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| Volume 11, No. 43 |
July 28-3, 2010 |
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| Haunted El Paso
Investigators Talk Paranormal Hotspots | | By Leonard Martinez | | 
Ghosts seem to follow Cirilda DeLeon.
Almost every house she has lived in has had a ghost, she says, and last week, as a team member on the El Paso Alternate Reality Project, she had a strong paranormal experience during an overnight paranormal investigation at KTSM-TV’s building Downtown.
After hearing unexplained noises outside an office window and checking to make sure they weren’t the wind, DeLeon began to ask the alleged ghost a series of yes-or-no questions.
Through a series of knocks, the ghost communicated that it was a Native American and said all of the ghosts in the building were friendly.
Not all investigations are quite as exciting. A few rooms away, in the camera locker room, a ghost known to rattle the locks and stomp on the stairs was curiously silent to investigator’s questions. Results of the investigation would not be known for sure until the audio and video recordings were reviewed.
Paranormal activity is more than a scary low-budget film that’s topping the box office; it’s activity that is investigated and sometimes unexplainable.
At least three groups exist in El Paso that investigate paranormal activities at public places, homes and businesses.
The West Texas Paranormal Society was founded by Dave Franklin and has investigated several places including the Downtown library, local high schools, homes and businesses.
“El Paso is very haunted, in my opinion,” Franklin said. “There are some places that could come off having ghosts that you wouldn’t think would have them. There’s a warehouse close to the border that’s been around 100 years and the place is really spooky.”
One of the best-known haunted hot spots in the city is the El Paso Public Library Downtown.
“My investigators didn’t really enjoy that one,” Franklin said. “There were a lot of knocks and whispers.”
Henry Flores, director of the Paso Del Norte Paranormal Society, said he believes much of the paranormal activity in El Paso is tied to the city’s history. Wherever there’s a landmark, you’re sure to find a ghost story associated with it, Flores said.
Austin and El Paso high schools both have ghost cheerleader stories associated with their hallowed halls.
“We went to Austin High School and pretty much debunked the story that the cheerleader jumped from the tower,” Flores says. “There is no way to get up to the top of the tower unless you are extremely thin or have super legs because of how the ladder was set up.”
Jackson Polk has documented El Paso’s ghost stories in his two “Ghost Stories of El Paso” videos. He included El Paso High’s ghost stories, including the one about the cheerleader, on one of the DVDs.
Toby Tovar, a teacher at El Paso High School for 32 years, talked to Polk about the ghosts of El Paso High.
“He said he always reserved the last row for the ghosts of El Paso High because they used to play pranks on him,” Polk said. “After he set aside the row, they stopped. He died six weeks later from cancer. I’m sure he’s roaming the halls now. There’s also the story about the cheerleader who jumped or fell to her death at the school from one of the window ledges. We got a hold of a kid who said he’d seen the ghost.”
Of all the ghost stories Polk documented for the videos, Polk said one of the most interesting had to do with the Ysleta Mission. He went inside the mission with a few psychics.
“There were dead people who had made it to the other side without having to come back,” Polk said. “They congregated inside the mission, praying for the living, because they are very comfortable.”
Polk is most fascinated by the orb phenomenon, which he has captured on video and in still pictures. Some believe orbs are spirits or energy associated with spirits. Others, like Flores, think the orb can be explained easily.
“That’s not an orb, it’s dust on your camera,” Flores said of most cases of orb footage.
Although with several paranormal groups wanting to investigate cases, group leaders say they can all coexist, but some choose not to work with others.
The local paranormal groups agree that Hollywood tends to only focus on demon paranormal activity when a good portion of ghosts mean no harm. It’s also important not to do your own investigating.
Flores said they usually get calls when people are at the end of their rope.
“Call us or another paranormal group,” Franklin said. “Do not try to do it yourself. If you do, evidence will be tainted in one way or another. The answer could be the house is just settling.”
Some Local Haunted Spots
El Paso Public Library Downtown: Knocks and whispers can be heard in the library, especially in the lower level of the building.
City Hall Downtown: A figure has been seen on one of the top floors.
Monteleone’s Ristorante Italiano in Central: Lady heard talking in Spanish.
KTSM-TV Building Downtown: The ghost of Karl Wyler, the station’s owner for several years, can be heard whistling in the hallways. Other employees who died while working at the station are said to haunt the building. A Native American woman also is reported to have been heard.
Asarco in West El Paso: Although the facility has been closed for about 10 years, there have been reports that shifts of ghosts can be heard at Asarco as if they were working their normal shift.
Concordia Cemetery in Central El Paso: Children have been seen and heard along with other ghosts.
Magoffin Home in Central El Paso: Several ghosts of family members have been seen and heard.
Mineshaft in Franklin Mountains in West El Paso: Guard has been seen.
El Paso High School in Central El Paso: A cheerleader who died at the school, along with other students, at various times have been seen or felt.
Transmountain Road: The ghost of a monk and his donkey is said to have been seen walking along the road, protecting hidden gold.
Franklin Mountains: Ghosts of pilots who crashed into the mountain have been seen.
Chase Building Downtown: A woman in a red dress can be seen on the top floor.
Cristo Rey Catholic Church: An elderly nun has been seen praying at the altar.
Fire Station No. 9: A firefighter reportedly died during a fire at this station. There are reports that his ghost will signal a call to a fire before the call arrives by flushing toilets and turning lights on.
Fort Bliss: The ghost of a soldier killed accidentally in the 1950s is said to haunt Building 4, while a soldier who committed suicide in the 1800s is reported to haunt Building 13.
La Hacienda Restaurant: Ladies of the night have been seen at the restaurant.
Sources: Texas Haunt Society, El Paso Alternate Reality Project, West Texas Paranormal Society, Paso Del Norte Paranormal Society, Jackson Polk
For more information on local paranormal groups:
• wtparanormalsociety.com
• ghosts915.com
• alternaterealityproject.com
For more information on “Ghost Stories of El Paso” volume 1 or 2:
• elpasogold.com
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail Secret@whatsuppub.com
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