When dining at the Haunted House Restaurant, nestled in the rural outskirts of northeast Oklahoma City, bring along an appetite for mystery.
The story began on June 1, 1963, with the unsolved murder of car-dealer Martin Carriker, who at age 74 was shot in the head while in the house. Authorities charged Carriker’s stepdaughter, Margaret Pearson, along with two handymen from the estate, with the murders.
Shortly after Pearson’s arrest, Carriker’s ex-wife, Clara, died in the house of natural causes. Although Pearson was eventually acquitted of her stepfather’s murder (which remains unsolved to this day), her personal tragedies did not end.
With the estate up for auction and nowhere to turn, Pearson was found dead in the home of an apparent drug overdose shortly before Valentine’s Day the following year.
Restaurant owner Marian Thibault has overseen (previously with her husband, now passed) the “haunted” restaurant in the old Carriker place for 50 years. While she scoffs at the idea that the restaurant is inhabited by spirits, the estate’s gruesome history keeps curious diners returning to this unusual destination.
The sacred heart mission in konawa is said to be one of oklahoma’s haunted sites.
The sacred heart mission in konawa is said to be one of oklahoma’s haunted sites.
Stone Lion Inn
Guthrie
Built in the same year that Oklahoma joined the union as the 46th state, the Stone Lion Inn once was the most luxurious home in Guthrie, the new state’s capitol. But tragedy afflicted the Houghton family, the original residents of the stately mansion.
According to legend, the Houghtons’ daughter, Augusta, died after falling ill and receiving an accidental overdose of opiate-laced medicine. Later, the home was purchased by others and turned into a funeral parlor.
Now, a popular bed and breakfast, the past of the Stone Lion Inn refuses to stay dead. Guests have complained of noisy little ones and the sound of wooden balls rolling across the floors when no children were staying at the inn. Other guests have claimed to see a dapper, pipe-smoking gentleman haunting the halls, believed to be Augusta’s father, F.E. Houghton.
An investigation by the Syfy network television show Ghost Hunters recorded electronic voice phenomena and eerie shadows within the walls of the notorious mansion.
Sacred Heart Mission
Konawa
Very little remains of the original Sacred Heart Mission, founded in 1877 by Father Isidore Robot, a French Benedictine monk. Robot built a church, a monastery, a school for American Indian children, a technical institute and more, making Sacred Heart the wellspring of Catholicism in Oklahoma. But a terrible fire during the winter of 1901 erupted in the boys’ school dining hall, destroying much of the establishment. Although many structures were rebuilt, Sacred Heart was so far off the railway that the monks eventually relocated to Shawnee, where they founded St. Gregory’s University. The mission in Konawa finally closed for good in 1955.
Today, all that is left of the 19th-century part of the settlement is the bakery and a small log cabin – and, some say, the spirits of the dead. Witnesses claim to see blue orbs of light dancing around the cemetery grounds at night. Others have heard the desperate whinnying and stampeding of horses believed to have died while trying to escape the great fire. Creeping mists and mysterious cold spots occur out of nowhere. Perhaps most chilling of all, many eyewitnesses have seen a woman walking the grounds at night, a panther prowling by her side.
Sacred heart mission was home to a school for american indian students that burned down in 1901.
Skirvin Hilton Hotel
Oklahoma City
It is difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the legendary history of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, but one thing is certain: Plenty of guests believe the place is haunted. Storytellers often repeat the legend of a woman named Effie, a hotel maid and lover of the hotel’s founder, W.B. Skirvin.
According to local lore, Effie became pregnant with Skirvin’s child and was hidden away on the 10th floor of the hotel to have her baby. After the pregnancy, however, she remained locked in her room until, in despair, she jumped from the window to her death, baby in arms.
If a ghost haunts the skirvin hilton hotel, its must be an Oklahoma City Thunder fan. File photo.
While there is no historical record of Effie having existed, the Skirvin, which opened in 1911, is home to plenty of grim, true history. Local reporters recently discovered that another patron did, indeed, commit suicide by defenestration at the Skirvin. In addition, the first manager of the former Prohibition speakeasy-turned-luxury-hotel died under circumstances disputed to be either murder or suicide.
Male guests have reported being subjected to the affectionate advances of a female entity. Others report occasionally finding a surprise companion in their showers.
Whoever the ghost is at the Skirvin, it appears to be an Oklahoma City Thunder fan. In 2010, members of the New York Knicks blamed ghosts at the hotel for their loss to the Thunder, while team members of the Chicago Bulls were disturbed by mysteriously slamming doors in their rooms.
Brady Theater
Tulsa
The “Old Lady on Brady” has a storied – and some say haunted – history. Once the largest theater west of the Mississippi River, the venue has hosted the likes of everyone from the Marx Brothers and Katharine Hepburn to Buddy Holly and Tom Waits.
According to locals, however, there is one famous performer who refuses to leave. In the fall of 1920, world-renowned Italian tenor Enrico Caruso arrived in Tulsa for what would be one of his final performances. Eager to experience what the area had to offer, Caruso was touring a nearby oil field when all the cars in his entourage mysteriously broke down. Caruso was forced to walk back to the Brady in the wet, wintry weather. Not long after his performance, Caruso perished of a virulent lung condition that his manager blamed on his cold Oklahoma walk.
