Saturday December 13, 2014
Michael Varhola
Tonight we had Michael Varhola author of Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country, Texas Confidential: Sex, Scandal, Murder, and Mayhem in the Lone Star State, and Life in Civil War America; from the America's Haunted Roadtrip series: Ghosthunting Virginia; and Ghosthunting Maryland; Shipwrecks and Lost Treasures, Fire and Ice: The Korean War, and Everyday Life During the Civil War.
Skype "upgraded" itself, causing the predictable upheaval of the fact that such generally should be considered a downgrade. With an entirely new format, Henry had to do battle with it just to get Kat, Ceiling Cat Barbara Duncan, and myself into the call.
After my giving out the bio information retrieved from his website, Michael laughed how he really need to update that; he even indicated having taken over as editor in chief for the Anerican Haunted Road Trip series from John Kachuba. He also said how his latest book Ghosthunting San Antonio book was still five chapter short of completion. But he still had the information: we started out discussing the Alamo and Crockett Hotel and Enchanted Rock.
After the first break Michael discussed the haunted Menger Hotel, originally a brewery, as well as a former Red Light District. He also spoke about the Devil's Backbone, a section of highway which was one of the first haunted areas Michael investigated, as he lived so close to it, a well as the Devil's Hollow, at which he hinted at having experienced things there himself. He could hear a bell chiming next to his ear, which later he found a bell.
Henry asked about some of the former hospitals, now hotels, such as the Emily Morgan Hotel, and Ye Kendall Inn, which has cottages and cabins, and a church, all/each with their own haunted histories. He investigated one room's "haunted bathtub," etc.
Michael discussed Comanche Lookout Park, which even has a medieval type tower, built in the 1930s, that was to have been part of a castle that was never completed. He also mentioned Lauren and James Swartz having had experiences there. He said there was aspects so dark and mysterious, that an archeology report was heavily redacted.
Before going to the second break, James Kiehl River Bend Park/SA&AP Bridge was discussed, which contains so many bats, that at twilight it takes ten minutes for them all to fly off from it.
CC threw our guest a curve ball about a Texas Wall about which Michael had never heard.
After the break, CC asked about the University of the Incarnate Word, which Michael explained started as a teaching hospital. Henry has Michael speak about the Spanish Governor's Palace, which originally was a Presideo: the local military headquarters, with a violent history attached.
CC reported our having listerers in the US, Canada and the UK tonight.
Michael clarified his book series are travel guides, that all the sites are publically accessable, and that he's visited all the sites on which he reports.
Henry asked about the famous University Texas tower 27th floor sniper. He's also visited the famous Book Depository though being north Texas, he's not yet written a book on it; he'd also found no paranormal activity there or the neighbouring area. He spoke about a convicted killer who was a hired hit man by a drug cartel to kill federal judge John Jay Wood.' The killer, Charles Void Harrison was later cornered and he kept exclaiming that he'd shot JFK. He mentioned his Texas Confidential: Sex, Scandal, Murder, and Mayhem in the Lone Star State, book, and his plans to do books covering Austin and Dallas hauntings.
Where the 1842 Battle of Salado Creek took place now sits Victorian's Black Swan Inn, which is an event venue, considered one of the most haunted Texas spots.
Lauren and James Swartz also conduct the downtown Sisters Grimm Ghost Tour, started at the Menger Hotel. The two authored Haunted History of Old San Antonio.
Michael spoke about the haunted Gruene History District, ghost town, Gruene being pronounced Green. While it's very touristy, they're not very open to investigations.
We closed with discussing The Mansion from the late 1800s, now a Mexican restaurant. It has a few "identified" ghosts.
Michael gave out his Ghosthunting San Antonio website, his personal Facebook and his author Facebook pages, and the clarification that he is known both as Michael J. and Michael O., and the America's Haunted Roadtrip site.
I gave out my website's Paranormal View hub page at which one can find the show's respective report pages, and that we're very findable on Facebook, et al.
Kat provided most but not all of her website, and the show's @Paraviewradio Twitter presence, her @jinxedcomic Twitter account, her Facebook fan page, her Hunt For Ghosts site, and her Miss Grey graphic novel page.