HGB Podcast, Ep. 47 - Gunter Hotel

Moment in Oddity -Sailing Stones

There are strange oddities in the parched desert of Death Valley. They appear to just be simple large stones that weigh as much as a man and up to 700 pounds. But these stones do something peculiar: they sail across the desert. The reason people know the stones move is that they leave an indented trail behind them. Geologists and scientists have studied the stones and at first they surmised that wind and ice caused the movement. That belief was put to rest when people began to notice that the stones made abrupt shifts in direction. The area is covered with dry cracked mud in the summer and ice in the winter. The stones even seem to move around each other. The trails they leave travel in more than just straight lines. They move in curves and circles as well. Their speed has never been clocked and no one has ever seen them move. What mysterious force is causing the sailing stones to move? We'll probably never know, but the whole thing certainly is odd.

This Day in History - Joan of Arc Burned at the Stake

On this day, May 30th, in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy. Joan was born to peasant parents, but she would go on to be one of the most famous women in history. Joan's rise to infamy started with visions. These visions featuring St. Catherine, St. Margaret and Michael the Archangel told Joan that she was to support King Charles VII and free France from England. Joan went to war and rallied men to follow her in a time when women were not to do such things. Victories came swiftly and King Charles VII was crowned. France went on to become free. Joan of Arc; however, would lose her freedom. The English captured her and put her on trial before Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Upon hearing that Joan heard voices and saw visions and considering that Joan committed the high crime of cross dressing, the Bishop found her guilty and sentenced her to burn at the stake. She was only nineteen years old at the time. Joan was tied to a tall pillar and she asked two of the clergy present to hold a crucifix before her. A peasant made a small cross and Joan put it in the front of her dress. Witnesses said that Joan was brave and stoic as the flames engulfed her. It was a travesty and twenty-five years after the event, the Pope declared her innocent and stated that she was a martyr. She was then canonized and is considered a saint in the Catholic Church.

Gunter Hotel

The Gunter Hotel is a historic hotel owned by Sheraton that is located in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. The hotel provides high end accommodations and amenities that include an old time barber shop. There is more than meets the eye at the Gunter Hotel though. A long history that includes a horrific murder mystery has led many to believe that the hotel is haunted. And based on people's experiences, this hotel very well could be host to at least one restless spirit.

The location where the Gunter Hotel stands has hosted at least three different hotels since 1837. San Antonio is famous as the location of the Alamo. The dispute between Texas and Mexico over ownership of the land had come to war. The Texians put up a valiant fight and held the Alamo for thirteen days. The Alamo did finally fall and all the defenders were killed. The brutality of the Mexican general who took the Alamo, inspired the Texians to take up arms and fight and Texas kept her freedom from Mexico. The Texas Revolution ended in April of 1836. It was in the year after the fall of the Alamo, that the first hotel was built where the Gunter Hotel now stands. That hotel was called the Frontier Inn. The Inn provided a great location that drew people from the East and kerosene lamps were used to light the building.

In 1851, two brothers from the Vance family bought the building and tore it down, replacing it with a two story structure. Their goal was not to serve travelers, but the military. The Army moved in and used the building as a military headquarters until 1872. The Vances then turned the building into a hotel and this decision became highly profitable when the railroad came to town in 1877. The accommodations were considered first class and luxurious. In 1886, German immigrants Ludwig Mahncke and Lesher A. Trexler bought the hotel and renamed it the Mahncke Hotel. Trexler had a lot of experience when it came to hotels and the business flourished.

A man named Jot Gunter helped finance the building of a new hotel on the site and so the new hotel that opened in 1909 was named after him. Gunter was a local rancher, so it seems fitting that the Texas hotel was named for him. St. Louis architect, Ernest Russell designed the building, which rose to eight stories originally. At the time, it was the tallest structure in San Antonio. In 1917, another story was added. The hotel was bought by the Baker Hotel Company in 1924 and they added three more stories to the building in 1926. In 1980, renovations were begun and lasted for five years. In 1989, the hotel was bought by the Sheraton chain of hotels who sold it to the Camberley Group in 1996. By 1999, the hotel was back in the hands of the Sheraton and an extensive eight million dollar renovation was done. The hotel was added to the Register of Historic Places and continues to provide accommodations to this day.

