RENT THE HAUNTED 1899 BOLTON ST HOUSE

Overnight Paranormal Investigation at The 1899 Bolton St House Jacksonville, Tx

Cost: $350 Sunday-Thursday

$400 Friday-Saturday

The cost is per night with up to 10 guests. Each additional guest over 10 is an additional $40

per guest all weekdays and weekends.

Refund Policy:

Your booking is non-refundable. If there is a weather event preventing you from your overnight,

a new date may be scheduled if open.

Now, that we have that out of the way…

ABOUT THE HOUSE

This beautiful Victorian style house was built in 1899 on Bolton St in the historical Jacksonville,

Tx. The Boltons, for which the street is named after, are among the oldest families in

Jacksonville. The pioneers of this family in the county, Canada Sevier Bolton(1820-1909) and

Susannah Rosamond Slaton Bolton(1823-1906) came from the “Deep South” in Alabama.

The story is told that they came to Texas in a covered wagon and that on the way one of the

children fell out of the wagon and had to run behind until he could get them to stop. This may

be only an interesting legend, the fact is that they had 11 children. Many of these descendants

still reside in the county.

We do believe that there are some Bolton family members here in the house. We have been

unable to document with certainty that any of the Boltons actually lived in the house. Here’s part

of the mystery. Many of the deeds and records can’t be found.

The house itself is a beautiful, 13 room home, many of which still have original paint and walls.

The outside of the house still has original wooden boards and windows from 1899. The

backyard is very nice in the evening with lots of shade and space to enjoy a little fresh air.

The 1899 Bolton St House sits in the center of 12 cemeteries located within a 5 mile radius and

6 of those a 3 mile radius. Also, there was an old Sanitarium just across the street. This

definitely, we believe, is one of the many reasons this beautiful home has so many spirits or

“travelers”. We do believe the house to have at least two portals in it. The kitchen and a small

room upstairs in the attic.

Originally known as the Cherokee Sanitarium, this hospital began in 1919 as a nine-bed facility

in a small Jacksonville apartment house. In 1925, a larger facility was constructed, and five

years later, the hospital was renamed to honor Nan Travis (1854-1919), the mother of staff

doctors J.M. and R.T. Travis. Over time, the medical institution has grown to serve citizens from

all over East Texas. Building expansion programs accommodated the growth and changes in

health care during the 20th century in 1997, Nan Travis merged with a larger system to become

the East Texas Medical Center-Jacksonville.

Jacksonville, Tx has two unfortunate “Claims to fame” in their history. One was the Gunfight of

1873 where the townspeople and the circus personnel of Robinson Circus had a big gunfight.

The townspeople were unruly one evening and sat down in the center ring of the circus where

the trained horses were to come out and perform. The towns folk refused to leave, so the circus

workers attempted to remove them. And all hell broke out. Even some of the circus animals

were caught in the crossfire and died.

The other is the Killough Massacre. About 15 minutes North-West from Downtown

Jacksonville, the Killough Monument is a memorial to a sad event in our history. According to

the Texas State Historical Association, "The Killough Massacre, said to have been the largest

single Indian depredation in East Texas, took place on October 5, 1838, near the site of present

Old Larissa in northwestern Cherokee County. The eighteen victims included Isaac Killough, Sr.,

and members of his extended family, who had immigrated to Texas from Talladega County,

Alabama, the year before.

On Christmas Eve 1837 Killough, his four sons, his two daughters and their husbands, and two

single men, Elbert and Barakias Williams, settled on what is now known as Killough Creek,

seven miles northwest of Jacksonville. The land was part of a larger tract originally granted to

the Cherokees under Sam Houston and John Forbes's treaty in 1836. The treaty, however, was

nullified by the Republic of Texas Senate in December 1837, and portions of the land were sold

to the Killoughs and other settlers. The rescinding of the treaty and the growing incursions of

new settlers from the Old South provoked bitter resentments in the Indians and laid the basis for

the uprisings in 1838. During the early part of that year the Killough group built houses, cleared

the land, and planted crops. But in August, when the corn was ready to harvest, they received

news of a growing insurrection of disgruntled Mexicans and Indians in the region led by Vicente

Córdova, the former alcalde of Nacogdoches. Córdova, collaborating with Mexican officials on

the Rio Grande, plotted to retake Texas by inciting the Indians to attack the English-speaking

settlers, a move they hoped would open the way for an invasion by the Mexican army. The

Córdova Rebellion, as the plan was called, never materialized, and the insurrection was quickly

suppressed by a hastily organized militia led by Gen. Thomas J. Rusk.

