‘Ghosts of Boerne’ event tells of fate of early Boerne residents
Selina King, a widowed mother of eight children from 1903, ascended the staircase in the Kuhlmann King House Saturday, thumping loudly with each step, creating an eerie atmosphere for her visitors that day.
A Boerne Area Historical Preservation Society volunteer had summoned King — portrayed by BAHPS’ Julie Gossell — after which the lights went out, leaving only the glow of flickering candles about the room.
King proceeded to tell her story, as well as other tales of Borne’s “dearly departed” to visitors assembled Nov. 2 in the historical home for the “Ghosts of Boerne” storytelling event.
Speakers set up around the room echoed sounds to emphasize the speaker’s comments, such as a baby crying or the slamming of a door, causing a few of the listeners to jump or do double takes during the hour.
Attendee Alex Pardo, no stranger to visiting different haunted houses throughout the area, said he would love to have another ghostly encounter.
His previous encounter happened on an overnight trip to Hill House in Mineral, Texas, where he states he heard a voice demanding that he “get out” — an encounter he was able to capture on a recording.
The Kuhlmann-King House was built in 1885 by German immigrant William Kuhlmann to entice his love, Marie, to move in with him. The romantic gesture worked, though Marie died during childbirth later, along with her infant daughter.
These deaths, along with others that followed — including Selina King — are said to be the cause of the ghostly hauntings in the three properties, which include the Pioneer Kitchen and the Graham Building.
The ghostly stories are not just localized to the main estate, either. Gossell offers a rich and enthralling history of Boerne’s other popular hauntings, including the Kendall County Court House, the Boerne Cemetery, the Boerne Public Library and the Antler Bar.
Each story is told in accurate historical sequence, with real life accounts of individual ghostly encounters at each site — such as the woman in white who haunts the Kendall County Courthouse, waiting for her love to come marry her as he once promised years ago.
While the presentation proved to be rich in history and enjoyable, the volunteer staff at the Kuhlmann-King House are in dire need of donations to repair the main house. The entirety of the upstairs needs to be updated for it to be safe and available for public access. Gossell said BAHPS needs more volunteers to keep the historic site up and running.
“We want to keep the essence of old Boerne alive,” Gossell said. “But we need help. As a nonprofit organization, we rely heavily on donations and we need serious repairs.”
To visit, donate, or volunteer, visit their Facebook page at Kuhlmann-King Historical Complex, open noon to 3 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday at 402 E. Blanco Road.
Comment
Comments