Texas is a land of legends and folktales. Some of them are based on characters like Pecos Bill, Bigfoot Wallace, and Davy Crockett - loud, outgoing, bigger-than-life "daytime" kinds of people. Others concern themselves with mysterious, shadowy things: giant, footless birds, river spirits, and phantom lights. These ghost stories are told in whispers. Perhaps to make children behave or adults change their way of living and have become interwoven with the real-life historical happenings and characters of Texas to the point of doubt in some instances as to what is real and what is the child of overactive imaginations. As is the case with all folklore, they are told in many different versions. These have be-come a part of the heritage of Texas folklore.

The best ghost stories from the Lone Star State, including . . . • Spirits of the Alamo • The Black Hope Horror • Hauntings at the Driskill Hotel • The legend of El Muerto • Woman Hollering Creek • Stampede Mesa

Presents fifty Texas ghost stories, featuring tales that predate the state, with a focus on those with Hispanic roots; stories of the pioneers; and urban myths and contemporary tales; and includes advice on how to tell ghost stories, as well as notes on story sources.

In this ghostly guide to the haunts of East Texas, you’ll find many strange tales... • The spirit of a young bride who etched her name in her bedroom window glass on her wedding day many years ago, and continues to visit that room to this day... • An old, creaking staircase where phantoms from a time long ago wander up and down during the wee hours of the night... • An Indian brave in full battle regalia who is said to appear at the site of a terrible East Texas massacre... You'll read about these spirits and many, many more – all from the Pineywoods region of the Lone Star State.

On this leg of the journey youll explore the scariest spots in the Lone Star State. Author April Slaughter visits more than 30 legendary haunted places, all of which are open to the public-so you can test your own ghost hunting skills, if you dare. Join April as she visits each site, snooping around eerie rooms and dark corners, talking to people who swear to their paranormal experiences, and giving you a first-hand account. Enjoy Ghost hunting Texas from the safety of your armchair or hit the road, using the maps, ''Haunted Places ''travel guide with 50 more spooky sites, and ''Ghostly Resources. ''Buckle up and get ready for the spookiest ride of your life.

Old Town Spring's historic streets may set the scene for a quaint shopping village, but they also serve as byways for one of the most haunted towns in Texas. A perfectionist past the end, Uncle Charlie still fusses around the historic Wunsche Brothers Café, the oldest commercial structure in the area. The spirit of a girl who died in a barn still plays with her group of friends in Doering Court, while a headless switchman runs after phantom trains trying to prevent a collision. Her path lit by unknown lights in the sky, author Cathy Nance leads the way through Old Town Spring's spookiest sites.