Killough and the rest of the approximately thirty settlers, fearing Indian attacks, had in the

meantime fled to Nacogdoches, but they returned in late September or early October believing it

would be safe to harvest their crops. One later report alleged that the Indians had agreed to

allow the Killough group to remain until the "first great white frost." On the afternoon of October

5, however, a hostile band attacked the settlement. Eighteen of the settlers, including Isaac

Killough, Sr., were killed or carried off.

The survivors, including Killough's wife Urcey, eventually made their way to Lacy's Fort, forty

miles to the south. William Killough, who made the journey to Ft. Lacy, as an infant on his

Mother's back, told the story of their trek as it was told to him: "When night came they started for

Ft. Lacy, traveling as best they could, as they had to leave the path often as Indians were

coming up all through the night. There was one serious drawback to them- one that might have

proven fatal to them at any time. They had an infant one year and eight days old, and a small

fist dog along. The cry of one or the bark of the other would have been fatal, but it seems (we)

both knew that there was something wrong, for when they would stop the dog would hover

under their skirts like he was trying to keep out of danger. In the beginning, they did not know

what to do with the dog. They could not leave it, and didn't have the heart to kill it, nor anything

to kill it with."

Word of the massacre quickly spread, and a militia led by Rusk set out to find the perpetrators.

After reaching Fort Houston, near the site of present Palestine, they received word that the band

was camped at an old Kickapoo village near Frankston. The following day Rusk and his men

attacked. In the skirmish that followed eleven members of the band were killed, including a

renegade Cherokee named Tail. The exact composition of the Indian group is not known, but

Gen. Hugh McLeod, a participant in the battle, later wrote that the band included Caddos,

Coushattas, several runaway slaves, Mexicans, and possibly Keechis. The survivors of the

massacre claimed that they saw a white man dressed as an Indian, but the claim was never

substantiated.

The Killough Massacre and its aftermath represent a final chapter of the Córdova Rebellion, but

the deep-seated resentments aroused by the abrogation of Houston's treaty and the incursions

of new settlers led to the Cherokee War the following year. A stone obelisk to commemorate the

victims of the massacre was erected at the site by the Work Projects Administration in the late

1930s, and in 1965 a state historical marker was dedicated there. The monument and cemetery

are now enclosed by a fence, and descendants of the Killough family have established a

foundation to provide permanent care."

We do believe that some of the spirits from the Massacre and Gunfight may be visiting the

house. Some of the paranormal experiences we have had in the house are, disembodied

voices, real time audible voices, shadows, doors opening and closing by themselves, footsteps,

little feet running through the kitchen and loud, unexplainable bangs.

ABOUT YOUR STAY

FIRST AND FOREMOST- NO SMOKING OR VAPING IN THE HOUSE! THIS HOUSE IS 125

YEARS OLD AND COMPLETELY MADE OF WOOD. SO FOR SAFETY REASONS NO

SMOKING IS ALLOWED OR OPEN FLAMES OF ANY KIND.

What’s in the kitchen?

● Microwave

● Refrigerator

● Utensils

● Paper products plastic silverware/plates

● Running water

● Coffee Pot

● No stove or oven

How many bedrooms?

The house has 3 bedrooms. One with a King bed, and two with full size beds.

Each of the rooms have a/c window units. None of the rooms have a private bath. There is one

bathroom upstairs with a shower/tub. The other bathroom is downstairs. No shower or tub.

There house does not have central heat or air.

Where do we park?

Parking is a little tricky. You can park 3 or 4 cars along the side of the house and one or two in

front. Minimizing the number of cars is best.

How do I pay for my overnight stay?

A deposit of half your cost of your overnight is due when booking or can be paid in full at the

time of booking. Venmo, PayPal, Zelle are some of the forms of payment I can accept or you

can call over the phone and use a credit card.

What about check-in?

● Check-in 3:00pm

● Check-out 9:00am

You will be given a tour of the house (if requested) and told about the history and paranormal

activity. If you do not want a quick tour, then you will be given a code to use a couple days

before your arrival and the house is all yours.

Are there places to eat and hotels in Jacksonville?

Yes. The house in centrally located to several restaurants and fast food. You're going to love

this! Starbucks is within a 5-10 min walk from the house. There is a Wal-Mart, CVS, and

several hotels 5 mins from the house.

Please note*** We do not allow Ouija Boards at the property. If we find out that you

brought a Ouija Board into the house, you will not be allowed back.

We have tried to make the house as comfortable as possible without affecting the feel of

stepping back into time 125 years ago. Please, come enjoy the house and its spirts.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to email or text me.

Becky Vickers

Owner

Email: 1899Boltonsthouse@gmail.com