Ghost of Indian Lookout in San Antonio, Texas

The Indian ghost out near Indian Lookout probably has a hard time getting noticed nowadays. When I was a kid, Nacogdoches Street ran east from the heart of San Antonio to the city limits. There it became a country road that ran by the quarry and eventually ran into Highway 81. Since San Antonio is the second oldest European settlement in the United Sates it has a lot of ghosts. The one prowling around out near Indian Lookout didn't attract that much attention when my cousins, friends and I were trying to scare the bejebus out of each other telling ghost stories at night.

It was in August of 1954 that I remember seeing Indian Lookout for the first time. There were half a dozen of us kids packed into a car that was older than any of us. Our mothers were in the front seat. Those old cars had a lot of room in them and we'd never heard of seat belts in those days. The only safety tips we heard was, "Don't stick your head out the window. A passing truck might lop it off." Since this was the road to the quarry there were a lot of trucks whizzing past on the two lanes, no-shoulder road. While our heads stayed inside hands and feet were frequently hanging out various windows, especially the feet of one cousin who held the title for the smelliest feet.

A long way out in the country there was a single hill standing sentinel. The big house built on top of it commanded a view of the surrounding countryside for miles and miles. The house was surrounded by a rock wall and the gate posts had the head of a Plains Indian on them. None of this meant much to me at the time, I was far more interested in the end of our journey at Landa Park in New Braunfels Texas. I was going to get to swim in a real swimming pool for the first time in my life. For most of it the pools had been closed because of polio.

Another reason to go to New Braunfels was because there were cotton mills along the Landa River. There was a huge variety of cotton cloth at very cheap prices. It became a tradition to go shopping for material to make school clothes and let the kids swim after the shopping trip providing we didn't destroy the stores. Indian Lookout was the half way marker we kids kept an eye out for every time we went to New Braunfels.

I'd gawk a bit at the hill with its house and Indian heads as we drove along. It wasn't until seventh grade, during Texas history, that I learned the hill was called Indian Lookout, not because of the heads on the gateposts, but because for several centuries Spanish, French, Mexican, Texan and United States settlers used the hill to keep a lookout for Indians.

Indians inhabited the area because at that time great herds of buffalo and other game roamed the area. More importantly than game though were the springs that provided abundant water in a dry land. Some of those springs can still be observed at Landa Park in New Braunfels and at San Pedro Park in San Antonio.

Long before Europeans came into the area there was conflict over who would have access to these springs. Even today after heavy rains it is possible to find arrow heads near these springs. Spear heads and hand axes dating back thousands of years have been discovered near these springs. With millennia of conflict over the precious resource of water it would be more wonderful if ghosts weren't seen nearby.

Even before Loop 1604 was built there were occasional reports of an Indian seen in the area. He was dressed in moccasins, leggings, loin cloth, and had feathers in his braids. Since no one reported paint it is probably the ghost of a hunter.

Shortly after that section of 1604 was opened there was a bit of a pile up and the truck drivers who caused the mess swore they'd hit the brakes because a man dressed like an Indian ran across the road in front of them. Since at least two different drivers apparently saw the apparition that time I think that can be considered a valid sighting. Other similar sightings have usually only involved one person.

These days Indian Lookout is a city maintained park. It no longer has the house, walls or gate posts. There are trails leading to the top of the hill where you can still get a good view of the surrounding countryside. Only now instead of plains with grasses and brush there are shopping centers and housing developments; all with Lookout in their names. In the distance are a Walmart and a Mall. At the foot of the hill is a branch Library on one side and a small strip center on the other. Nacogdoches is now a four lane road with constant traffic. That Indian hunter may still be out there but the chances of seeing him are probably much less than they were fifty years ago. Still, if you are out walking your dog at night, you just might get lucky and see something you don't quite believe out of the corner of your eye.

More stories about ghosts haunting highways and byways are to be found in Ghosts of Texas Highways published by Atriad Press