One legendary “haunted” Houston picture is actually a huge portrait that is displayed on the second floor of the haunted downtown restaurant, the Spaghetti Warehouse at 901 Commerce Street, Houston, Texas. We started calling him “Mr. Creepy” and “scary guy,” almost as soon as we saw the portrait.
NOT the haunted portrait – This is President Wm. Taft.
It looks a lot like President William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913), shown at right. Many people have suggested that the haunted portrait is the late president, when he was younger.
A few of us have been trying to analyze the picture at the Spaghetti Warehouse, and cannot figure out why this portrait is so troubling. As you can see, we’ve tweaked the contrast and colors, and nothing clearly presents itself to us.
Sure, we can see the ‘bleeding eyes’ effect, but… we think there may be more than that.
If you can see anything especially odd in this photo, or explain why it’s giving some of our researchers nightmares, please comment, below.
The ghosts at the Spaghetti Warehouse are pleasant and playful; it’s not a scary place at all. However, this portrait is very odd, and we’d love to understand why it’s bothering us.
Thank you!
This is how the portrait really looks.
The following photos are modified versions. I created them with Photoshop, partly for fun.
Mostly, I was hoping to make sense of why a stained portrait should be so troubling. I mean, we see stained and damaged photos and artwork at many neglected haunted sites.
So, it doesn’t make much sense that an old picture should interest us so much, but… it does.
Inverted image — like a negative of the original.Same photo, enhanced with blue.Another version of that same photo, enhanced with red.
Looking for ghosts in Houston, Texas? Try this cluster of haunted parks and haunted cemeteries.
Bear Creek Pioneers Park is a favorite spot for picnics, sports events, and ghost hunting. Its official address is 3535 War Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas. The most convenient entrances are off Patterson Road, between Highway 6 and Eldridge Parkway, or off Clay Road. [Google Maps]
Addicks Reservoir
This was the site of a thriving German community in the 19th century, when it was a railroad stop for the MKT line. The nearest town was Addicks, established in 1850 and named after its postmaster, Henry Addicks.
Both Addicks and the Bear Creek community were destroyed in the 1900 flood brought inland by the Galveston hurricane.
Today, the original town of Addicks is covered with water, under the Addicks Dam Reservoir between Patterson Road and I-10. Part of this area is shown in my photo.
You can hike in on a dirt road to see the reservoir, but only posted, private, paved roads lead to the perimeter of it. [Google Maps]
The town was relocated and is a very small suburb of Houston by Highway 6 and I-10, latitude 29.78 & longitude -95.64.
Cemeteries and memorials
In addition to this submerged “ghost town,” there are at least three haunted Houston cemeteries in or near Bear Creek Park, plus a war memorial.
Blue Light Cemetery
Bear Creek Park, looking towards “Blue Light” Cemetery.
Blue Light Cemetery is the local nickname for Hillendahl Cemetery, also called Hillendahl-Eggling Cemetery. (There is another Hillendahl Cemetery in Houston.)
This small cemetery in Houston’s Bear Creek Park acquired its name because a blue glow seems to emanate from the graves at night.
The effect was more dramatic when the headstones were still there. Many of them were made from Labradorite (Calcium sodium aluminum silicate) which catches light and creates a glow so unique that it’s called “labradorescence.”
Today, the glow can still be seen on nights when the moon is especially bright.
It’s probably caused by shards of the broken headstones. Some credit the glow to swamp gas, since this area floods regularly and is very damp.
The cemetery is isolated, near patches of poison ivy, and attracts poisonous snakes. It’s surrounded by a 14′ high Federal fence, due to repeated vandalism and grave robbing.
It’s also been a crime scene, and the victim of Halloween pranks.
Park rangers have done their best to make it difficult to reach this cemetery. Some researchers report that one headstone remains; others say that none are there.
We’ve heard no first-person ghost stories about this Houston cemetery. Its glowing blue lights seem to have brought it to the attention of ghost hunters, without other paranormal activity.
