To beleive or not to beleive?

I am a person whom does'nt beleive nor disbeleive in paranormal activity such as what is supposably going on in the Baker hotel, it seems as though the "Ghosts" that haunt this place are not threatening ghosts just the spirits of people who liked the hotel so much they decided to take an extended stay. I find it very odd that many people report the same exact things such as smells and similiar ghosts. There are also many stories that I beleive do make good grounds for a haunted house especially the mistress who killed her self and the young bellhop who got caught in an elevator shaft. I am still iffy on whether I beleive the hotel is haunted or not, my mind may change if I ever got the chance to visit the hotel but that is out of the question for now. I do beleive though that the people whom have reported about the baker hotel do reallly beleive that they saw and encountered paranormal experiences. Hopefully some day I will get the chance to further investigate this paranormal activity myself.

Evidence

According to Lewis, he encountered many things when he investigated the Hotel. First, there were many different types of smells in all of the hotel. He smelt coconut, cigars, soap, burnt rubber, and a floral purfume. He heard many loud noises all at once. He also heard a bang, which sounded exactly like a shotgun that was being fired. Also, as they were going to the basement, they heard footsteps that sounded like they were being chased. On many occassions, he felt very cold, as if ghosts were all around him. Dusty Rainbolt of DFW, captured what appeared to be, two very distinct "ecto mist" apparitions in the 14th floor ball room. Another photographer/investigator, Weems Hutto, was taking still shots with a 35 mm camera at the same time and captured what appeared to be another ecto mist above the first photographer. Another psychic who accompanied the team reported "seeing" an old woman in a wheelchair in the southeast corner of the ballroom who kept saying, "I can't do it", "I can't do it". One of her co-workers, Donna who was the psychic, felt hesitant and nauseous as she moved toward the west end of the fifth floor. She said someone was trying to make the team sick so they would leave. She refused to go any farther in that direction. Later, members of Lone Star Spirits who visited the area began to choke and cough at the same spot, unaware of Donna's earlier experience.There have been many sightings and documented occurrences of ghotsts at The Baker Hotel I guess the only true way to see evidence of the ghosts is to visit the hotel for yourself.

"Investigating Ghosts of the Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells, Texas." All about Texas - Texas History, Travel, over 2500 Cities, Towns, Ghost Towns; Texas Attractions, People, Historic Places, Illustrated. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/MineralWellsTexas/BakerHotelGhosts2.htm>.

Lewis, Ghouli T. Baker Investigation Report. Rep. 2004. Print.

Stories from the baker hotel

Stories of ghosts began at the baker even before it shut down for good. According to Hopkins, on one occassion, a porter who used to work there was the first known to witness the ghost of the women on the seventh floor. She is beleived to be the mistress of the hotel ower. She became Terribly depressed from her affair, and decided to jump off the top of the building to her death. No one really knows what year this occurred in, but the suite she stayed in was the southeast corner of the seventh floor. Many people have reported smelling her perfume and her spirit is said to be very flirtatious with men she may fancy. Also, Ronny, whom was at one point the manager of the baker, reported one night he was near the main lobby on the first floor when he heard the distinct sound of a woman in high heels walk across the floor. Thinking the footsteps to be those of Jane Catrett, another employee, he yelled out her name, however, the footsteps faded away and upon further inspection, Ronny found himself all alone. Later he discovered that Jane had not been in the building that day. According to Simmons, on another occassion, a man claims while he was ghost hunting that a man stepped out of one of the shower stalls. He claims he was about six feet tall, had blonde hair and tan skin, and was totally naked except for a white towel that was around his kneck. As he stared at the ghost for several seconds, the ghost winked at the ghost hunter and then completely dissolved. There is also a report of a bellboy who suffered an untimely death when he got caught in an elevator shaft and was cut in half.

 

Bob Hopkins. "Ghosts of the Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells, Texas." All about Texas - Texas History, Travel, over 2500 Cities, Towns, Ghost Towns; Texas Attractions, People, Historic Places, Illustrated. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. <http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/MineralWellsTexas/BakerHotelGhosts.htm

Trana Simmons Mae. "The Baker Hotel." TMSimmons Index. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. <http://www.iseeghosts.com/bakerhotel.htm>.

Background information

The water in Mineral Wells, Texas was once beleived to cure many illnesses so after many years and publicity of this so called 'miracle' water there was a hotel built over the well called the Crazy Water hotel, but the locals were mad that outsiders were going to make money off of their water so they got with Theodore Brasher Baker and decided to build a hotel that was then named the Baker hotel which opened on Nov. 9, 1929, and had its grand opening Nov. 22, 1929. "Mr. Baker had many modern ideas for the hotel such as circulating ice water for the guest rooms, which he used in many of his other hotels. The hotel was to be fully air conditioned, which was a novelty during this time. The lights and fans were controlled by the key lock on the guest’s room doors. When the guest left the room and locked the door, the lights and fans went off. Valet doors were also installed so the guests might place clothing to be cleaned in them and not be disturbed by the employee who came to remove the items for cleaning." (Baker hotel factfinders). This Hotel became a huge hit of this time and people would come from all around to stay and gain health from the waters and rejuvenate in the luxurys that were hard to find at this time. "The Baker Hotel catered to the rich and famous including cattle barons, oil tycoons, and such celebrities as Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Will Rogers, Jean Harlow, Dorothy Lamour, and even the Three Stooges. Bonnie and Clyde supposedly stayed at the famous resort, and Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo entertained there. At one time, Mary Martin ran a dance studio inside the Baker" (Budd, Deena) SInce so many well known people stayed in this hotel over the years it was open it can just paint a picture for how lavish and extravagant this hotel was. "By the 1960s, health resorts all over the country were losing business. Earl Baker, nephew of the founder, let it be known that he would get out of the business when he turned 70. In 1963, he did, and some Mineral Wells businessmen bought it shortly after - but the Baker's enchanted era was over. The hotel closed its doors for good in 1972."(Cody Polston, Bob Carter and SGHA)

"History" Baker Hotel Fact Finders 10/19/2011 http://www.bakerhotel.us/

Budd, Deena Paranormal site "Haunted Baker Hotel" http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49506.asp

Cody Polston, Bob Carter and SGHA "Ghost hunt of the Baker" Southwest ghost hunters association http://www.sgha.net/baker/baker.html

Images courtesy of www.bakerhotel.us

The Baker Hotel

Over the next few days I will be researching the supposed hauntings of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas. There have been many reports of ghost sitings and strange occurences since before the hotel even closed down. Many researchers and ghost hunters have explored the Baker Hotel usually with the same conclusion, that it is indeed haunted. There have been a few odd things that have happened at this hotel, but one in particular is what made me want to research it, which is the fact that when the hotel was still open the owner's mistress jumped from her hotel suite to her untimely death. If that won't make a good horror story and basis for a haunted hotel, I dont know what would! I personally am very skeptical about the Baker being haunted, just because a building is old and had many people stay in it over the years, doesn't automatically mean it is haunted. I will be researching with an open mind though and will report all my findings, and hopefully by the end of my blog I will know if the haunting of the Baker Hotel is fact or fiction.