In Brazoria, TX two slaves were unjustly hung by the neck from the limb of an old sturdy tree until they died. The ghosts of the slaves have haunted that area ever since.

In the past, drivers of horse pulled wagons they said that their horses would just stop below the tree. A man who didn’t believe the tales coaxed his horse under the tree and the animal stopped in its tracks. He had to force his horse to leave the spot.

Now they say that a car driven under the branches of that old tree will stall every time.

There is a church not to far from the tree and one night a woman was walking home from the church when she heard a noise. She turned and saw a small black boy a few yards behind her. She asked him if he needed help, but he didn’t reply so she turned and started walking again.

When she looked back moments later, she saw the figure had grown to a boy of about 12 and was following her soundlessly.

She began to walk faster and when she looked again the boy was a teenager. She began running from him and when she panicked and looked back again a grown man was close behind her. She ran to a nearby home and crashed through their front door while they were cheerfully eating dinner. The man had disappeared.

Stand under that tree at night and the boy will appear to you too.

Garrett Padron from Port Lavaca, TX

Another Version

Although Columbus is a town many like to visit because of its historical value, it also holds an unjust story deep within its soul. In October of 1935, a woman by the name of Geraldine Kollmann was found in Cummins Creek face down with her pants half removed. Shortly after the investigation began,, two black teen males were questioned and within a day, arrested for the murder of Geraldine Kollmann.  After long hours of questioning, the two boys confessed to the murder and signed false statements. Because the two were under eighteen, the law would prohibit the death penalty. They were taken to Houston for their safety and returned about a month later with a court hearing set for November 13, 1935.  The two were snuck back to Columbus the  night before the trial. The two officers transferring the teens were stopped by an armed mob of white men forced to surrender Mitchell and Collins. The teens were driven away and the officers were left behind. The boys were taken to the area where Kollmann’s body was found and were hung from the tree shown below.

Since then, this tree stands strong and bold in the town, taking us from a time when racism ruled our country to a time where Whites and Blacks can co-exist in a same time and space.

Reference: http://www.accd.edu/pac/faculty/rhines/StudentProjects/2006/Columbus/buggirl.html

Hanging Tree Controversey: http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou061018_cd_hangingtree.5071fe9c.html

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