All Things Bubba

What do you do on Halloween night when you're too old to go trick or treating? Go on a ghost tour, of course.

I don't think I really believe in ghosts, but I love true ghost stories. Also, I've found these ghost tours are an excellent way to learn about the history of an area.

We chose the downtown Houston ghost walk because we were staying in downtown Houston, and didn't bother to rent a car. (There's so much to do in downtown Houston in easy walking distance, or along the light rail line.)

The ghost walk guide told some fascinating stories, but I'm not sure I believe all of them. He said Hermann Park is built on a cemetery, and they didn't bother to move the bodies. (Actually, I do believe that. I've seen that done elsewhere.) But his claim that bones float up in the lake seems...far-fetched. He also claimed that several people have died rolling down the hills built with fill from the construction of Fannin St. (Pictured above.) I couldn't find any confirmation via Google.

Then there was his story about Rice University. He said there's a building on campus that was supposed to be the founder's home, only he was murdered before he could move in. It's true that William Marsh Rice was murdered - a shocking crime that would have kept Nancy Grace busy for months had she been around back then. But so far as I can tell, the university was only founded after he died, and there was no house built for him on campus.

Anyways, he claims this building, called Jones Hall, is so haunted Rice can't use it. Supposedly, every night the place is vandalized (presumably by the ghost of Mr. Rice). Furniture overturned, graffiti on the walls, etc. So the building was shut and stands unused. Once a week janitors go in, clean up the mess, and close the building again. The next week, it's trashed again.

I'm pretty sure if that happened, it would be national news. On Coast to Coast AM, if nothing else.

Eh, it was entertaining anyway. I gave the guy a tip. But I wish more people had Glen Grant's knack for stories that are weird but not so weird it's ridiculous.

Labels: obake