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Haunted America
Haunted Austin (TX): History and Hauntings in the Capital City
A killer lurks in the dark streets, victimizing servant girls throughout 1885, and Austin becomes the first American city to claim a serial killer. The spirits of convicts wander amidst the manicured grounds of the Texas State Capitol while inside a public servant assassinated in 1903 still haunts the corridors. These are just a few of the strange and frightening tales of Haunted Austin. Within these pages lies evidence that the frontier bravado legendary in so many Texas men and women lives on long after death. Author Jeanine Plumer explores the sinister history of the city and attempts to answer the why do so many ghosts linger in Austin?
112 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 27, 2018
Came across this at Half-Price, and decided to check in with the local undead. The author referring to the Civil War as "the War Between the States" while not pitched up as high as "the War of Northern Aggression" is a little too dogwhistle for me in 2018. I'm guessing it was an honest mistake. Oh for the innocence of 2010, when this was published. As for the subject matter, a bit of a thin gruel. The basic ingredients for a satisfying ghost story were there—the quotidian and the sudden departure therefrom—but it just doesn't come together. Some interesting points to ponder, however: most of the haunted locales are in the present day bars, since the ultimate fate of all buildings in Austin is of course to become bars or restaurants, patronized by the likes of me, a ghost in my own time. And was the construction of the Moonlight Towers really in response to the Servant Girl Annihilator? Pay me $100 to spend the night in a haunted house, and I'll tell you.
August 11, 2021
A quick read with several ghost stories centered within the Austin area. While the author does a great job with the backgrounds of each location and the people affected, I do wish there was more ‘meat’ to the stories of the hauntings. The effect is that some of the stories feel incomplete; sometimes only a sentence or two is given.
May 6, 2020
If haunting is feeling a cold breeze in an empty room, my entire venting system is haunted.
April 2, 2024
I appreciate this book for being my entertainment on a fairly short flight as well as being someone who has lived in Austin for over 15 years. For how short it was and how I see it in nearly every drug store, I didn't have the biggest expectations and I was [unfortunately?] correct. It's short and sweet, but even with that, most of the examples of 'hauntings' had little to no information of the hauntings at all. As much as I appreciated that the chapters/selections were mostly about the history of the location, the way each segment is written is 95% history, 5% haunting stories. Sometimes even less than that.
I was disappointed that it almost seemed like the bare minimum was done in terms of research into legends about the hauntings. The Driskill for example, is so infamously haunted that if you ask most Austin natives or those who have been around for awhile, they have stories they've been told by friends/family that experienced strange events when staying or working there/attending events/etc. I was also pretty annoyed at how some rumors about known historical events [for example, details surrounding the aftermath of the Servant Maid Annihilator serial killings] were listed as fact, when even in 2008 when the book was written was openly disproved.
Also for a book that seems to be pretty widespread in so many drug and grocery stores, there were a surprising amount of typos and grammatical issues.
Good for the historical events but not much else. Definitely don't suggest to buy full price and instead find a cheap used copy.
I was disappointed that it almost seemed like the bare minimum was done in terms of research into legends about the hauntings. The Driskill for example, is so infamously haunted that if you ask most Austin natives or those who have been around for awhile, they have stories they've been told by friends/family that experienced strange events when staying or working there/attending events/etc. I was also pretty annoyed at how some rumors about known historical events [for example, details surrounding the aftermath of the Servant Maid Annihilator serial killings] were listed as fact, when even in 2008 when the book was written was openly disproved.
Also for a book that seems to be pretty widespread in so many drug and grocery stores, there were a surprising amount of typos and grammatical issues.
Good for the historical events but not much else. Definitely don't suggest to buy full price and instead find a cheap used copy.
July 10, 2017
Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge: A book you bought on a trip.
I tend to buy the "ghost story" books for the places where I go on vacations -- Salem, Danvers, Austin, the Stanley Hotel, the Lizzie Borden home. So I had this book for a handful of years and decided to finally read it through.