Directions vary. According to some researchers, it’s off a path the starts at Pavilions 9 and 12 and leads SSW. The photo above shows the area you’ll be walking through. It’s fairly marshy in some areas. If you’re using GPS, this is noted as 29 degrees 49’45″N, 95 degrees 39’03″W. [Google Maps]
Harris County War Memorial
Harris County War Memorial
Although this isn’t a cemetery, we’ve noticed that many war memorials – especially those with names on them – are haunted. We notice consistent orbs in our pictures taken near them.
The memorial at Bear Creek Pioneers Park covers a wide, open, paved area. Several monuments list the names of Harris County soldiers who gave their lives in battle.
The memorial is at 3535 War Memorial Drive, just off Eldridge Parkway, and it has its own parking area.
The memorial is next to the park office; night visits aren’t recommended. However, late in the day, it’s a great place to visit, and you may get some orbs around dusk.
The wildlife habitat is in the same area, and features a wide variety of animals. Take some photos of the animals, and then stroll to the War Memorial for more pictures.
Addicks-Bear Creek Methodist Cemetery
Sign at Addicks Bear Creek Cemetery, Houston, TX
At the corner of Patterson Road and Highway 6 near Bear Creek Park, Addicks – Bear Creek Cemetery is a 20th century cemetery. It was moved there after repeated flooding in the town of Addicks, including the Galveston flood of 1900 which destroyed the town.
The cemetery is relatively new, and actively in use. It’s on a busy street, and padlocked to prevent visitors. However, the parking lot is not posted, and you can probably take photos through the chain link fence.
This cemetery has no ghost stories that we’ve heard about. According to some genealogists, “Blue Light” Cemetery is technically part of Addicks-Bear Creek Methodist Cemetery.
Beeler Family Cemetery is part of Beeler Memorial Park, 1150 Enclave Parkway, Houston, Texas. It was the family cemetery of pioneers James and Amanda Beeler and their descendants, as well as some other pioneer families.
When the cemetery was neglected, Harris County took responsibility for maintaining it.
To visit the cemetery, take Eldridge Parkway south from Patterson Road. After I-10 and Memorial Drive, look for Enclave Parkway on the left. (There is a traffic light with a protected left turn.)
Shortly after turning onto Enclave Pkwy, look for the Pocket Park sign on your right.
Turn right immediately after it; it will look like a driveway, and there is room for about four or five cars in the small parking area. The cemetery is surrounded by a black metal fence in a wooded area.
If you drive past Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation on the right, you’ve gone too far.
Inside Beeler Cemetery
If you approach from Briar Forest, take Enclave Parkway almost to where it intersects Eldridge. Look for Cabot Oil & Gas on your left. Turn left at the driveway immediately after Cabot’s sign. [Google Maps]
We’ve heard no ghost stories related to this cemetery, but have found considerable evidence of hauntings.
For additional reading: (links take you to other websites)
During our previous investigation, we’d noted anomalous compass swings (indicating elevated EMF) on the south side of the bridge.
We’d also taken an odd photo during the afternoon.
In May 2006, we visited Langham Creek Bridge with the Texas Paranormal group, organized by Elmo Johnson.
When we arrived, Elmo and Jill (another Texas Paranormal investigator) had already noted EMF surges in the field on the north side of Langham Creek Bridge.
In the photo above, the tiny white spot is an insect; it looks nothing like an orb. The others are ‘ghost orbs’ that show up in some photos, but not in others.
(In settings with flying insects and near water, it’s vital to take two photos in a row, as close together as possible. Insects, moisture, and anything else creating false orbs will usually show up in both photos. Also, orbs reflected from insects are usually oval or not-quite circular.)
All of the pictures in this article — and others about Patterson Road sites — have been authenticated against other photos.
Another orb at Langham Creek Bridge, Houston, TX
At right, another photo shows a crisp orb as well as another insect.
However, what really interests me are the more subtle orbs at the lower left side of the tree, and about halfway up, on the right side. To me, they seem to have more substance than typical orbs.
There’s clearly far more to investigate at Langham Creek Bridge. It’s a difficult spot to stop at, with minimal parking nearby.
However, especially in light of our earlier investigations at Patterson Road, it’s clear that Langham Creek is an active haunting.
