotel has renumbered the rooms to confuse gawkers with morbid curiosities like myself.