Abandoned Mansion in Sherman

Does anyone know anything about an old, abondoned mansion on the shouthwest side of Sherman? I can not remember what street I saw it on but it was huge, red brick, white columns, and on a large, fenced off property. Very spooky! Thanks.

Abandoned Mansion in Sherman

Yep, that%26#39;s the old Woodman%26#39;s Circle Home (some time of fraternal order like the Elks or something) and it%26#39;s been abandoned for years and years. It burned probably 20 years ago now, and it%26#39;s never recovered. Back in the 60s it was still in use, particularly its ballroom. It had beautiful floors and lovely transoms, wide hallways, and quite a bit of charm. Now, however, it%26#39;s just spooky. Last I heard it was owned by Robert Minshew, but I don%26#39;t know if that%26#39;s still true as it%26#39;s been quite some time since I heard that!

Abandoned Mansion in Sherman

Thanks for solving my little mystery. Such a spooky place. I wonder if it%26#39;s haunted......

yeah it is haunted my uncle and friend went in side a said their were screams and bangs constantly inside their is also some apartmants haunted in shermen i forgot the name but there on willow street

the appartments are east side garden apartments, and woodman circle is very very haunted, there is also a cementery called woodmans circle cemetery its on 1417 , its also haunted some friends said they went to check it out at like 7:00 at night and they swear they were only there for 10 minutes and when they pulled out of there it was 8:00 they said it was like a time warp, sounds crazy i know but its true!!!!!!!!

Woodman%26#39;s Circle is the most beautiful Art Deco (1930) mansion I have ever seen. It was built and homed widows in the main house and orphans in the Philladelphia house (long home to the side). There is a majestic Gazebo with an overlook, scenic drive up, big bay windows, sunroom on two floors, two huge ballrooms, and a large basement for the pipes. Unfortunately in the 70%26#39;s, the state mandated new electrical codes and the Forest Woodman%26#39;s Society for the Aged and Orphaned could not afford to rennovate the building to meet the regulated guidelines. They moved out (and took all of their belongings with them - so cancel all stories you hear of furniture, books, clothes, etc... in the building). It was then used as a church - not a Satanic Church as the story goes, just a church. That was was for a very minimilistic time. That is where the story of a 4 year old boy falling down the dumbwaiter comes from. I have been unable to validate that portion of the story, everyone I have spoken to leaves it in, so it might be. It then moved from one S%26amp;L to another through the 80%26#39;s. 5 business men purchased the home in hopes to fix it up after the crash of the S%26amp;L%26#39;s. Vandals had broken windows, stolen fixtures, destroyed walls %26amp; doors, and finally in the early 90%26#39;s an arson set fire to portions of all the buildings. It is currently owned by a lawyer in Sherman who does have plans for it. I personally hope that the plans are to rennovate the home back to it%26#39;s magnificence and to restore the Art Deco beauty that it once held.

This home could have ghosts of elderly widows and a 4 year old boy, but not the stories that I heard. All of the ones I have heard where of occult rituals and tragedy, but this is a special house and so is the cemetery. Built out of charity for a close knit organization.

I grew up in Sherman and had friends that lived on the other side of the ';woods'; from this place. I don%26#39;t think it was a normal ';church'; that was there... The kids that lived there used to chase us away with hoes and rakes when they were working in the garden. (Jennifer, Carolyn, Jimmy, %26amp; Cooper - you can verify this!) Anyway, after it burned down, some friends went back in there and said there were pentagrams on the floor and that it looked Satanic... so I%26#39;m not sure since I didn%26#39;t go... but it freaked me OUT!!!!

