Mission Tejas State Park 4-20-12 East Texas is full of amazing history and natural beauty. Mission Tejas State Park fully encompasses both the rich history of East Texas and the natural wonder and beauty of the Pineywoods.
Martha's Chapel 3-16-12 Just outside of Huntsville lies a forgotten community tucked away down a winding dirt road under the pines.
Thunder In January Pineywoods Weatherlore 1-27-12 Thunder in January means more than rumbling in the sky to many East Texans. For many, many years East Texans have been predicting the weather by trying to make heads or tails of signs from Mother Nature.
Dowsing For Graves & Witching For Water 10-16-11 Some call it science others call it supernatural. Call it what you will, but dowsing has proven to be an effective method that has been used for centuries to find underground objects of interest...
Blood Sucking Chupacabras, Mutants, and Mangy Coyotes- Oh My! 9-30-11 The mythical blood-sucking beast from Mexico known as the chupacabra has been roaming the Pineywoods since 2004. Some say the hideous vampire beast is nothing more than a mangy coyote. Others think the beast is a mutant result from the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia crash that slung debris across East Texas...
Downes-Aldrich Haunted House 9-10-11 The historical Downes-Aldrich house in Crockett, circa 1891-1893, is considered to be one of the most beautiful homes in Houston County. The Eastlake Victorian style house was home to some of the first settlers in Crockett, who reportedly may not have fully vacated the premises..
The Black Beast of the Pineywoods 8-19-11 Legends of black cats run deeper than a little superstition in East Texas. Sightings of mysterious black panthers that scream like women in the pine jungles are not at all uncommon in the Pineywoods...
Plunder In The Pines 7-11-11 Just beneath the surface of the Pineywoods, buried treasure is said to be scattered. One of the many fortunes left behind is believed to be in southern Anderson County. Mexican gold bars, gold coins and jewels have eluded treasure hunters for well over a century, but some still believe there is buried treasure in Elkhart, Texas.
The Texas Theatre 6-4-11 After nearly a century of tragedy and neglect, and a host of closings and re-openings, the Texas Theatre, crown jewel of Palestine, has been salvaged and reborn.
The Anderson County Poor Farm 5-1-11 The existence of the poor farm in Texas is part of a larger national story that shows how nineteenth and twentieth century America responded to the needs of its indigents for almost 100 years.
The Haunting of Old Memorial Hospital In Palestine 4-1-11 The old hospital has been abandoned as a care facility, however locals claim the facility has not been entirely deserted. Supernatural tales have lived within the old hospital far prior to the closing of the facility.
The Edens-Madden Massacre of Houston County 3-8-11 Almost two centuries ago, a gruesome massacre occurred in the northeastern portion of the county, near San Pedro Creek and the Augusta community, which was established in 1821. The massacre has lived on as local legend of a tragedy that claimed the lives of many...
Black History 2-16-11 Black history has deep roots in the first county in Texas...
East Texas Woolly Booger � Creature Seekers Beware 2-1-11 East Texas is home to many creatures of the night that humans fear, and occasionally claim to encounter. East Texas has given way to Bigfoot sightings, alien encounters, and close calls with blood�sucking creatures.
History On The Brink Of Extinction 1-1-11 Juan Antonio Badillo, a Texas born Mexican, otherwise known as a Tejano, was a surveyor who lived around Nacogdoches in the 1830s. He also owned a few parcels of land. One parcel of land Badillo is said to have owned is just west of Grapeland, Texas. A two-story dogtrot style house...
Weather Folklore - Psychic Persimmons 11-19-10 Folklore reveals that superstitions about cutting persimmon trees may help cure warts, cancer and even predict weather, even Texas weather.
Haunted Jacksonville 10-27-10 Jacksonville City Cemetery, Mother Templeton Statue, Killough Monument, and Lon Morris College �Demons Rd� in Huntsville 10-26-10 Bowden Rd, perhaps better known as " Demons Rd,� leads to an old cemetery known as Martha�s Chapel Cemetery...
Haunted Huntsville 10-29-10 Oakwood Cemetery, and the oldest prison in Texas - the Walls Unit...
Haunted Nacogdoches 10-24-10 Stephen F. Austin State University is allegedly home to numerous spooks. The Turner Fine Arts Auditorium at SFA has more than fine art in the building. A ghost named Chester is believed to haunt the building...
More Photos by Dana Goolsby
Dana Goolsby
Dana Goolsby was born in the Pineywoods of East Texas, in the little town of Grapeland. Grapeland is located in Houston County; the first county established by the Republic of Texas. Born and raised in the �Queen City of the Sand Flats,� Goolsby grew up in the pines where the peanuts and watermelons were plentiful.
Goolsby is a freelance writer, living in the Pineywoods Region. She enjoys researching and writing about East Texas culture, legends, folklore, and history. Goolsby can be reached for comment via email at dana.n.goolsby@gmail.com.
