Posted 11:43 pm Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Send to Kindle
House with some spirit opens for ghost tours in Henderson
The Rusk County Heritage Association wants to provide residents with a more spine-tingling experience this year during ghost tours of the 1855 Howard-Dickinson House, said Cyndi Walker, who is organizing the event.
Tours are scheduled for Saturday at the historic Henderson home. Groups of 12 people at a time will tour the three-story structure, which is rumored to be haunted.
Ms. Walker said the house will be darkened to provide a spooky atmosphere, and a DVD made by the East Texas Paranormal Group will be played for visitors before tours to set the mood. The paranormal group shot the video last year as it conducted an investigation.
The investigation yielded some interesting findings, and the group reported that it encountered spirits, Judy Sewell, executive director of the Henderson Area Chamber of Commerce, has said.
"What stood out was just the fact that we've had paranormal groups come before and had people spend the night in the house a long time. They never did encounter anything, but they never have come with equipment this group had," she said this summer, adding the group also brought a medium.
Ms. Sewell has said the group said the spirits were not hostile but friendly. She said what stood out to her was supposedly there is an older man and a little boy spirit, who is 9 or 10 years old.
"The home is a very old and beautiful house. It is very neat and organized. The initial feeling was there was something there energywise, but it wasn't that strong in the beginning," the group wrote in its report, which was given to the chamber.
According to the group's investigation notes, an initial psychic reading showed that a woman was the prominent spirit there, and one member made contact with a woman named Harriett. The report also states that a spirit indicated that the lady in white on the balcony is Mrs. Dickinson.
Residents can check out the house for themselves during ghost tours this weekend.
However, Ms. Walker said parents should be cautious in bringing little children because the tours are designed for those who enjoy the possibility of paranormal activity.
Proceeds from the event go toward upkeep of the house/museum.
Once they complete a ghost tour, Ms. Walker said she hopes residents will want to come back and do a history tour.
The house also will be open to the public on Nov. 10 -- the same day as the Heritage Syrup Festival.
