LOUISIANA's
most haunted locations
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By <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fitchhollister" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:User:Fitchhollister">Fitchhollister</a> at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:">English Wikipedia</a>
History
This is the site – the original monument was moved about 30 feet north for highway improvements – where Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed by 4 Texas Rangers.
The overly romanticized outlaw couple were wanted for murder, robbery and kidnapping. On May 23, 1934 the Rangers – who had been looking for the couple for months – ambushed the couple in their car and fired on them without warning. In modern times they probably would have been charged with murder.
The first shot went into Clyde’s head – probably killing him instantly – then the officers shot another 129 rounds into Clyde’s corpse and Bonnie; who continued to scream until her death.
It must not be forgetten these 2 had murdered numerous law enforcement officers.
The original plaque set up has been heavily vandalized – mostly by starstruck teenage lovers lost in a tale of fabricated romance – by graffiti and gunshots. In 2014 a new plaque was put up beside the old one which twists the story in the completely opposite direction declaring the officers and heroes.
As with most of history,
the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Paranormal Activity
Many photos taken in the area show misty – some would say ghostlike – figures.
Apparitions people have identified as Bonnie and Clyde have been seen moving through the woods.
Other Activity: phantom sounds of gunfire and a woman’s screams (this is most common on or near the anniversary of their deaths); disembodied voices and (curiously) a woman’s laughter; light anomalies and feelings of being watched from the woods.
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History
This hospital was opened in 1941 as the Monroe Charity Hospital. It served 12 parish areas and in just it’s first year of operation treated over 10,000 patients.
In 1948 the hospital’s name was changed to the EA Conway Memorial Hospital in honor of the Monroe native and Huey Long’s Secretary of State.
In 1983 construction began on a new more modern hospital next door. The new hospital carried the name and opened in 1987 resulting in this hospital being locked up and abandoned.
The new hospital has since changed it’s name again to University Hospital Conway in a partnership with the University of Louisiana and a sister hospital in Shreveport.
While it doesn’t specify private property and/or no trespassing in regards to this location there is no doubt it is both.
It is also very difficult to locate on Google Maps - our map above is based on a set of coordinates - so its not a easy site to find.
Paranormal Activity
This is considered to be one of the most paranormally active places in the State.
Apparitions of patients who met their end in this hospital and former staff are seen still walking the halls and grounds as well as staring out of the broken windows.
Empathic sensations of unease and anxiety to the point of fear are frequntly reported. Normally calm and mild mannered people have run screaming out of this location and/or suffered experiences so overwhelming and intense they prefer not to discuss it.
It is said you never feel alone from the second you step onto the grounds. You are instantly drowned in the energy and watched by thousands of the dead.
Other Activity: shadow figures; shadow people; time slips; cold and hot spots; disembodied voices; touches, tugs and pulls from unseen entities; unexplained sounds from whispers and loud bangs; disembodied laughter, crying and screens; electrical disturbances; light anomalies; objects moving on their own; feelings of not being alone and being followed and many other reports.
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History
There is very little history for this site.
Even the State archives of Louisiana can’t seem to tell the difference between this hospital and the one in Jackson. No wonder the internet articles get so confused between this site, the Jackson hospital, and Central State Hospitals in Georgia, Indiana and Virginia.
It seems like this hospital opened in the early 20th century – 1906/07 or 1924/27 are all given – as some kind of State School for developmentally challenged minors or maybe just to alleviate overcrowding at the Jackson Asylum.
The original and rather clumsy name of the Louisiana Hospital for the Insane of Louisiana has also been given on some sites.
Its also said this facility was originally only for African Americans as an attempt at segregation but quickly admitted “whites” as well due to massive overcrowding.
What seems to be true both back then as well as today is that the Jackson facility was/is struggling to help the mentally ill from the community as it is overwhelmed with the number of criminals being sent it’s way classified as criminally insane or unfit for trial by the Courts.
All that can be universally agreed on is that there are 3,000+ patients buried in the institution’s cemetery who were unclaimed by family when they died. A very sad and cheerless number all things considered; although it is mostly used as a stepping off point to prove the grounds are indeed haunted.
This campus has some unused old buildings – including the oldest building (Rose Cottage) which is said to have been used electro-shock therapy – that can be toured. As of 2022 there is a new facility being constructed on Ester Field Road that will leave the original campus almost completely abandoned.
Rose Cottage now houses a museum; one that I would love access too considering the often contradictory information I’ve dealt with so far.
As of 2023 it seems to be still under construction and the Shamrock Ave location is still operational.
Paranormal Activity
One investigation tells of a floor tile that actually ripped itself off of the floor and shattered. This action was not visually witnessed but rather heard and the aftermath seen. I’ve never come across any report of paranormal activity like this in hundreds of investigations and thousands of research projects.
