Daren McAlester: Tribal customs of ceremony in seeking spirit guidance in war and death including cannibalism. Before the arrival of the Europeans in 1528 the Akokisa and Karankawa Indians lived, hunted, also disposing of the dead on this island of future wars, murders, hurricanes of huge destruction leaving unsettled spirits abound. The cannibalism was not from hunger but to devour the spirit of the fallen warrior to obtain his prowess as leader or knowledge he gained in his life time. This ceremony was shared by the male members of the tribe in which the feast lasted for some time. Wars and battles have been fought on and around this selective area since the beginning of history. Spanish colonies to Pirates of the high seas have had control as stated in several pages of the historical society.
From Indians to Pirates to deaths of unnatural causes including loss of ships at sea who have run aground or in high waves that devoured them.
The mystique of the island absorbed by death leaves this to be a virtual paradise of haunted places. News paper clippings revealing that another skeleton had been found within the walls while renovating some of the old 1800 buildings was not uncommon in history. Tourists claiming to have seen an Indian ghost or a civil war soldier on the third floor of the Strand Building or the 2nd floor of the Ashton Villa where Ms. Brown is said to haunt and tease the guests.
Pirate ghosts of Jean Lafitte, Capt. Morgan and Black Beard have often spooked a photographer in a local cemetery not to mention the ‘Face on the wall” at UTMB.
The 1900 Storm was the most devastating natural event to hit the US in its history. Leaving 6000-8000 dead and two-thirds of the island destroyed. The funeral pyres burned for months. The search for the unaccounted / missing was abandoned after great length.
Hundreds of years have created many cemeteries and some are lost or forgotten eventually to be erased from memory. Some have been consumed by later storms others have simply sank into the water filled low lands. With the tremendous rate of death in that area it was only feasible to move the burials further inland to more solid ground. Some graves were never recovered to be moved thus leaving a restless spirit looking for some sign of their resting place or house they were born in or a family member who they were close to.
The avid ghost hunter will find more than their share of spirits on Galveston Island, “Ghost Hunters Paradise”.
If you plan on visiting, as always, do your research. Be prepared.
Happy Hunting
Daren McAlester
Copyright, Nov. 2007