Dead Man’s Hole
Posted: 09.06.2024 | Updated: 09.06.2024
The backroads surrounding Austin, Texas, are like an intricate quilt. Each stretch of road is distinguished from the next by a unique piece of Texas history. Divided by the great mysteries of the vast Texas landscape, they often stitch together bruised and forgotten memories, which is precisely what the murderers at Dead Man’s Hole hoped for.
Off the seldom-used County Road 401 lies the Dead Man’s Hole Historical Landmark. A metal plate has long covered the 160-foot-deep hole. But the horrors that occurred at Dead Man’s Hole more than 150 years ago are still fresh in the minds of the citizens of Marble Falls. While the great oak tree that once hung so many bodies underneath its branches is long gone, the spirits of these vicious killings are still present.
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Is Dead Man’s Hole Haunted?
Dead Man’s Hole is reportedly home to many lingering spirits, although many skeptics say otherwise. Confederate vigilantes used the deep hole to dispose of Union sympathizers during the Civil War. Corpses continued to be discovered near the remote Texas landmark after the war ended, adding to the paranormal energy of the area.
History of Dead Man’s Hole
An entomologist— someone who studies bugs— named Ferdinand Lueders first documented Dead Man’s Hole in 1821. It is hard to say how long it has been waiting in the Hill Country of Burnet County. Likely created by an eruption of natural gas, its role in Texas folklore has been just as explosive.
It wasn’t until the onset of the Civil War that Dead Man’s Hole found its true purpose. In 1861, Burnet County voted 248 to 149 to stay in the Union. An opinion not shared by the majority of Texans at the time. Although no battles were ever fought in Burnet County, blood was shed in Marble Falls in Texas-sized proportions.
After the vote, “Bushwhackers,” or “Fire-Eaters,” vigilante Confederate supporters, combed the hills and plains of the area searching for Union sympathizers. There was no mercy shown when they were discovered. No one is certain which rebel found Dead Man’s Hole first, but whoever may have thought, “This is a mighty good place to throw a dead body.”
Dead Man’s Hole was soon used as a receptacle for corpses by outlaws flying the stars and bars. With a rebel yell and murder in their eyes, they disposed of any “Yankee lover” into this dark pit of hell with gusto.
A large Oak Tree once grew next to Dead Man’s Hole. Vigilante justice was carried out in the form of a noose and a justified jury from the limbs of this tree. Although it is long gone now, markings on the branches reminded locals of this horrendous time for many years.
Even after the war was over, Dead Man’s Hole was being used as a dumpster for dead bodies. The last recorded killing took place in 1871, but there may have been many more.
Dead Man’s Hole Today
Natural gases prevented most people from retrieving the bodies or exploring the cavernous world beneath them until the 1960s. Texans are known for doing things their way, no matter how dangerous, and “thousands of bones” were retrieved from the cave by families of the victims in 1866.
As the gases in the earth naturally subsided, the hole was further explored. The first official investigation took place in 1951. In 1968, a metal plate was placed over the hole to prevent any further accidents or disposal of any murder victims. During this time, more of the skeletal remains trapped at the bottom of the “Devil’s Well” were removed.
In 1999, the six-and-a-half acres surrounding the hole were donated to Burnet County by Ona Lou Roper, and it became a park. A historical marker was placed there the year prior. It is now as easy to visit this site, once a remote destination for murderers and criminals, as it is any other Texas landmark.
Victims of The Fire Eaters
It is estimated that between 17 and 35 people were thrown into Dead Man’s Hole in the years during and following the Civil War. While these numbers are estimations, the actual number is difficult to decipher by the scattered state of the remains, and they tell a gruesome story.
So, who was thrown into this pit of doom? There are five documented deaths:
- Burnet County Judge John R. Scott
- German Settler Adolph Hoppe
- Unionist and landowner Henry Flaugher
- Unionist James McMasters
- Benjamin McKeever
McKeever was murdered in 1871 by a group of angry freedmen whom he had previously threatened at gunpoint. He was granted the macabre privilege of being the last recorded person to be tossed into Dead Man’s Hole.
Judge John R. Scott was the most notable victim of the “Fire-Eaters.” Although he had four sons serving in the Confederate army, many local Secessionists viewed the New York native as a Yankee Loyalist. They shot him down on his attempted escape to Mexico with James McMasters. McMasters was later hung from the ominous oak tree, which has since been removed.
The Hauntings of Dead Man’s Hole
Many visitors venturing to Dead Man’s Hole quickly discover they are not alone. Screaming and other strange noises have been heard late at night. Apparitions of murdered Unionists and scorned outlaws have spooked ghost hunters and unsuspecting visitors alike. Some have even felt the dead pull their clothing at the infamous Texas supernatural hotspot. Reports of the phantom voices have been backed up through various EVP recordings.
One of the more chilling EVP recordings at Dead Man’s Hole was of a young girl desperately pleading, “No, Daddy, I just want to go to Dairy Queen.” It appears the horrors of Dead Man’s Hole have continued to spew out of this portal to hell long after it was closed off to our world.
Haunted Austin
The spectral forces surrounding Dead Man’s Hole have a powerful and complex hold on its victims, something that has made its presence known for over one hundred and fifty years. When the bodies of Dead Man’s Hole were brought to the surface in 1866, a great deal of paranormal energy followed. Shortly after their retrieval, these remains were brought to the local courthouse for holding and identification. Many reports from the courthouse that day claim that the bones of these men, thousands of them, simply disappeared.
This tale is just one of the many haunting mysteries that await you in the Hill Country of Austin. Book your spot on an Austin ghost tour with Austin Ghosts to hear them all.
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Sources Cited:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dead-mans-hole
https://101highlandlakes.com/dead-mans-hole-marble-falls/
https://ghosttexas.com/the-haunted-dead-mans-hole/
https://texashillcountry.com/origin-dead-mans-hole-origin/
https://101highlandlakes.com/dead-mans-hole-in-marble-falls/
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