THE TEXAS GHOST SHOW 2010
Photos from 1st annual Texas Ghost Show in Beaumont, Texas ~ PLEASE VISIT HERE NOW!
Somewhere
between the darkness and the light,
my spirit soared through the clouds at twilight,
I saw the forests and I saw the streams,
Below my feet the Earth above angelic gleams,
Crossing Over.....
I'm Crossing Over.....
Into the blue and then into the black,
Shining stars and planets....will they bring
me back?
Brilliant light....is it Him...forever seen?
Or am I seeing a glimpse of the beginning?
Crossing Over......
I'm Crossing Over.....
Crossing Over......
Crossing Over......
(guitar)
I'm drawn into this Rainbow Man of pure light,
Someone I've known before...my eyes open...heal
my sight,
Angelic beings and souls from other lives,
Open the door and say:"No,Its not your time"
Crossing Over.....
I'm Crossing Over.....Yeah
Crossing Over.....well,well,well
I'm Crossing Over....yeah,yeah,yeah
Texas Traveler: Galveston Ghosts
By Brittanie Shey in
TexasMon., Oct. 19 2009 @
6:59AM
 |
| Photos by Brittanie
Shey |
| Dash Beardsley
starts the tour. |
Dash
Beardsley is a legend, both in his own mind,
and in real life. The Robert Plant look-alike,
owner and operator of Ghost
Tours of Galveston, shows up for tours
wearing a floor-length black duster, silver
rings on every finger, and sunglasses. At
8 o'clock at night. Before the tour starts,
he designates someone to be his "lantern-bearer."
He carries with him a backpack blaring songs
from The Doors, and quotes openly from Jim
Morrison.
Texas Traveler
has been on a couple of different ghost tours.
We've done Haunted Prague, and the Jack the
Ripper Tour in London, along with some places
closer to home. It's a fun way to see a different
side of a city. But never have we seen a tour
as popular as Ghost Tours of Galveston. When
we arrive, at 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night,
at least 70 people are waiting on the steps
of the island's art deco Railroad Museum.
At $15 a head, that's some kind of racket.
More people arrive for a second tour, which
starts at 8:30 p.m.
Ghost Tours
of Galveston originally started with Beardsley
and his two-hour walk of the Strand. Though
he was born and raised in The Heights, his
grandfather, an accountant for Gulf Oil for
more than 40 years, had land in Galveston,
and would share with Beardsley his stories
of the island's fables. About a decade ago,
Beardsley came down to Galveston himself and
started doing his own research into the island's
history, to see if it matched up with some
of the stories he'd heard.
To be sure,
Galveston has some of the most interesting
history in the state. At one point it was
considered the New York City of the South.
People from Houston know this, but for the
rest of the country, Galveston's effect on
trade and culture in the Victorian era is
essentially unknown, thanks to the Great Storm
of 1900, which ended everything.
But even
before that, Galveston was home to larger-than
life characters like the pirate Jean Lafitte,
who established the first township on the
island, and the Karankawa
Indians. The first 20 minutes of Beardsley's
tour include a rundown of Galveston history,
and specifically, a history of the Strand
area.
The ghost
tour has all the usual trappings you would
expect -- lots of visions of girls in white
Victorian dresses, unrequited love stories
and unfinished business. There are even a
few vampires stories in there, since vampires
are the hot new trend these days. But it's
also peppered with personal anecdotes from
Beardsley, who is obviously a man-about-town.
He gets called out by name by the ubiquitous
bikers at Crow's Cantina, and by drivers of
The Strand's horse-drawn carriages. Random
vehicles pull up to the tour group so the
passengers can say hello to our guide.
Galveston
should be glad to have him as a local character.
He's one of the strongest advocates of the
island's resurgence, and advocates the preservation
of the island's historical buildings. Plus
his nightly tours are drawing plenty of tourist
dollars into the area.
Now he's
had to hire extra tour guides, people to help
run the business, and help for the launch
of a second walk, the "Secret
Society" tour through the Old City Cemetery.
He's got other plans too. He's writing a book
of Galveston's lost history -- "of stuff that's
not on the tour" -- and he plans one day to
have his own ghost-hunting reality show. In
a few months he's going to a paranormal convention
in Beaumont.