Before we get into the horrific murder mystery associated with this property, we wanted to point out an interesting fact. On a previous episode, we had discussed people in the music industry who had reportedly sold their soul to the Devil to get his help with writing music and becoming famous. Robert Johnson is one of those artists associated with the legend of meeting the Devil at the crossroads. He had absolutely no talent and could not play the guitar at all. After his meeting at the crossroads, he became an artist and guitarist who still inspires song writers and musicians today. He met an early and untimely death that some claim was the Devil collecting on his deal. Robert Johnson stayed in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in 1936 and he held an historic recording session in that room.

The murder mystery dates back to 1965. A man who signed himself in as Albert Knox was given Room 636. He was young and blonde and checked in alone. He was later joined by a beautiful woman over the next several days. Many believe this woman was a paid escort. A maid had been unable to service the room for several days because the "Do Not Disturb" sign had been left on the door. Finally, she decided to let herself in thinking that perhaps the guest had forgotten to remove the sign. When she opened the door, she was met with a horrific sight. The bed was soaked in blood and the walls were running with blood. Beside the bed stood Albert Knox. He appeared startled by the maid's entrance. He grabbed a bloody bundle and pushed past her, out the door.

The police were called and when detectives arrived, they could not believe what they found. Blood covered everything and pieces of flesh were found all around the bathroom. A used .22 caliber bullet was on the bed as were strands of blonde hair and women's undergarments. Detectives quickly deduced that the woman who had been seen with Knox had been killed and that he butchered and dismembered her body in the bathroom, flushing what he could down the toilet. The police figured out that Albert Knox was really Walter Emerick and they tracked him down at a hospital where he was under the name Robert Ashley. He shot himself in his hospital room before he could be arrested. Police never did find the body of the woman.

Since the grisly murder, guests and hotel staff have reported paranormal events taking place in the hotel, specifically in and around room 636. Many have seen a full bodied apparition of a woman. She is seen many times with her arms outstretched as if she is asking for help. Maids are uneasy about cleaning the room and have experienced cold spots, been touched and had their equipment messed with. Hammering is sometimes heard coming from that room, particularly when no one is staying in the room.

The Sheraton Gunter Blog reports:

"Former staff member, Jackie Contreras, recalls an incident she had involving her and an apparition. One day back in 1990, she went to go check the room before important clients were to stay there that night.

When she opened the door, she found the room pitch black. Odd seeing how the maids typically drew the curtains back to allow sunlight in. As she fumbled around for the lights, the light from the hallway revealed a woman standing in the room.

Contreras says the woman was looking straight at her with outstretched arms! She described her as being very old and slumped over and as pale as a sheet. Contreras ran out of the room and down to the front desk to ask if anyone had been staying in room at the time. The attendants assured her no one had checked in….

That same year around Christmas, hotel employees were snapping photos together during the annual Christmas party. Once the photos were developed, one of the employees noticed a recurring unexplained human figure in each photo."

Does this female victim of a horrific crime still walk the Earth on this side of the Veil? Is she restless as she waits for her body to be found and justice? Is the Gunter Hotel haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Road Trip 2015 Day 9 - Nashville, Tennessee

History Goes Bump is roadtripping and this is the final episode from the road! Diane and Denise visited Music City, better known as Nashville and took in some of the historic buildings and a ghost tour with Nashville Ghost Tours. On this show, they share a brief history and then the hauntings that take place at some of the historic buildings including the state capitol!

HGB Road Trip Day 8 - St. Charles, Missouri

New episode! History Goes Bump is road tripping and stopped over in St. Charles, Missouri. This beautiful historic downtown area is a treasure of history and hauntings! Lewis and Clark left on their historic expedition from this area. Michael Henry was the tour guide for our ghost tour and he shared a wealth of knowledge. In this podcast from the road, we share a brief history of the town and some of the hauntings going on there!

HGB Road Trip Day 5 - Haunted Farmland

History Goes Bump spent several days in the small town of Westside, Iowa visiting family. Westside is located in Crawford County. The town derived its name from the fact that it is just slightly to the west of the divide between the Mississippi and Missouri river watersheds. The first settlers to the area arrived here after traveling from Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs was a major trading station. The settlers traveled by ox and cart, rather than by horse because horse ownership was a rarity. The people built log cabins to live in and they chose spots near tree groves because that meant water was nearby. The first major road that served Westside was the Railroad Telegraph Road, which traveled from Boone to Council Bluffs.

