Who was Sallie White?![]() Sallie White was a chambermaid at the Menger Hotel when she met an untimely death on March 30th, 1876 by the hands of her common law husband-Henry Wheeler. Henry was said to have been a very jealous man and didn't like the attention his attractive mulatto wife would receive from other men. They would often get into arguments that would escalate and leave poor Sallie running in fear for her life. Their arguments were said to have reached a boiling point when Henry eventually shot and killed his wife near the Menger Hotel. Below is a newspaper article that talks about the murder: "ANOTHER OUTRAGE Sallie's DeathIn the newspaper article above, it mentioned that her husband Henry would be punished if Sally died. Unfortunately it took poor Sallie two days to die from her wounds! In the meantime Henry took off and left town and was never heard from again nor prosecuted for her murder. Because the Menger had loved Sallie White and the great employee she had been, they paid for her funeral costs of $32.00. The receipt can still be seen today inside of the lobby in a glass display case.
The Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours visits the inside of the Menger Hotel on the Dinner and Ghost Tour and Haunted Ghost Bus Tour.
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Have you heard the Legend of the San Antonio Railroad Tracks?If you are from San Antonio or it's outer reaches, you have more than likely heard about the story of the San Antonio Railroad tracks. The story goes that in the 1930's there was a school bus full of children that was tragically hit by an oncoming train. And legend today states that if you put your car in neutral, at the site of the accident, your car will be slowly pushed over the tracks (by the spirits of dead children) to safety. You can also put baby powder or flour on the back of your car and some say you can see the tiny prints of children's hands. Unfortunately this story is merely a San Antonio legend. This train accident never did happen in San Antonio, but rather in Salt Lake City, Utah. Below is a clipping from a newspaper:
How could a story like this from half way across the country make it's way into San Antonio's history? Some say it was because the news of the school bus tragedy made San Antonio's newspaper headlines and over the years it slowly turned into one of our city's legends. Perhaps a thrill seeker or two also made up the story and it eventually gained momentum. Whatever the reason is, the Haunted Railroad Tracks is merely a legend and never did truly happen in San Antonio. A Real Railroad TragedyOn March 28th, 1920 there did occur a train accident outside of San Antonio in a small city called New Braunfels. It was Easter Sunday and the Smith Family were out for a Spring drive in their Model T car. They had left their home in New Braunfels to visit family in Seguin. As they were crossing the railroad tracks, they were struck by a train at full speed. The car rolled over and over again as the train dragged it and pulled it to shreds till it eventually came to a stop. A mother, her daughters and a small child were killed instantly but the son-in-law, who was driving the car, survived one more day before he eventually passed away from his injuries. Below is a newspaper clipping from the San Antonio Express News:
This event occured 96 years ago today. So the next time someone asks you about the Haunted Railroad tracks, make sure to tell them about the true story of the Smith Family and their tragedy. The Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours visits this site and many others on their Haunted Ghost Bus Tour |
AuthorThe Sisters Grimm offers award winning ghost tours in San Antonio, TX Archives
February 2017
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