Ghosts of the Rio Grande Valley

Haunted America

by Dr David Bowles, José Meléndez

Tradition meets tragedy in the chilling local lore of the Rio Grande Valley. Hidden in the dense brush and around oxbow lakes wait sinister secrets, unnerving vestiges of the past and wraiths of those claimed by the winding river. The spirit of a murdered student in Brownsville paces the locker room where she met her end. Tortured souls of patients lost in the Harlingen Insane Asylum refuse to be forgotten. Guests at the LaBorde Hotel in Rio Grande City report visions of the Red Lady, who was spurned by the soldier she loved and driven to suicide. Author David Bowles explores these and more of the most harrowing ghost stories from Fort Brown to Fort Ringgold and all the haunted hotels, chapels and ruins in between.

Genres: History, Folklore, Supernatural, Nonfiction

162 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Michael Benavidez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binge read it all in a day!

So I picked this book up on my trip to Texas. Never heard of it, never knew of its release. It merely sat there on the cashier's check out area in Barnes & Noble, and I bought it on a whim.
Over or just about 10 years since I've left the Valley (I really can't remember) for Minnesota, it's safe to say I've become a Minnesotan. However, the things I've learned, seen, and just all around made me who I am, is pure Donna Texas (for those reading this book that's part of Hidalgo County).
Down in the Valley I thrived on the supernatural, superstitions, the lore, the myths, the fantastical that all the older folks used to speak about. To this day, I have this habit of picking up a woman's purse off the ground and onto the table because my mom said it was bad luck. Don't even get me started on chewing gum at night, or walking around with one shoe.
So reading this was by no means a chore. It was interesting, it was factual, and damn can this man write.
So this man cuts the book up into 4 parts, one for each county that makes up the Valley. Each part is separated into chapters, one for each Ghost. Each chapter is separated into three parts, The History, The Lore, and The Legend.
Truth be told, it can be repetitive because of the structure for those that aren't all too interested in each. Except, and maybe I'm biased because I still yearn for the days of high school where my favorite classes was Texas History and English, each part is absolutely amazing.
Texas is so full of history. The Rio Grande Valley is all about history. There buildings all have their stories, the streets, the roads, everything. I still remember the days that my dad and I (my grand father and I, my grandma and I, etc.) would cruise the streets, from back roads to highways, telling me who lived where, and what happened when.
This was like that for me, just more detailed.
David Bowles spares no expense, giving the history to the very bones of the city. He produces photos of the buildings, brings up names, and dates, and things I never would have paid attention to.
When he gets to the lore, he breaks it down to the very possible things. Such as La Llorona (the weeping lady) my boogeyman...er woman, for several years. He traces the source of power of her spirit to the days of the Aztecs, and brings a sort of knowledge to it that makes it seem possible. I'm a firm believer in these things, and it all has this ring of truth.
The legend is where his writing shines. Here he writes a short story of sorts based on the horrible events that led to the origination of the ghosts, or around people who have claimed to seen or been attacked by the ghosts. It works really well. He doesn't go full gore details, but keeps it at a family friendly insight, in a more mature Goosebumps way. It still succeeds in making you wonder and think on it. A really great book, well worth the buy.
Also I should mention the illustrations, while not the greatest ever, are wonderful additions, sometimes being legitimate in creating a tense atmosphere, and other times just being a bit hokey.

[Romeo Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts of the Rio Grande Valley by David Bowles is beautifully written. It is told with passion and is backed up by pertinent research. Its historical content is accompanied by folklore and legend to give the book a distinct touch that readers can/will enjoy. For generations, Hispanics have told many of these legends and continue to do so. It's a way for all of us to cling to our heritage and to our past, which is important because it keeps the RGV relevant and significant. I especially enjoyed the Historical accuracy in which Bowles details the life/myth/legend of the infamous Tom Mayfield. He was indeed a monster and the killer of many Mexican-Americans. I highly recommend this book. Even if you aren't a reader, you will not want to put this one down. My rating: 5/5.

Enjoy!

[Bobscopatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Bowles is one of my favorite authors. I had this book on pre-order and devoured it as soon as I got the chance to read it. He gives us the history, lore, and legend of 17 ghost stories all set in the RGV area. The history goes as far back as colonial and some pre-colonial periods. The stories bring it all the way to the present day. There are particular ones that I can already tell are going to stick with me.

I highly recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy Texas history.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO interesting! Even more interesting because I live in the Rio Grande Valley now. I've actually visited one of the haunted places talked about in this book, La Lomita Chapel. David did an excellent job giving you the history, the legend, and the lore. Highly recommend if you live in the area.