As the population grew, townships were formed to serve as government. Westside became its own township. Townships were headed by a Board of Trustees who were elected by the people. The town of West Side was officially incorporated on March 11, 1878. The town grew even more when the railroad came to town. The Chicago Northwest Railway built a station at this point west of the summit, the division of the water flowing to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.The coming of the railroad coincided with the end of the Civil War and more people immigrated to Iowa. Most of the immigrants were Irish and German families.

Westside is still a small farming community. Some of the property harbors more than just the living. Some of those from the past still seem to be hanging out in the afterlife. One of those haunted locations is Diane's sisters farm. The barn is haunted by a previous owner who met an untimely end at his own hand. There are also strange things that happen in the house on occasion.

Troy Taylor reports on his website, prairieghosts.com, about a haunted farm in Indiana. Strange phenomenon there includes:

- eerie voices that have been heard calling out

- strange behavior by horses, dogs and other animals as if they sense something that the humans who are present cannot (more about this later!)

- lights turning on and off by themselves

- Articles of clothing being taken and moved about

- knives and scissors disappearing from the barn. One knife literally vanished for ten years before being discovered again lying in plain sight on the floor of the barn

- strange moving cold spots in the barn and on the property

- a mist that comes up off the pond and then comes and goes at will. It has even been said (although not witnessed by the author) that the mist has even “performed” on command, coming and going in response to requests from witnesses

In addition to the barn and the outdoor areas of the farm, the house that is located on the property has also been the scene of disturbances. Accounts from the house include instances of:

- Lights that turn on and off (sometimes by request)

- Water faucets that turn on by themselves

- keys and other items that vanish from the kitchen table, only to be returned later

- a rocking chair in the kitchen that rocks by itself and has been seen by multiple witnesses

- cups and other items flying off the counters

Some of the scariest things found on farmland are scarecrows. Countless movies have featured terrifying scarecrows and one of the villains in Batman comics is the Scarecrow. Could a scarecrow be haunted?

The Bell Witch is a famous haunting in Tennessee on land that was once farmland belonging to the Bell family. The Bell Witch website reports the legend in this way:

"One day in 1817, John Bell was inspecting his corn field when he encountered a strange-looking animal sitting in the middle of a corn row. Shocked by the appearance of this animal, which had the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit, Bell shot several times. The animal vanished.  Bell thought nothing more about the incident, at least not until after dinner. That evening, the Bells began hearing "beating" sounds on the outside walls of their log house.

The mysterious sounds continued with increased frequency and force each night. Bell and his sons often hurried outside to catch the culprit but always returned empty-handed.  In the weeks that followed, the Bell children began waking up frightened, complaining that rats were gnawing at their bedposts. Not long after that, the children began complaining of having having their bed covers pulled from them and their pillows tossed onto the floor by a seemingly invisible entity.

As time went on, the Bells began hearing faint, whispering voices, which too weak to understand but sounded like a feeble old woman singing hymns. The encounters escalated, and the Bells’ youngest daughter, Betsy, began experiencing brutal encounters with the invisible entity. It would pull her hair and slap her relentlessly, often leaving welts and hand prints on her face and body.  The disturbances, which John Bell told his family to keep a secret, eventually escalated to such a point that he decided to share his "family trouble" with his closest friend and neighbor, James Johnston.

Johnston and his wife spent the night at the Bell home, where they were subjected to the same terrifying disturbances that the Bells had experienced.  After having his bedcovers removed and being slapped repeatedly, Johnston sprang out of bed, exclaiming, "In the name of the Lord, who are you and what do you want!" There was no response, but the remainder of the night was relatively peaceful.

The entity's voice strengthened over time to the point that it was loud and unmistakable. It sang hymns, quoted scripture, carried on intelligent conversation, and once even quoted, word-for-word, two sermons that were preached at the same time on the same day, thirteen miles apart.  Word of this supernatural phenomenon soon spread outside the settlement, even to Nashville, where then-Major General Andrew Jackson took a keen interest.