Note: The activity recorded above was in the Rose Cottage
Many sites just claim there are numerous claims of “ghostly activity” as well as the oft repeated claim of all the bodies in the cemetery (which, admittedly, seems to be true).
Actual Reported Activity includes: apparitions of former patients and staff; shadow figures; empathic feelings of sadness, anger and pity; physical symptoms including headaches, dizziness and nausea/vomiting; disembodied voices; unexplained noises from whispers to loud bangs; light anomalies; phantom footsteps; unexplained breezes; cold and warm spots and feelings of being watched, not being wanted and not being alone.
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By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Bogdan_Oporowski&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Bogdan Oporowski (page does not exist)">Bogdan Oporowski</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
History
Located in St Francisville, near Baton Rouge, the original plantation was built by General David Bradford in 1794 - he moved his family to the site in 1799 from Pennsylvania. At this point the plantation was called Laurel Grove.
Over the next 250 years the estate and house were passed through many different families and caretakers and went through a renovation nearly doubling the size of the original house. As well there many tragedies including deaths by Yellow Fever and the murder of William Winter on the front steps by an unknown gunman in 1871.
It was during the renovations that the name was changed to Myrtles.
By the 1950s the land had been split up by various heirs but the house was owned by Majorie Munson who began to notice odd things happening in the house. She is thought to have started the legend that the house was haunted.
Since this time all of the owners have accepted the haunting and Myrtles began to be featured in books and magazine articles.
The current owners John and Teeta Moss now run an 18 room bed and breakfast in the house.
Historical and Mystery tours can also be booked.
Legends of the Myrtles Plantation
The home is said to be home to 12 ghosts and it is rumored that 10 murders occurred in the house although only the murder of William Winter can be verified (see above). It is listed as one of America’s most haunted homes and fully embraces its ghosts.
The Legend of Chloe
From 1830 – 1834 the plantation was owned by Clark and Sara Woodruff and their family. They had a household slave named Chloe who is the speculation of 3 rumors. Either she was forced into being Mr Woodruff’s mistress or she was secretly in love with him, and finally it has been said that she was listening to Mr Woodruff’s business meetings through a keyhole.
Either way her one of her ears was cut off and from that point on she wore a green turban to hide her disfigurement. In our opinion eavesdropping seems the most probable explanation as her ear was cut off a common punishment of the time.
At some point later - either for revenge, or to win the affection of Mr Woodruff by healing the family - Chloe baked a birthday cake for one of the children filled oleander leaves which are poisonous. The cake was meant only to make the family sick but ended up killing Sara and her 2 daughters.
Chloe was hung by the other slaves either in punishment or to avoid punishment themselves for harboring Chloe. To this day the room that poisoning happened was never used for dining again; it is now called the game room now.
Now there are more than a few historical issues with this legend. Historically, Sara had a son and a daughter not 2 daughters. Sara is recorded as dying from yellow fever not poisoning and both of her children outlived her by more than a year.
Despite this there have been sightings of a ghost wearing a green turban. This ghost may be an example of a tulpa – so many people have believed in the legend that the ghost of Chloe became an actual part of reality. Apparently, the original story was the ghost of an older woman in a green bonnet instead of young slave in a green turban.
Chloe is often heard with the sound of children crying or is seen peeking over the edge of beds waking up sleeping guests.
Further Legends
The house was supposedly built on Aboriginal Burial Grounds and the ghost of a young Aboriginal woman has been seen
In the US Civil War Union soldiers invaded the home and were killed leaving a blood stain on the floor that cannot be removed.
There is a mirror in the house which was not covered (as tradition would dictate) when Sara and the children died and their souls are trapped within for eternity. As proof of this hand prints are sometimes seen in the mirror.
There also the ghost of a girl who died 1868 while being treated by a voodoo practitioner. She appears in the room that she died in and sometimes is seen practicing voodoo over sleeping guests.
The ghost of William Winter (see history above) who staggers and crawls up the staircase only to stop on the 17th step – this is apparently where he died after crawling to his wife after being shot.
There also a legend of a 9 year old blonde girl who was skipping and humming her way through the house when she looked in a mirror and was shot by someone. The mirror caught her soul and there she waits until she can avenge herself on her killer. There have been sightings of the girl skipping down the stairs or kneeling and crying in the mirror.
Admittedly, there are a lot of holes in each of the legends of the Myrtles Plantation but it also has nearly 75 years of paranormal activity so who really haunts the plantation and what really happened there?
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HAVE YOU HAD A PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE AT THIS LOCATION?