I just went in the woodmans home a few nights ago. I have always wanted to go into the home, but for what ever reason didnt. Fear of what was in the home or maybe that i would get caught by the police could be the reasons why i didnt. The other night while i was talking to a friend for whatever reason i thought about going into the home. My friend said he also wanted to go into the home. When we went into the home i found it to be like right out of a scary movie with walls falling down the roof caving in and dusty. Also alot of bad things written on the walls. The home is very much a scary looking place. My friend and i were in the home for about 45 minutes and i must say that i never once felt fear of anything bad happening. Now i must say that i dont believe in goast, but i do believe as the bible says demonic spirits. I would say that this place does have alot of demonic spirits not because of the people who have died in the home, but because of all the crazy satan loving people who have come in and wrote all the bad things and performed there perversions inside the home. I can say with all confidence that the home is not haunted, but if you believe in what the bible says about demonic spirits then you will find that the home is full of those, but its nothing to be scared of if you follow the lord.

yah i live right there behide it%26#39;s on the corner of 75 and n hwy 1417 can,t miss it

here is a website with more information and great pictures www.pinballrebel.com/woodman/woodman.htm

i for one would love to have seen this house restored. i no longer live in the Sherman area (been in Austin since i was 11) but i still remember driving past it on Saturday mornings going to girl scout meetings. for some reason the building has always been on my mind.

The mansion was not only an orphanage but it was also a hospital and an insane asylum...my boyfriends mom and dad went in there when they were teenagers and they have footage....the sponge room is still in there and there are still a few strapped beds. The bathrooms are rusted over really bad and it stinks horibly. Its pretty much scary looking all the way around.....MY boyfriend mom said it was the scariest place she has ever been in in her entire life. I want to go in there....lol

fish

Austin area - bass fishing

I am looking for someone to recommend a guide for any of the lakes in the Austin area. Also which lakes are better for winter (Feb)bass fishing? Thanks!

Austin area - bass fishing

I wonder if the folks on this link might be able to answer you. We don%26#39;t get a lot of fishing questions here.

www.texasfishingforum.com

Austin area - bass fishing

Here%26#39;s a link with a list of local guides. I%26#39;m sure you can get advice on the various lakes from them. gorp.away.com/gorp/location/tx/wa_austin.htm

This is a great resource for Austin area bass fishing.

http://www.austinbassfishing.com/

Bachelorette Party

I%26#39;m throwing my sister%26#39;s Bachelorette party and she wants to go eat at a fun restaurant then go dancing somewhere in Dallas. I need clubs or bars that people under 21 can get into and that have cheap drinks.

Bachelorette Party

Y%26#39;all could hang out in Deep Ellum - Monica%26#39;s for dinner and then Lizard Lounge for dancing. It%26#39;s the only place I know of where under 21 can get in.

http://thelizardlounge.com/index.php

http://www.monicas.com/

How has Galveston recovered from Ike?

Considering a trip to Galveston in late June, how has the area recovered from Ike? Never been there, also looking for a recomendation on a 1 - 2 BDRM condo, upscale / new, walk to beach. Thanks!

How has Galveston recovered from Ike?

Just went there this weekend. Please see my list of openings on my review and photos. Don%26#39;t know about the condo. We always stay at Gaido%26#39;s.

Good luck.

How has Galveston recovered from Ike?

See the Galvestonian - it is right on the beach, beautifully-decorated, and very quiet most of the time. http://www.galvestonian.com/

Thank you boilingintexas and terryyahoo for your responses, very helpful. I am suprised I did not find the Galvestonian in my many hours of web searching. Sounds like a great property, they need to update their marketing. We booked a renovated condo at By the Sea Condos www.vrbo.com/183447 and it looks amazing, cant wait to get there.

Will definately try Gaidos as it seems to get great reviews. I saw somewhere you can buy fresh shrimp right off the boats, any tips on this?

Thanks!

You can usually buy shrimp off the boats, but I didn%26#39;t see any this time. But, I didn%26#39;t get on the bay side this time and that is usually where they come in.

I just left the beach last week and already I am ready to go back. I didn%26#39;t get enough beach time.

Maybe I%26#39;ll get a chance to go down to the sandcastle competition June 4th.

Have a great time.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i17271-Best_Sho…

My mom and stepdad are still living in their RV. The last time we went shopping for furniture (20 years ago) she was incredibly excited. Now she seems to drag her feet and not want to get started.

Many touristy places have reopened or found new locations to open, but some landmarks like the Balinese are gone for good. Grace Episcopal discovered lovely wooden floors beneath the carpet they had to trash and hopefully will be getting their restored pews back soon. These are the same pews that drifted away in the 1900 storm, only to be brought back by islanders as they were found even weeks after the storm. Please consider taking a tour of Grace along with all your other vacation plans.