Jackson claimed to have an experience when traveling through the area. Their horses would not budge. After several minutes of cursing and trying to coax the horses into pulling the wagon, Jackson proclaimed, "By the eternal, boys! That must be the Bell Witch!"  Then, a disembodied female voice told Jackson that they could proceed and that she would see them again later that evening. They were then able to proceed across the property, up the lane, and to the Bell home where Jackson and John Bell had a long discussion about the Indians and other topics while Jackson’s entourage waited to see if the entity was going to manifest.

John Bell breathed his last breath on  the morning of December 20, 1820, after slipping into a coma the day before.  Immediately after his death, the family found a small vial of unidentified liquid in the cupboard.  John Bell, Jr. gave some of it to the cat, which died instantly. The entity then spoke up, exclaiming joyfully, "I gave Ol' Jack a big dose of that last night, which fixed him!"   John, Jr. quickly threw the vial into the fireplace, where it burst into a bright, bluish flame and shot up the chimney."

 Could farmland in the midwest hold the spirits of the undead? That is for you to decide!

HGB Road Trip Day 3 and 4 - Crime Scenes, Cemeteries and Haunts of Chicago, Illinois

Chicago’s first permanent resident was a trader named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a black man apparently from Haiti. He arrived in the late 1770s. In 1795, the U.S. government built Fort Dearborn at what is now the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, a major area in downtown Chicago today. Ft. Dearborn was burned to the ground by Native Americans in 1812, rebuilt and demolished in 1857. Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. Chicago was in a great spot to become central to westward expansion. The completion of the Illinois & Michigan Canal in 1848 created a water link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Railroads then took over and today O’Hare International Airport makes Chicago an aviation powerhouse. In the 1850s, they raised many of the streets five to eight feet to install a sewer system. Unfortunately, the buildings, streets and sidewalks were made of wood, and most of them burned to the ground in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Chicago Fire Department training academy at 558 W. DeKoven St. is on the site of the O’Leary property where the fire began. 2000 acres were burned and nearly all buildings in its path were destroyed. The Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station at Michigan and Chicago avenues was one of the only structures to survive. Chicago became known as the White City after this and rebuilt quickly. Much of the debris was dumped into Lake Michigan as landfill, forming the underpinnings for what is now Grant Park, Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago. Only 22 years later, Chicago celebrated its comeback by holding the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The hosting of the World's Fair is connected to a couple of haunted sites we visited on this road trip. Chicago was home to gangsters. Crime and tragedies have led to Chicago gaining a reputation as a haunted city. We visited several hot spots, which included Resurrection Cemetery, the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Hull House and the Murder Castle. Is Chicago haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Road Trip 2015 Day 2 - Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the state of Kentucky. Many famous figures from history have their roots in the Louisville area including President Zachary Taylor and Lewis and Clark. Louisville is famous for being the home of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken, the Louisville Slugger and the making of Bourbon. The reasons for Louisville being home to greatness in horses and bourbon were answered on our tour at Louisville's Mega Cavern where we learned that the limestone and magnesium and other minerals in the soil and rock of Louisville contribute to two things that make this city perfect for horses and bourbon. Horses grow strong from eating the grass enriched with these minerals and the limestone water gives bourbon its pleasing texture and smooth taste.

Louisville is named for King Louis XVI of France and was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark. In 1780, the Virginia General Assembly approved the charter for the city of Louisville. Forts became the first homes in Louisville because of a fear of raids by Native Americans. Louisville's location near the water helped it to grow because goods had to be unloaded here and moved from this location, so it was a hot spot when it came to being a shipping port. Runaway slaves found safe haven in Louisville during the Civil War and the city became a stronghold for Union forces.

The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875. Churchill Downs was the location and has been to this day, although in 1875 it was named the Louisville Jockey Club. Major set backs for the city occurred when Mother Nature hit hard. First, there was the terrible tornado in 1890 that killed nearly 120 people. Several decades later, the Great Flood of '37 hit. Flood walls were built after this.

The city today is a blend of old and new with many neighborhoods featuring Victorian homes. Some of the old in this city has to do with things that go bump in the night. Louisville has its share of hauntings. Louisville is one of the most haunted cities in America, filled with its share of haunted hospitals, theaters and mansions.