[Synful · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been to The Valley only once despite living not too far and that visit was in the last couple of years. It is interesting to know about the history of the different towns that make up the Río Grande valley, but the stories became a little repetitive and many are little more than very short anecdotes. I'm not sure if this book is supposed to be for younger audiences maybe and that's why it's kept brief? Not really any chills from the ghost stories. The short paragraphs of history were interesting, though.

[M.R. Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting piece of folkloric ethnography that definitely goes beyond local interest. Bowles has collected a diverse assortment of spooky tales and, more than just relating campfire stories, has also provided the relevant history, photographs of sites, and insight into some of these personalities that seem to have stuck around beyond their natural spans.

[Sal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but it was far too dry.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born and raised in Texas, and I always loved ghost stories about my native state, however, all these tales, with the exception of a couple were new to me, so this was a fascinating story.

The Rio Grande Valley if you were to look on a map, is essentially the southern tip of Texas. The Gulf of Mexico being it's most easterly point, and Starr county it's most westerly. The entire valley area borders Mexico. This book highlighted ghostly tales from that region.

Each chapter covered the ghost stories native to a particular county, and within that chapter were sub chapters, each focused on a place and the ghosts that resided there. Each sub chapter began with history of the location, and the place being haunted, then an actual tale was presented that highlighted the ghost, or ghosts.

Two of the stories, a version of La Llorona, very common in this area, and a version of a lady in white who haunts a highway, were not new. That being said, all the other tales in this book were new to me, and it was really interesting to read about them.

[G Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

If that low star rating is a poor first impression, let me reassure you that if you want ghost stories, this book has it. They are told well. I love that Bowles gives the historical context for what really happened, what people say caused the hauntings to begin and finally telling a story about people who had such an encounter. It's a very cool approach to telling a region's ghost stories that kept me engaged and really helped me understand some of the stories I grew up hearing.

So why only three stars? Because this is a very utilitarian book. I wanted ghost stories and I got them. They didn't thrill or chill me, I didn't grow as a person having read them and I walked away feeling that I got exactly what I asked for. That's a good thing in a broad sense, but there's not much more to it. This book isn't fast food and it's not your favorite restaurant's best dish - it's that Indian place you go to because it's reliable, you know what you're going to get and you always enjoy it.

Want some ghost stories from the Rio Grande Valley? Bowles has got you covered.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. As an anthropologist the history and folklore was spot on. Since I work in environmental and historical interpretation all of this was useful knowledge and as a a West Texan I alway like reading about home. My major issue with this besides some typos was the glaring political bias and SJW bs put into every chapter. I fully understand that Anglos in the Southwest did horrific things but the atrocities in the region went both ways and began long before Europeans arrived in the region. As I said the stories and legends were informative and entertaining but the Anglo basing went a little far.

[Angelina Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly found this book at CVS, and since I’m from the RGV, I thought it would be a good read. It confirmed some of the places I grew up knowing were haunted, and I also learned about some new ones.

I loved that the book included history regarding each county because it was interesting to learn how some of these places were named from cities to famous streets that are recognizable to this day.

[Melissa Ram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I’m really impressed with this book. It combined the history of the Rio Grande valley with local ghosts stories in a very thorough fashion, including beliefs of the inhabitants before the modern borders along with recent sightings and experiences. I’m a lifelong resident- even was married at La Lomita!- and read stories that were new to me.

[Clark Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Stories

My mother was born and grew up in Harlingen, Texas. My father grew up on a farm near San Perlita, Texas. Naturally, I was curious t read stories about the ghosts haunting these places and others in the Rio Grande Valley. If you or someone you are related to grew up in “the valley”, I recommend this book.

[Margaret Grabowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect mix of history and legend. Not only did I read local legends, but I also learned about the local history that gave rise to them, focusing on the history of how the RGV came to be the way it is. Both the history and legends are written using captivating language, and the balance of nonfiction and fiction (?) is perfect. Thankful for this book and the knowledge it shares!

[Douglas Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book.

There are many places mentioned in this book that readers will find interesting and to their own taste. People around that part of Texas will really enjoy this book.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and the history is interesting, but on the town I'm most familiar with there were some pretty massive gaps in the history and my husband (whose hometown it is) had no idea what the writer was going on about.

[Jair Ibarra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es interesante saber sobre la historia de las distintas poblaciones que forman el valle de Río grande, pero si ser lugares cercanos muchas veces se vuelve repetitivo, además que muchos de los relatos no son más que anecdotas que se alargan innecesariamente. Al final es decepcionante.

[Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ghosts of the Rio Grande Valley was really well written, mixing in historical information with ghost stories and lore.
While this would do well in it's local area, I think it resonates well with anyone who enjoys dark history.