Now, you
might not believe in this nonsense, but even
if you don't, the walking tour is worthwhile
for the history it reveals. As Beardsley says,
"If you're expecting my head to spin around
while I spew pea soup for you, you will be
sorely disappointed." But if you like a good
story, Beardsley has plenty.
- Boomba
2410 Strand Street
(409) 763-1000
-The Tremont House Hotel
2300 Ships Mechanic Row
(409) 763-0300
(Tentatively re-opening in June)
-Mediterranean Chef
2402 Strand Street
(409) 765-7700
-Island Music
(open Fri. and Sat. only)
(409) 763-6197
-Island Carriages
(409) 765-6951
- Luigi's Ristorante Italiano
2328 Strand Street
(409) 763-6500
(open in April)
- Galvez Hotel
2024 Seawall Blvd.
(409) 765-7721
- Crow's Cantina and Grill
2408 Strand Street
(409) 765-9300
- Olympia Grill
4908 Seawall Drive
(409) 766-1222
- Olympia Grill
(open early summer)
Pier 21
- La King's Confectionary
2323 Strand Street
(409) 762-6100
(Hope to re-open in the Spring)
- Bacchus Wine Bar
2404 Strand Street
(409) 765-9463
Ghost Tours of Galveston T-shirts
Get
the most out of your vacations to Galveston,
Texas, Take our Ghost Tour! Don't be fooled
by other company's claims. We are Galveston's
Original Downtown Walking Tour! Accept no imitations!
Check out : "GALVESTON,
TEXAS ATTRACTIONS" Here!
FOR
DISCOUNTED GALVESTON HOTELS, MOTELS AND BED
AND BREAKFAST PLEASE VISIT HERE
NOW!
GALVESTON
LOCAL HISTORY
As early as the 1500’s this area was home to
the Akokisa Indians who camped, fished and hunted
the land, it was also the place where they buried
their dead. In 1786 Jose de Evia was sent by
Bernard de Galvez, a Spanish colonial governor
and general, to chart the Gulf of Mexico. Jose
de Evia found the river mouth and called the
bay Galveston Bay the governor. The governor
never set foot on the land that was named after
him as he died in the same year. It was only
later that the island and the city took the
same name
In 1817 Jean
Lafitte, a privateer arrived and made the island
his base and named it Campeche. Lafitte’s own
mansion “Maison Rouge” was located in the village
plus a large slave market, boarding houses,
saloons, pool halls and huts for the pirates.
General James Long tried to recruit Lafitte
to help make Texas Independent from Spain and
Mexico, but he remained neutral. In 1821 Lafitte
was forced to leave his operation on the island,
after having attacked and American ship. Lafitte
held a huge party before he left and then burnt
his settlement, it is also believed that he
had buried treasure on the Island, but it has
never been found.
Jane Long, the
wife of General James Longs, became “The Mother
of Texas” when she gave birth to the first Anglo
Saxon native Texan baby in 1821; she was named
Mary Jane Long. Michel B. Menard, bought a “league
and labour” of land in 1836 for the huge sum
of $50,000 from the Austin Colony and this was
the beginning of Galveston. As Menard needed
additional funds to promote the new town and
formed the City of Galveston with nine other
men, namely, Gail Borden, Samuel May Williams,
William H. Jack, A J Yates, John K. Allen, Mosley
Baker, James Love and David White.
In 1937 Congress
made Galveston a port of entry and Gail Borden
was appointed as Collector of Customs. In 1842
the Galveston News was founded and is the only
surviving and the oldest daily newspaper in
the state – It is now known as The Galveston
County Daily News. The Strand became the “Wall
Street of the Southwest” as all the wholesalers,
cotton agents, mercantile firms and insurance
companies could be found here. In 1860 the bridge
to the mainland was completed and this provided
the opportunity for the railroads to expand.
On September
8 1900 Galveston was hit by one of the most
ferocious storms in history. With wind-speeds
of over 120mph and tidal surges the island it
was devastated. Almost a third of the city was
completely destroyed and more than 6,000 people
were killed. In 1902 a seawall, seven miles
long and 17 feet high, was built by the city
to prevent such a terrible devastation from
hitting the island again, it was completed in
1910. Galveston overcame this terrible disaster
and has become a top resort. |