Thanks again! I will be sure to get to the bay and look for the shrimp boats.

State Fair?

I did a quick search to find several threads on the State Fair. My husband and I are form Corpus but we%26#39;ll coming from the West. We%26#39;ve never been to Dallas.

So I guess my question(s) are more of...

How many days do we need to see the Fair? Is one enough?

I%26#39;m reading about your DART system...but I%26#39;m not familar with mass transit. So is there a hotel we can stay at that%26#39;s near a DART station that would get us to the Fair? Or should we just suck it up and drive there and deal with the parking?

Thanks in advance if you can help.

State Fair?

One day is generally enough to see the highlights of the fair. However, if you have a particular interest, a second day won%26#39;t hurt! Keep in mind that weekends can be very busy, especially on Texas OU weekend (Ocotber 17 this year). Best to go on a weekday if you can swing it.

If at all possible, I would avoid driving/parking to the fair- it%26#39;s a zoo. The Green Line for the DART light rail is on schedule to open in September- this will be the line that goes to Fair Park.

You can stay anywhere downtown and have fairly easy access to the DART light rail lines that will interconnect and make tranfer to the Green Line easy. Some of the downtown hotels include the Adolphus, Fairmont, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency, Springhill Suites, Magnolia, Lawrence, Indigo, Joule.

However, since you have a car, you can stay in other areas that might better suit your trip plans, such as the Market center area, or the Best Western or La Quinta off of Central that are often mentioned when the Fair is discussed in this forum. You could park at a DART station such as Mockingbird Station, Union Station or Cityplace and connect to the Green Line for your ride to the Fair.

In years past there was a bus shuttle system to the fair but that has been retired in favor of the light rail.

State Fair?

We always drive ourselves and park in the lots off Fitzhugh. But...during TX-OU, you need a special pass to park there. I would avoid that particular weekend if you can.

On weekdays, there are entrance specials. Usually Tues is $3 w/ a Dr Pepper can. Wed is $1 or 2 with 3 cans of food. And Thurs is $4 with a certain Coke product.

Also, be aware that certain days are for students and High School day is pretty much to be avoided.

As far as I know DISD is the only school district in the country that gives students a day off to go to the fair. The fair gives all the students and teachers a pass, not just DISD, but apparently other surrounding school districts, too.

DISD used to get both the HS day and the elementary days so kids could go with their siblings on whatever day they wanted, but I think they quit that a few years ago.

I%26#39;ve never had trouble parking at the fair, but if I were a visitor I%26#39;d probably go the light rail option as suggested. We live down the street from the fair and this year I%26#39;m not sure if I%26#39;ll park as usual or try the rail option.

One day is normally good, but keep in mind it can be an extremely busy day and to see everything/do everything you need to get there when it opens and plan the day out so you get to see all the shows you want. When I do it in one day it%26#39;s a 12 hour day from 10AM to 10PM. The State Fair website has some neat tools for planning your visit. Or you can just show up at 1000, grab a program, and plan it out then and there.

You can also check the band schedule on the website as there might be someone you%26#39;d really like to see that you should plan your trip around being there on that day. The current year%26#39;s list isn%26#39;t up yet, but here%26#39;s some of who%26#39;s been here in the past. ';Headliners run the gamut of genres and have included the Jonas Brothers, Christina Aguilera, the Dixie Chicks, Jars of Clay, Destiny’s Child, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, Boyz II Men, Garth Brooks, Selena, the Mavericks, the Beach Boys, Lou Rawls, Willie Nelson and Jay Perez.'; http://www.bigtex.com/

Also, all the museums that are in Fair Park are included with your Fair entrance fee. If you%26#39;re interested in any of them, you might want to take two days, because the fair itself will definitely take up all of one day.

If you%26#39;re here on opening day weekend, the State Fair parade downtown is always fun to attend.

I love the State Fair! I hope you have a great time!

Dallas ISD high school day is also best avoided in the evening. I thought it wasn%26#39;t going to be a big deal...I don%26#39;t usually belive most of the stuff I hear, but this legendary day turned out to be true after witnessing a gang fight in the food court.