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By <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161105134712/http://www.panoramio.com/user/4090832">Melanie Commander Thibodaux</a> - originally posted to Panoramio as <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161014193922/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31349534">Manchac Bridge</a>, CC BY 3.0, Link
History
This swamp is about a half an hour northwest of New Orleans and contains the longest bridge on the Interstate system at 22.8 miles. It is also one of the longest bridges over water in the world.
It is a rather creepy area – but what swamp isn’t – especially when the fog gathers over the water. Aside from anything paranormal there are two very real dangers here: alligators and logs – both of which will sit just under the surface.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were 3 small towns in the swamp: Frenier, Ruddock and Napton. They had no electricity or running water but did have a railroad coming through. They became quite prosperous by farming and logging.
On September 29, 1915 a massive hurricane came in from the Gulf of Mexico and essentially destroyed all 3 towns. Some people sought the train depot for shelter but it collapsed killing 25 people. In all over 60 people were killed in the towns – 300 in the entire State. The towns never recovered.
The current bridge was built in 1979 and has a perfect safety record. The first bridge, though, was seemingly a magnet for disaster.
At some point in the 1950’s or 60’s a bus went off the bridge due to a missing span and 6 people were killed. In 1974 a barge hit the bridge knocking out spans resulting in the deaths of 3 people. In 1976 the bridge was hit again by a barge and a truck was knocked off the bridge and onto to the barge resulting in 2 injuries. The truck driver and passenger both said they saw a white car pass them and plunge into the water but no sign of the car was ever found.
Paranormal Activity
The swamp has two legends – Julia Brown, a voodoo priestess and that of the Rougaru.
Legend says Julia Brown was a voodoo priestess who cursed the town to die on the same day she did. Julia Brown was a real person known locally as Aunt Julia and she did sit on her front porch singing and playing guitar. Words from one of her songs are “one day I’m going to die and take the whole town with me”.
So far so good right? Except Julia was probably more of a healer as there were no doctors in any of the 3 towns. Voodoo has been demonized by those who don’t understand it and, therefore, fear it. The truth is it is more about helping and healing than about curses.
Much like all Magick.
But what about her song you ask? The song was probably a warning to the townspeople based on some precog skills Julia had. The hurricane did come in on the day of Julia’s funeral and it is said it came out of nowhere. Of course there were no satellites and weather services in 1915 and, therefore, no possible way to see it coming.
People do see the ghost of Julia Brown out in the swamp though; as well as the ghosts of townspeople who perished in the great storm. There are also reports of the ghostly calls for help and screams.
The Rougaru – which is essentially a Cajun werewolf – has been rumored to hunt the swamp since before even Julia’s time. It is occasionally seen by people traveling through the swamp.
The ghosts of the bridge’s many victims are seen either struggling in the water or along the side of the current bridge looking sad and terrified.
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By <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottoldham/">Scott Oldham</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottoldham/3123828278/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottoldham/3123828278/</a>, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
History
The land for this plantation – then known as Bon Sejour - was first bought in 1830 by Valcour Amie. At first there was no plantation house and all the land was used for growing sugar cane.
The plantation house was constructed from 1837 to 1839 by slave labor owned by Amie’s brother-in-law. Amie moved on to other land and the brother-in-law, Jacques Roman, took over the plantation. It was under Roman’s ownership that a slave gardener developed the pecans that could opened by hand that the plantation was famous for.
Roman died from tuberculosis in 1848 and left the estate to his wife. His wife was unable to run the plantation and nearly bankrupted it with her heavy spending. In 1859 her son, Henry took over the estate but with the end of slavery after the Civil War it was not possible.
There were a number of owners after the war but no one could make a go of the estate and it began to fall apart. In 1925 Andrew Stewart bought the plantation as a gift to his wife Josephine. They ran it successfully as a cattle ranch with sugar cane reintroduced in 1960.
Josephine was last owner to live in the plantation house. When she died in 1972, she left the house and the grounds to the Oak Alley Foundation who opened it up to the public.
The name of the plantation is from trees lining the driveway all the way up to the house.
Paranormal Activity
The ghost of Josephine Stewart is said to haunt the plantation. Her shadowy form is most often seen looking out of her former bedroom window.
The lights in her former bedroom will go on and off on their own and often flicker on their own.
The phantom sounds of a horse drawn carriage are heard coming up the driveway towards the plantation house but nothing ever materializes.
People have reported objects moving on their own including candlesticks flying across the room and rocking chairs suddenly rocking in unison with no one in them.
Clouds of dust have suddenly blown up on the grounds when there is no wind and no visible force controlling them.
The phantom sound of someone crying has been reported but no one has ever found the source.
People have also reported being touched by unseen entities.