To the tune of spooky music, a tour group gathered at the Kress Gap, ready to be guided and hear the tales of Texarkana's colorful past and consider the possibility that those enjoying downtown nightlife may not all be among the living. Brandy Aaron, curator of the Haunted Texarkana Ghost Walk, said downtown Texarkana is returning from her seeming death, the noises of the entertainment district bearing witness. Aaron decided it was the time for the dead to mingle with the living, now that downtown is once again showing life. She admitted, though, that as fun as the ghosts might be, she is all about the history.
"That's what I got my degree in, and my background is museum curating," she said. "But this is another way to educate those present in the very colorful history of our town. The possibility of our history still haunting us is a fun point to consider."
The group sauntered forth, taking streets and alleyways, pausing to hear the details of the various points of interests. A locally based paranormal investigation team took part. One of the team members described her approach as being courteous, with manners.
"I approach them with the same manners as I would a living person," said "Jennie," one of the team members. "The idea is not to anger or provoke them but to request their cooperation."
"Jennie" admitted that some of the encounters she has had have been less than friendly.
"I've even had things thrown at me on a few occasions," she said. Describing those entities as "angry," she takes those objects for herself. Nonetheless, she maintains that the polite approach is the appropriate one. As she employed various devices and requested the spirits tell their stories, there were a few moments where the devices seemed to indicate activity.
Joe Hamblen of Linden, Texas, was on the tour not only to take in the history, of which he is a big fan as a veteran of other paranormal tours, but to consider his own experiences. He said he at one time lived in a haunted house.
"We lived there for several years and finally moved," he said. "There were lots of incidents involving moved and thrown objects as well as the appearance of a female entity. Animals did not want to go in that house; neighbors reported seeing her. The woman who lives in that house now refuses to leave, even though the entity has driven off her family."
Leah Hamblen, his wife, is more of a skeptic.
"It is all a lot of fun," she said. "But though I won't say I completely disbelieve, I think this is most often people seeing things that they want to see, they really need to see, that the mind plays tricks on people."
Haunted Texarkana Ghost Walk continues its tours through October, as demand permits. They apparently have some extra-special tours planned close to Halloween. Be sure to visit them on Facebook for tour dates and times.