Ghosthunting Texas. April Slaughter
disappointing at times, it is important to understand that not everything works on our own personal timeline or expectation. It may take some time before you experience legitimate activity, but it is well worth the wait when it happens! Some of my most profound experiences occurred when I least expected them or when my attention was turned to something else.
Take notes! It is common practice among investigators to carry a notebook with them at all times. Documenting all of the details that you feel are important can later validate your experience as a whole. If others accompany you, interesting correlations may develop in your collective notes. Also, speaking with those who are frequent visitors or caretakers of the property can provide you with some of the more interesting details outside of the recorded history.
One of the most common frustrations among beginning investigators is the notion that they need to spend a great deal of money on equipment before they are ready to get out into the field and gather reliable evidence. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is wholly unnecessary for you to invest money into equipment for investigations when it is fairly inexpensive to get started. Sure, having a thermal imaging camera is nice and can definitely be useful, but it comes with a hefty price tag and rarely produces anything anomalous. You can capture some of the best evidence with the simplest and inexpensive of tools, such as a digital camera, digital voice recorder, and one of the most important tools—the flashlight. I often have the opportunity to work with high-tech equipment, and there is the rare occasion it produces something impressive, but my best evidence has always come from the simple tools I take with me everywhere I go.
Paranormal investigation is my passion, and I find it a privilege to meet and network with many individuals in the field as I learn something new from each of them. It is my hope that Ghosthunting Texas is a fun and informative read for you, as it has been such a pleasure for me to write. Many thanks to my friends and family for their endless support and understanding, as well as to those I have the honor to work with when forging ahead into the unknown. May your experiences be as enlightening and fulfilling as mine.
April Slaughter
Dallas, TX
North Texas
Abilene/Holly
Amarillo
Archer City
Copper Canyon/Denton
Gainesville
Dallas
Fort Worth
Matador
Terrell
Waxahachie
CHAPTER 1
Amarillo Natatorium
AMARILLO
Natatorium front facade on the 6th Street entrance (April Slaughter)
LOVINGLY NICKNAMED “THE NAT” by locals, the Amarillo Natatorium was first opened to the public as an open-air swimming pool off Route 66 on 6th Street in 1922. A roof was added in 1923 so that it could be utilized all year long. While it provided the community with a valuable source of recreation and an escape from the scorching Texas heat, it survived as a swimming pool only three years when it was purchased by J.D. Tucker and completely converted into a concert and dance hall. The pool was drained and covered with a ten-thousand–square foot wooden dance floor to entertain dancers of the Roaring Twenties. A small hatch was installed in order to access the pool area beneath the dance floor.
The Nat quickly became a treasured retreat for the community as the Depression swept over the United States. A businessman by the name of Harry Badger purchased the Nat in the 1930s, and to keep business and morale up, added a castle façade as well as a café, renaming the structure the Nat Dine & Dance Palace. Several well-known bands and singers were often booked to perform at the Nat. Such notables as Roy Orbison, Little Richard, Louis Armstrong, and Buddy Holly were some of the stars that entertained the patrons and provided an upbeat and fun environment in which to leave behind worry and enjoy a lively evening out.
In 1994, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1995 was deemed a Texas Historical Landmark.
Perhaps the personal struggles of the people trying to survive the Great Depression coupled with the exciting entertainment of the Nat over past decades created the residual energies that still inhabit the building to this day.
Now owned by Jim and Nell Griffin, part of the historic building has been converted into a bookstore while the dance hall area is still occasionally used to host events such as weddings and concerts. Over the course of many renovations to the original structure, people have recounted several experiences of paranormal phenomena. The sound of music playing in the ballroom seems to bring a part of the Nat’s vibrant past into the present, as activity has been said to spike shortly after the music begins to play.
In my research of the Amarillo Natatorium, I came across several stories of people throughout the decades who believe the building is haunted because they have had their own personal experiences that defy any other explanation. It is rumored prior owners of the building would often return after having closed it up tightly the night before, only to find that objects and furniture had been moved from their original locations. Lasting only a matter of seconds, apparitions have reportedly been spotted dancing in the ballroom before quickly disappearing into thin air.
These accounts intrigued me so much that I set out with my husband to visit the Nat and hopefully gain a little more insight into its colorful past. The building is immediately distinguishable from several blocks away, as its castle-like façade is unique and does not resemble any other building in the area. The structure sits back from the busy road and is nestled among other commercial properties. Allen and I were immediately excited to be visiting such an interesting historic site. We entered the Nat through the bookstore side and instantly felt at ease in the quaint little shop filled with old books, small sitting areas for reading, and George, the bookstore’s resident cat. We had the pleasure of meeting Aaron Baker and his wife Sarah Stone, managers of the bookstore. As we spoke with them we learned that they have yet to experience anything really paranormal, but expect they might someday. They aren’t at all worried about the possibility of a ghostly encounter. In fact, they seem to find the idea intriguing and enjoy hearing the stories of others. After all, what good is a bookstore without a good story or two?
“We’re here all day, and aren’t usually around when it gets late and things