Now, it is said, that Caruso haunts the Brady Theater in vengeance for his death, tampering with equipment, moving objects and generally causing a spectral nuisance. According to legend, Caruso keeps company with another spirit: The ghost of a stagehand who hanged himself in the catwalk, but still never misses a performance.
Stories of the building’s use as a detention center for black citizens during the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, in which hundreds of held people are alleged to have died, have fueled claims of a haunting.
Tri-State Spook Light, “Spooksville Triangle”
Northeast Oklahoma
Since the 19th century, dozens of citizens and visitors have witnessed an unusual phenomenon in the night sky over the area between Miami, Okla.; Columbus, Kan.; and Joplin, Mo. Known by several names, depending on one’s state of residence, the Tri-State Spook Light is a mysterious orb that weaves its way across the darkened countryside. The light has been the subject of several academic studies, none of which have arrived at a definitive explanation for the eerie glow. Practical witnesses attribute the orb to swamp gas, minerals in the soil or the refracting light of passing vehicles. Others, however, maintain the orb is spectral in nature, perhaps the spirit of a Civil War soldier wandering with a lantern, searching forever for his missing head.
The end of summer is nigh, and it’s time to look forward to fall’s crop of harvest-themed celebrations. The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center in LeFlore County continues to mark the change of seasons with an autumnal equinox walk. Walks around the center are at 11 a.m. and at 2 and 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, and Tuesday, Sept. 23. Led by Dennis Peterson, center manager, the walk lasts about two hours, but isn’t strenuous. During the walks, guests will learn more about mounds constructed by American Indian tribes native to the region. They’ll also hear stories and discover the history of the excavation site. Peterson will also share how some of these ancient mounds built through the U.S. line up at sunset on solstice and equinox days. He’ll also share how the mounds were vital to Oklahoma’s earliest peoples, telling them when to plant crops and harvest. Tour admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. For more about the Spiro Mounds, call 918.962.2062 or go online to www.okhistory.org.
Actress Shirley Jones will return to Oklahoma for a special celebration of a favorite American musical. The actress visited Tulsa for a screening of the film Elmer Gantry last year. This time, Jones will be in costume and on stage at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City, for The Music Man in Concert – a one-night concert performance of the beloved Meredith Wilson musical play. The production stars Jones along with Patrick Cassidy as fast-talking salesman Harold Hill and a cast playing the good citizens of River City. Period costumes and a live orchestra move the concert through the story of romance and the necessity of music, but the music is the highlight of an evening that includes the unforgettable score and songs such as “Til There Was You,” “76 Trombones” and “Trouble.” The Music Man in Concert will be at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29. Tickets are available at www.myticketoffice.com.
Kara Joy McKee remembers the first time she attended Groovefest in Norman – it was also the first time she volunteered.
“As I entered the park, an elderly gentleman handed me a basket of flowers and asked if I would like to pass them out to the crowd,” McKee explains.
Although she would not officially become an organizer for Groovefest until nearly a decade later, she recalls being inspired as a teenager then by the attendees’ passion for human rights.
Since 1986, Groovefest has urged Norman community members to change their world. The festival began as an “art in the park project” with about 50 participants – many of them members of the University of Oklahoma’s Amnesty International chapter – tossing Frisbees and playing in drum circles. Nearly three decades after that first gathering, much about Groovefest has changed. Now led independently of OUAI, the festival takes place once a year in September instead of biannually. It has expanded to include poets, bands, vendors, activists and speakers, and it attracts hundreds of attendees. But two aspects are unchanged: Groovefest is still about human rights, and it endures as one of Norman’s most beloved events. Aimee Rook, a member of the Groovefest art committee since 2005, says it is now the longest-running human rights festival in the world, and she credits the Norman community with the festival’s longevity.[pullquote]“For many, they came because they went to Groovefest 25 years ago, when they were young, and now they bring their own kids to the event to learn about human rights and respect for others’ basic freedoms through music and arts,”[/pullquote]
“It has been said [that] we are an arts community with a football team,” Rook says of Norman. “Our rich culture of education and arts is strong. Our thriving community appreciates festivals and truly values human rights in many ways through social services, generous churches, its [local] human rights commission, an educated police force, an active city council and a vocal community of elders and activists with a diverse point of view.
“I sincerely think Normanites look forward to the festival because of the positive community and the beautiful park and to listen to a variety of music outdoors with family in the park,” Rook adds.
Whether rain or shine, Groovefest goes on. Participants are drawn for another reason.
Courtesy.
“For many, they came because they went to Groovefest 25 years ago, when they were young, and now they bring their own kids to the event to learn about human rights and respect for others’ basic freedoms through music and arts,” says Rook. “… Normanites have a strong appreciation for music through public education.”
Norman is home to several other popular festivals, including Summer Breeze, Midsummer Nights’ Fair, the Norman Music Festival and Jazz in June.