That is, it’s not residual energy on a repeating loop. Instead, it can seem very haunted some days, and not very haunted on others.
On Saturday evening, 25 June 2005, we returned to the old depot in Katy, Texas.
This was my only ‘ghost orb’ photo, and it’s a good example of how hard you may have to look to see orbs.
This orb is large, but it’s very difficult to see. If it wasn’t so large, I wouldn’t bother posting it at all.
Out of about 30 photos of the depot and the caboose next to it, this is the only one with an orb that seems fairly real. (Orbs in two other photos could have been reflections from light sources.)
Of course, that’s what makes a site credible. If we saw orbs in every photo, or more than half of them, investigators would have to question humidity, dust, pollen, bugs, and so on.
One credible orb isn’t enough to confirm a haunted location. That’s not the only reason I recommend this challenging location for casual research.
The energy at the depot, and consistent, independent, psychic impressions by our investigating team… that’s another story.
Our experiences at the depot suggest a few gentle spirits at the old depot, possibly residual energy from people who worked there, and those who have happy memories of traveling by rail to and from Katy.
There is something considerably stronger at the caboose.
Initially, our collective ‘gut feeling’ is that the caboose is haunted by an old railroad conductor.
He’s not too happy with the caboose sitting still.
He’s annoyed that it’s not moving, it’s not keeping its usual schedule.
And, he doesn’t like people getting very close to the caboose, either.
He’s not malicious, just annoyed. He keeps looking out the back window (facing away from the depot) and checking his watch.
This was our second visit to the “old town” area of Katy, and the depot.
2014 update: I’m not personally monitoring that location now, but reports continue to confirm that the site is mildly haunted.
Because it’s such a public location next to a busy street, it’s not a great research location.
However, it’s a good, fun investigation site. It’s ideal for those who can visit during the day, or just want to see if they can detect anything, psychically or with ghost hunting tools.
Old Greenhouse Road, on the outskirts of Houston (Texas), has numerous ghost stories. Most of them repeat tropes I’ve heard before in multiple locations.
Are they urban legends? I’m not sure.
I investigated Old Greenhouse Road, anyway.
My husband and I parked our car just off the road, near the “haunted” bridge, to take photos.
Though the road is the site for the ghost stories, I felt drawn to the little path through the shrubs, just past where we parked our car.
That’s where I took several photos.
Those who know me in real life know that I’m very skeptical of anomalous photos. As often as I can, I return to the location – in daylight and at night – to see if I can debunk whatever’s in the picture.
Debunking the Ecto Photo
Initially, I couldn’t debunk this photo. Not at Old Greenhouse Road, anyway. We visited several times and none of the pictures looked like the one on the lower right, taken in 2005.
Those two photos were taken within seconds of each other using a film camera without a flash.
Digital photos might have looked the same.
It was dusk and the sun was directly behind us, highlighting the dirt path. About 50 feet ahead of us, the trees and shrubs were very dark.
Something there… it seemed very eerie. I hoped my photos would show something unusual. (In other words, I wasn’t 100% unbiased.)
Initially, I thought this might be an “ecto” (ectoplasm) photo.
Later experiments revealed the most likely cause of the red-orange line across the photo.
It was probably a strand of my own hair. (It’s auburn.)
Generally, I wear a scarf or otherwise pin my hair back, so it won’t get in front of the camera lens.
In this case, I’d forgotten.
Ghost Photo Tests with Hair
Though the following pictures aren’t exact matches, I think you’ll see why I’m at least 99% sure the “ecto” at the Houston site is my hair.
Here’s one photo of my hair in front of the camera lens, highlighted by the flash.
And here are a few hairs, held in front of the camera. Once again, the flash highlighted them.
Since those experiments, I’ve been very careful to keep my hair pulled back – preferably under a kerchief or scarf – when I’m taking photos at haunted sites.
Meanwhile, I can’t dismiss every story at Old Greenhouse Road in Houston. Frankly, it’s a difficult location to research. Speeding cars and sharp twists in the road increase the danger of investigating in low-light conditions. I won’t put myself – or my team – at risk, especially at a site that seems to match the “urban legend” profile.