One of those mansions is the Brennan House. This home is a three story Victorian home built in 1868. In 1884, the Brennans moved to Louisville and paid $12,000 for the property. Mr. and Mrs. Brennan had eight children. The home stayed in the family for many years because several of the children lived in it their entire lives. And apparently, some of them still live there in the afterlife. Apparitions have been seen or felt in several rooms of the house. These rooms include the main hallway, the first floor parlor and the medical office of Dr. John. The children had a play room on the third floor where supernatural things happen as well.

The Landmark Building dates back to 1855 and the ghosts that hang around this building are said to have good nature and mostly perform poltergeist type of activity. The Belle of Louisville is a haunted steamship. Captain Winters captained this ship when it was known as the Idelwild and he requested it be renamed after his death. That did not stop him from tracking down his beloved ship in the afterlife. The Captain still apparently hangs out on the Belle of Louisville. A Native American girl haunts the Mega Cavern and was once captured as a full body apparition on film.

One of the more famous haunted locations in Louisville is Waverley Hills Sanatorium. Denise and I made the drive up to the location. We were too late to take a day tour and the driveway was already chained off with "No trespassing" signs posted. The building sits back up a hill off the road and the trees are thick, so we merely caught a glimpse of the place. We were disappointed that we couldn't at least get some pictures, but we will return in the future. The stories of hauntings here are numerous. The property was first home to a school and later the Sanatorium was opened to care for those sick with Tuberculosis. Like every other Sanatorium we have discussed in past podcasts, Waverley Hills had its own zip code and was self-contained. It was built in the Gothic style and cared for patients until 1961. It then became a home for geriatric paients and was finally closed by the state in 1981.

Hauntings at Waverley Hills include a ghost named Timmy that likes to roll balls. Timmy was a six or seven-year-old boy who died at Waverley Hills but has yet to move on. Visitors often bring toy balls to the hospital and invite the ghostly child to play. The balls sometimes move without any seen help. There are shadow people and disembodied screams. Room 502 is haunted by a woman. She was a pregnant nurse who committed suicide in that room. There are underground tunnels here as well that are nicknamed the Death Tunnels. Supplies were run through them, but so were dead bodies. Unexplained noises, shadows, disembodied footsteps and creepy EVPs are reported in the tunnels.

So is Louisville haunted? Check it out and see because that is for you to decide!

HGB Road Trip 2015 Day 1 - Chattanooga, Tennessee

 Chattanooga is the fourth largest city in the state of Tennessee. Native Americans were the first to settle the area and the name Chattanooga is derived from the Muskogean words for rock and dwelling. The Muskogean tribe were the first in the area followed by the Cherokee. In 1816, John Ross settled the area and it became known as Ross' Landing. John Ross was half Scottish, half Cherokee. The Cherokee would be interred at Ross' Landing and then driven out in 1838 by the United States government. This became part of what we know today as the Trail of Tears. Ross tried to alleviate concerns and make the transition better and he came to be known as the Cherokee People's Moses.

In 1839, Ross' Landing incorporated and became known as Chattanooga. The location near water and the railway caused Chattanooga to become a boom town. During the Civil War, the city became a battleground. The Battles of Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, all took place here. After the war, industry took over and Chattanooga flourished once again. A large flood in 1867 overwhelmed the city and a reservoir system was built to prevent future flooding.

The 1930s saw Chattoanooga take on the nickname "Dynamo of Dixie" and the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller was released in 1941. As is the case with all major cities, there are things here that go bump in the night! Being the center of battles during the Civil War seems to have left some residual energy in the area. Spectral battles have been witnessed throughout the decades. Old Green Eyes is one of the legends of the battlefield. He apparently is a man who lost his head to a cannonball. He wanders the battlefield looking for his body, so the head must just float about. And people swear they have seen the green eyes floating towards them. Two people even wrecked their cars in the 70s and blamed the crashes on Old Green Eyes.

The Tively Theater in town is reported to be haunted. Moccasin Bend has the most active ghosts. We went on the Chattanooga Ghost Tour and had a great time with our guide Kevin. He shared stories of the hauntings at the Hunter Museum and the Chili's parking lot, along with lots of other great stories and the history of how the city was built and the Coke Bottling Company's contribution to the growth of Chattanooga.