“Norman, and especially central Norman, is a unique community in Oklahoma,” says McKee. “As a college town, Norman has attracted intelligent, creative people and philosophical humanitarian types; and many of those same folks have stayed. The persistence of Groovefest is due in large part to the large number of very groovy townies who have chosen to stay in Norman and make it great!
“Energetic flavors from the student population still enrich the Groovefest brew, but it is mostly homegrown goodness,” McKee continues. “At any given Groovefest, you are likely to find a diverse mix of townies and students – on their own or with family – who walk, bike or skate to the park each and every year for this event. It has become a sort of family reunion.”
The lineup for this year’s Groovefest – Sept. 28 at Norman’s Andrews Park – will include such local bands as Brother Gruesome, Culture Cinematic, the Tequila Songbirds and more on the main stages. Vendors and food trucks – including The Loaded Bowl and Mariposa Coffee – will be there, too. The festival also hosts several family-friendly activities, such as hula-hoops, face painting and dancing.
Norman eagerly awaits the festivities, but the community has never lost sight of Groovefest’s roots: raising awareness of human rights causes. True to its theme, this year’s Groovefest program features a strong lineup of speakers, Amnesty International representatives and activists addressing a variety of human rights topics ranging from environmental issues to prison overpopulation. While broader topics, such as clean air, voter registration, education and free press are always an important part of the festival, this year also will focus on what Rook calls “hot local topics.”
“Locally, we must stand up for clean water, access to alternative energy that benefits people more than corporations, effective strategies to reduce our expensive prison population and voting to improve free access to quality education and mental health in Oklahoma,” Rook says.
“But really,” she continues, “we don’t parse out one human right over another. The idea is to respect individual rights to live, work and love without discrimination, abuse and torture for religion, age, gender, sexual orientation or political expression.”
It’s also about providing basic access to food, clothing and shelter.
Courtesy.
“It benefits us all to be respectful and stick together,” Rook says. “We have far more in common than not. Building a positive and thriving local and global community without fear and intimidation is the key, and we work to do that through arts, music and human rights awareness.”
McKee says Groovefest is most focused on actionable causes.
“There are plenty of things to be concerned about in this world,” McKee says, “but I find it more useful to focus most on the things you can actually affect.”
For example, Oklahoma has the highest rate of female incarceration per capita in the world, and a majority of the women behind bars are there for nonviolent drug offenses, McKee says.
“Whom we vote for matters in that regard,” McKee says, citing local legislators who support mandatory minimum sentencing for certain crimes. “There are always volunteers registering voters at Groovefest, and I hope they are very enthusiastic about it this year.”
Some see canoing as a leisurely activity to fill vacation hours on the lake. To others, it’s a full-on sport filled with action and passion for the race. In a few weeks, Oklahoma City will be witness to the best – the Boathouse District is host to this year’s International Canoe Federation Canoe Marathon World Championships and Pan Am Champions (Sept. 25-28). At the same time, the ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Cup (Sept. 24-25) will be at stake. What it means for Oklahoma is that hundreds of world-class canoe and kayak athletes from more than 30 countries will settle in for a long weekend of serious competition, which sits well for Oklahoma City as it continues to build its reputation as a state-of-the-art site for water sports. For spectators new to canoe marathon racing, the excitement will become apparent as athletes paddle a lap, charge onto the dock and sprint over land with their boats before returning to the water for another lap. Need more excitement? The Paddlefest Dragon Boat Festival takes place Sept. 27. For more, visit www.boathousedistrict.org.
Come one and come all to this dress-up affair where the young and young at heart can don their garden appropriate attire. This event is dedicated to encouraging children to indulge their imaginations and creativity by dressing in a homemade costume as their favorite character from an enchanted garden. Kids can add finishing touches at the ball and dance to music by Steve McLinn of Ojas Music. The Fairy Ball will be held at the First Christian Church at 3700 N. Walker and begins at 7 p.m. with Flower Magic. StarDanceSwan will perform at 8 p.m. and will be followed by dancing until 9 p.m. Visit www.thepaseo.com for the most up-to-date information.
From Disney child star to an outspoken women who champions causes including mental health and positive body image, singer Demi Lovato is a fierce performer who is ready to rock the BOK Center on her Demi World Tour. She will perform hits from her latest self-titled album, including “Really Don’t Care,” “Neon Lights” and “Heart Attack,” as well as classics from her previous albums. Artists Christina Perri and MKTO will open. Tickets start at $39.50. For more information, visit www.bokcenter.com.
The USAF Band of the West has performed since 1941 and now travels more than 125,000 miles each year to share its music with military and civilian audiences throughout the U.S. The band will visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum for a performance of its program, Dimensions In Blue, at 2 p.m. Sunday. www.bandofthewest.af.mil
Though Scotland is in the dregs of one of the most important debates about whether or not it should gain independence from England, the games will go on. Get ready for another year of Highland games and Scottish culture set to bagpipes, drums, bands and more Celtic entertainment at River West Festival Park. Whiskey tastings, a Celtic dog parade, Scottish dancing and music bring an authentic taste of Scotland to Tulsa. The experience will have festival-goers saying, “Lang may yer lum reek!” (May you live long and stay well.) www.okscotfest.com