Dallas Area Activities for a 2 1/2 year old

We will be in Irving in late July for a week. Would appreciate any suggestions for day activities for our 2 1/2 year old. We know about the zoo, but were hoping for more ';local'; activities. Swimming lessons, play centers etc.

THANK YOU!

Dallas Area Activities for a 2 1/2 year old

Things like swimming lessons are usually through local Y%26#39;s and are week-long sessions. You%26#39;d have to check the Y closest to where you%26#39;re staying for achedules.

The most fun for a 2 1/2 year old (to me) would be the former Science Place, now known as the Children%26#39;s Museum of the Museum of Nature and Science. www.natureandscience.org/dcm/default.asp

It%26#39;s fun going on your own because there are always other kids to play with and your child can spend as much time as they like doing what they%26#39;re interested in. On Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 they have special programs.

They also have special camps, but your child may be too young.

Another fun place would be the Dallas Arboretum. Right now they have a special storybook display.

dallasarboretum.org/Events/…20Playhouses.htm

Dallas Area Activities for a 2 1/2 year old

I don%26#39;t know about Irving, but in Dallas we have free splashparks:

dallasparks.org/Downloads/Spraygrounds.pdf

http://www.dallasparks.org/main/home.aspx

We like the Lake Highlands location best.

Frontiers of Flight of Museum at Love Field has a good play area.

Some of the malls have play areas - the Galleria has one on the 3rd floor near Nordstrom and Saks.

spots

migrating existing portal

Connecting at DFW...

Hey,

I%26#39;m flying from Brussels to Lubbock in July, and have to change planes in Toronto and Dallas. In Toronto I have about 3 hours, so this is not an issue (though I would like to know whether i%26#39;ll have to recheck my luggage).

In Dallas however, I only have 40 minutes, due to rescheduling (I had an hour at first). I will fly to Dallas with American Airlines and to Lubbock with American Eagle.I am in the a4 seat, so I won%26#39;t have to wait very long to get out of the plane. Will I be able to catch my plane?

More important, I also have the same short connection going from DFW to Toronto, and 40 minutes for connecting to an international flight seems quite short to me. Is it still possible though (again, I%26#39;ll be in front of the plane).

I would appreciate yopur help very much!

Connecting at DFW...

Those are tight time frames and American has a pretty bad on-time rate. That said, I can%26#39;t remember the last time I missed a connection, and I%26#39;m thinking it was a weather problem more than anything else. I fly about 120 segments or so a year.

Normally, you do not have to re-check luggage on international flights. You go through customs and then your bags are left in the baggage drop off area and transited to your plane by the baggage staff.

All international flights use Terminal D. American Eagle flights are exclusively out of Terminal B, rarely may be A or C, but the likelihood is you%26#39;ll be transiting from D to B inbound and B to D outbound.

You%26#39;ll be going through customs in Dallas, too, and it%26#39;s usually quick. Our baggage check-in time is 40 minutes before the flight, so I%26#39;m thinking there%26#39;s a possibility that you might make the flight, but your baggage may make a later flight. In that circumstance the airline will deliver your bag to you. If you%26#39;re staying in the Lubbock area that%26#39;s not a problem, but if you%26#39;re going a distance by car, too, then you might want to wait until your luggage arrives. Really don%26#39;t know what the turn-around time for luggage from D, through customs, and to B might be.

From Lubbock to Dallas is not a problem at all as your luggage will automatically be sent to the next plane and you just have to get yourself over to the gate.

If you really think you%26#39;re going to have issues you might touch base with American and tell them your booking was changed and you need to look at alternatives. You should not be charged a change fee when the airlines has made the first change. But the agent may tell you they don%26#39;t expect a problem and to stick with your current arrangements.

The Skylink (normally the fastest way to get from different terminals/gates takes and takes about 10 -15 minutes (including walking time to the skylink and wait time). A train runs about every two minutes.

www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do…

Connecting at DFW...

Thank you for your answer! I%26#39;m a little aay from Lubbock, but not that far, I%26#39;ll have to make sure to take some extra clothes in my carry-on then. I was more worried about me not making it, especially when connecting on the way back, there is only oe flight from Toronto to Brussels a day.