But, for those who’d hoped my photo proved something ghostly at Old Greenhouse Road, I apologize. My initial assessment was wrong, and – even if it’s not a flash photo – hair can explain translucent streaks, when the color matches the haircolor of the photographer.
That doesn’t debunk the streak in the Gilson Road photo. I have never found an adequate explanation for that.
There are several differences. One of the main ones: I was the photographer. My hair was not purple. And, the texture in the original photo is significantly different. (Plus that, the purple streak photo was at Gilson Road Cemetery. We couldn’t debunk the majority of our photos taken at that very haunted site.)
Haunted Patterson Road in Houston, Texas, is next to Bear Creek Park between Highway 6 and Eldridge Road. [Google Maps: Patterson Road – Bear Creek Park]
It follows the route used by Civil War soldiers. The battle took place in the southeastern quadrant of Bear Creek Park.
According to folklore, those soldiers’ ghosts still march along Patterson Road at night.
If you stop on the road, they’ll tap on your car.
That’s the legend.
Of course, YOU SHOULD NOT DO THAT.
This area was once a farming community of German immigrants and their descendants.
Today, it is part of Addicks Reservoir and Bear Creek Pioneers Park, in Harris County, Houston.
The other is Bear Creek Bridge, closer to Highway 6.
Are the legends true?
Bear Creek Bridge isn’t supposed to be haunted.
I disagree.
In daylight, Bear Creek Bridge feels far more eerie than the other bridge on Patterson Road.
In May 2005, using the “sparkles” camera, two of us – during an informal evening of ghost hunting – saw visible anomalies at the Bear Creek bridge.
We saw none at Langham Creek on that same evening, though we did capture some strange mists in our photos.
This orb is probably an insect.
I took this photo at Bear Creek bridge. As you can tell from the grain in the photo, it was a very dark evening. To see anything in the picture, I lightened it considerably in Photoshop.
I’ve included the image – and some trees around it – in case anyone else captures a clear anomaly in a ghost photo at that same location.
After, we paused on that bridge, testing the “tapping Civil War soldiers” legend.
This is important: We only paused.
You should not stop there. You probably shouldn’t even pause on that bridge.
Definitely do NOT turn off your engine or your car’s headlights.
Tapping on my car
With my car windows open, I heard three rapid, distinct and clear taps on the car, immediately below my outside mirror.
The tapping sounds was like metal on metal, similar to my car antenna tapping my car roof when I’m driving on a very bumpy road.
It didn’t sound unearthly.
I have no explanation for the tapping, since the car window was fully open and I could see the side of the car easily.
In fact, I looked out of the car right away, to see what caused the noise. I saw nothing unusual at all: No insects, no animals, and nothing brushing against the car.
It was too loud to be the car or the bridge settling.
I was in the driver’s seat, so my door was towards the center of the bridge.
There was no likelihood of shrubbery, vines, or branches hitting the car.
I had no explanation.
In my experience, most paranormal encounters are very different from anything “normal.”
That’s why it took me awhile to accept that something so loud (and apparently mundane) could have been ghostly.
The taps sounded entirely real, normal, and I wanted to know who’d tapped on my car with something like a metal baton.
It probably took me close to five minutes to realize that there was no normal explanation for what had happened.
I did exactly what I’m telling you NOT to do: I stopped on a road at night.
It was a spooky experience, but incredibly stupid as well.
Don’t be another “weird” statistic.
Since writing this, I’ve learned that there are an unusual number of car accidents in that area, and not just among ghost enthusiasts.
Some people speculate that there’s “bad energy” around Bear Creek Park.
I’m not sure about that, but I can confirm that something taps on cars on Patterson Road.
Don’t try this yourself. Please, just take my word for it.
Or, park farther up the street.
Hike to a point where you can safely observe the bridge. And then, pay attention to cars passing over it, and any anomalies you notice.
Old Greenhouse Road, on the outskirts of Houston (Texas), has numerous ghost stories. Most of them repeat tropes I’ve heard before in multiple locations.
It follows the route used by Civil War soldiers. The battle took place in the southeastern quadrant of Bear Creek Park.