LEGEND - Victoria's Black Swan Inn is one of the top paranormal hot spots in the country. There is a lot of reported activity here. According to research the land has been Indian land since before 5000 B.C., and continues to house a sweat lodge today. The Inn runs right along Salado Creek and near Walzem Creek. In fact, the infamous post-Alamo Battle of Salado Creek took place in and around the area where the house currently stands in 1842. Gen. Adrian Woll, Sam Houston and his men massacred more than 60 Mexican soldiers in that battle, but only one Texan lost his life, Steven Jett.
According to psychics and EVP Audio, he is believed to be one of the three spirits that haunts the dairy barn. Henry Mahler and his family immigrated from Germany and settled this land in 1887. The barn that still stands to this day is the location where Henry ran his prized dairy. Many believe he haunts the barn as well because he loved it so much. There is supposedly another big burly German man who haunts the barn although no one is quite sure who he is. All three of the spirits in the barn are agressive towards women but do not like men. EVP's have been captured of a deep voice telling people to "GET OUT!". In the front yard and house there seems to be a spirit of a child, a little girl who many believe is Sara Mahler, Henry's daughter. She likes to play and jump on mattresses. Many who drive by on Holbrook Road claim to see a woman in white on the second floor balcony and in the gazebo in front of the house. This is believed to be the ghost of Joline (Woods) Street. Joline's parents along with the Holbrook family owned the home after the Mahler's. Joline's mother, Mrs. Woods died in the home and her bedroom continually emits strange lights at night. Joline married prominent San Antonio attorney Park Street who died, or was killed in his office in the home. It is widely believed that he was murdered in his office and hung near the closet where his body was found staged to look like a suicide. They believe his spirit remains in the office or closet. The owner and other paranormal investigators also believe this closet acts as some sort of portal or vortex as there are constantly spirits coming and going. Ghosts will imitate people, close and open doors, and turn lights on and off. There is one report of someone actually witnessing a skirmish between Mexican and Texan soldiers that resembled some sort of reenactment. The ghosts or spirits here are not to be provoked, several people have been punched in the barn, and house, to the point of vomiting.
WHAT WE EXPERIENCED - Expectations were high after reading everything about The Black Swan Inn. We arrived and took a tour of the property with paranormal investigator Angelka Rogers. Following the tour we split into groups with Mission City Parnormal and set stationary cameras in some of the biggest hot spots, down the hallways, and in the barn. We went lights out shortly after midnight, and during an initial EVP session in Park Street's office Russell witnessed a shadow walk past a window. Not 20 minutes later, Mike from MCP saw something move from left to right across a window down the opposite hall. Following the house, we moved to the giant front yard, namely a circular indentation in the front corner. We had a gut instinct to check this hole out, and turned our recorders on and let them roll. This is where we picked up a voice, either of a woman, or possibly a little girl. This part of the yard is bizarre, it's a big hole that will not fill with water. When the creek floods, it's the only part of the yard that remains dry. There were constant banging noises coming from the back of the barn, and at several points people were touched by something in the barn. One investigator, Tracy, sat for hours watching the back of the barn and witnessed a shadow person who was crouched down, stand up, take two steps forward, retrace them backwards, and crouch back down. There were flashes of light in the back barn, and a bright unexplainable white light move towards our camera at one point. Most of the activity happened between 3 and 6 AM. The closet was a disappointment until around 5:30 AM when we started provoking the ghosts there and upon asking it to tap on the wall, it began answering questions through taps. Shortly after 6 AM a ghost that we believe may have been the same spirit who the owner often sees or hears immitate others immitated Russell's voice and called out to Vanessa over the walkie talkie while the others were turned off and everyone else was asleep. The most bizarre activity was the outside light near the water tower that wasn't on all night until it was addressed at which point it flickered on and off and from that point forward would turn on or off on command.
MORE - From before 5000 B.C. to around 1000 A.D. this area was the site of Native American encampments. Artifacts from this time can still be found here. When The Mexican Army invaded Texas a second time in 1842, reinforcements from Gonzales drew General Adrian Woll and his men to a place on Salado Creek where a short battle took place. This occurred in and around the area where the house presently stands. Henry Mahler and his wife, Marie built the first house on the property in 1887. After purchasing more land a second house was built in 1901. The Holbrook and Woods Families purchased the house and did extensive remodeling, adding two wings and calling the house "White Gables". After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Holbrook and Mr. Woods, Mrs. Woods lived in the house with Park and Joline Street along with their children. During this time a second story was added to the main house. This was a time when Earle Stanley Gardner visited the house and wrote some of his Perry Mason series scripts here. Park Street supposedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the house, though this has been a highly controversial subject. Some feel he was murdered and then staged to look like a suicide. Mrs. Ingeborg Mehren bought the house and added on the large kitchen area. It has been in the possession of the current owner since the early 1990s. Since Jo Ann Rivera has owned the house, there has continued to be a lot of paranormal activity on the grounds and in the house. It has been the subject matter of books and television shows dealing with hauntings. TOURS - Victoria's Black Swan Inn is a place you should definitely check out, and luckily...YOU CAN! Victoria's Black Swan Inn is one of the few paranormal hot spots you can gain access to! Schedule your own investigation now by calling 210-590-2507. Overnight investigations are $50/person with a minimum of ten guests. They supply the guide and then investigators are left to explore on their own. Very few actually make it through the night. Visit their site for more: www.victoriasblackswaninn.com