One side of me was a little disappointed with this book, oddly enough, because it was more history/fact than actual ghostly encounters, like many of the books of this type usually are. The author explains in the introduction that she performed walking history tours of Austin and that the people "lit up" whenever there was any mention of death at a location, therefore Plumer collected those stories.
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I expected.
I tend to buy the "ghost story" books for the places where I go on vacations -- Salem, Danvers, Austin, the Stanley Hotel, the Lizzie Borden home. So I had this book for a handful of years and decided to finally read it through.
One side of me was a little disappointed with this book, oddly enough, because it was more history/fact than actual ghostly encounters, like many of the books of this type usually are. The author explains in the introduction that she performed walking history tours of Austin and that the people "lit up" whenever there was any mention of death at a location, therefore Plumer collected those stories.
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I expected.
March 10, 2023
Poorly written and very boring.
This book is mostly history, not hauntings, and some chapters had a bunch of stuff inside that had nothing to do with what the chapter was about. 🤷🏻♂️
Was expecting a better book.
If you want to read about some amazing ghost stories, read "Best Tales of Texas Ghosts" by Docia S. Williams!! Amazing facts and great story telling!
That book is actually really scary!
⚠️MINI SPOILERS⚠️
I did like the chapter about the assassination of Cololel R. M. Love in the state capital and the ghost that lingered after,
and the chapter about the shopping woman ghost in the Driskill Hotel!
This book is mostly history, not hauntings, and some chapters had a bunch of stuff inside that had nothing to do with what the chapter was about. 🤷🏻♂️
Was expecting a better book.
If you want to read about some amazing ghost stories, read "Best Tales of Texas Ghosts" by Docia S. Williams!! Amazing facts and great story telling!
That book is actually really scary!
⚠️MINI SPOILERS⚠️
I did like the chapter about the assassination of Cololel R. M. Love in the state capital and the ghost that lingered after,
and the chapter about the shopping woman ghost in the Driskill Hotel!
September 25, 2022
Not really ghost stories
Interesting tidbits of Austin’s history, referencing present-day landmarks, such as the Driskill hotel. But the “haunted” part of this book comes down to one ghost legend, thrown into each history chapter almost as an afterthought.
Interesting tidbits of Austin’s history, referencing present-day landmarks, such as the Driskill hotel. But the “haunted” part of this book comes down to one ghost legend, thrown into each history chapter almost as an afterthought.
May 11, 2017
The writing was good, but the stories aren't scary or spooky at all. It also seems that most of the places mentioned in the book would be difficult to find, or visit.
February 5, 2019
Not bad, a few spelling mistakes and a disturbing lack of the Oxford Comma.
May 15, 2019
A great book if you want to read about the history of Austin with a little bit of ghost sprinkled in.
February 18, 2020
Some of the chapters in his were pretty fun, some were a bit oddly constructed. 🤷🏻♀️ I love ghosts and I live in Austin so it was fun regardless.
May 2, 2021
A lot of interesting places in this book
June 14, 2021
I did not realize that ghost stories could be racist.
January 19, 2022
Found this interesting. I am not a Texan but lived there for about 20 years and visited Austin. I never realized Austin had such a haunting history.
December 25, 2023
A historical book about the haunting s of Austen! Dope!
January 15, 2026
Pfft
Poorly written gossip and folklore. Also needs a good proof reader or editor to correct the many errors in the book
Poorly written gossip and folklore. Also needs a good proof reader or editor to correct the many errors in the book
February 11, 2011
The author has childen at my school!
December 11, 2023
Easy read with local history
Liked the local stories,wish it were longer and had more spooky ztories, but I enjoyed reading about places that used to exist here in Austin
Liked the local stories,wish it were longer and had more spooky ztories, but I enjoyed reading about places that used to exist here in Austin
December 9, 2020
Well-researched, love the stories.
November 15, 2017
not terrible, but it was mote about the history of Austin than actual haunting experiences. there were SOME, but not as many as I would have expected. not a terrible book overall tho!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews