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Exploring Granbury: Hood County Hauntings

Ruby Mitchell
Apr 9, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Apr 13, 2021

Granbury, Texas has one of the most unique histories of hauntings, I was quite surprised to find out so much history behind such a small little town. I've even heard of ghost tours that occur in the square that go over the history and deaths of those who have previously roamed the buildings. Though it's not often you hear that you may have walked into a building with the presence of a ghost, the Downtown Square will have you shocked.

Opera House Ghost

Granbury has its history behind it, it was founded in 1866 and inside this town resides twenty-eight historic structures that still stand today. From a little candy shop to the clock tower that sits in the middle of the square, there are some dark stories told that can give you chills from head to toe. Paranormal activity is a subject that isn't often talked about due to the belief that ghosts aren't real, despite any evidence given on-camera or told from a personal experience, but the story most heard of is the ghost of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. History tells that the man himself was shot and killed at Garrett's farm in Virginia sometime after he succeeded in committing Lincoln's death. It is also said that he lived by the name of John St. Helen, he traveled through Glen Rose and Granbury where he used the fake name. This piece of history claims that he walked the floors of the Opera House in the Granbury Downtown Square, I have also heard that people have seen him standing in the same spots that Lincoln sat during the night of the play where he was shot and killed.

Nutt House Hotel Hauntings

Another great place where history can be found is the Nutt House Hotel. It was built in 1893 and is known for being a lodging place and is located in Granbury Square. It holds special authentic decor and limestone gems with frames of old photos taken of people decades back. Though this building holds its antiques, relaxation, and comfort, there is a reason that it is known for its paranormal hauntings. According to the guests who have stayed, there is a woman by the name of Mary Lou Watkins, a former owner of the building, who has been known to open and close shutters, turn off faucets, and slam doors at a constant. Rumor has it that a specific room is said to be the hotspot for any sort of strange activity, Room #004 that has also taken the name "the Mary Lou Watkins Suite". There have been reports of drastic temperature drops, being woken up by an unknown force, strange noises, and even sensing movements in their bed! If you think this may be foolish nonsense then by all means, be the next guest to stay the night.

Amanda Activity

I have taken a job at this aforementioned candy shop called Mary Jaynes' Candy Shop. It's nothing too special. I'm pretty sure what keeps it in business is selling older candies from decades back that old couples come to grab to bring back their nostalgia, or maybe it's the sugar crazy kids that raid on the daily. Either way, the place is just an average candy store right? Well during my time working there, I've started noticing some unnatural activity that didn't make a lot of sense. I've been told that decades ago a little girl was visiting the shop but ended up getting hit by a wagon in an accident and was killed. She went by 'Amanda' from the store employees. I was pretty skeptical about it until I had my own experience one night. I was sharing a shift with another co-worker while I was sweeping and I felt something hit my back, I spun around quickly. One of the toys from the shelf on the ground, I didn't recall bumping into anything and the force of the hit was pretty strong. But my co-worker was also a witness to this. We didn't think much of it until later that night, with my own eyes, I watched that very same toy hit a customer that had just walked in. My coworker and I stood in shock. We tried checking the security footage for evidence, but it was nowhere to be seen.