Saturday, April 30, 2011

New Blog Site

     Every business site says that a business should have a blog, so here I am! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me, trying to get the third part of my Historical Tours started. I started working on the Riverside Cemetery "Ghost" Tour in November of last year and having worked it all out with the insurance requirements, I finally caved into to the city's demand to charge me a percentage of my gross profits and I signed the contract.
     The weather has not been very cooperative. There have been several times that the winds were so high that it would have been dangerous for us to be out in it. So since the start of the cemetery tours, I have only been able to do 3, with another one tonight.
     The very first cemetery tour was a really large group with a lot of prominent people ranging from city organizations to law enforcement. They were really hard to read, but I believe that they had a good time.
     The second group was a small group. Barry Levy, the City of Wichita Falls Public Information Officer wanted to film the tour so that we can eventually do a whole show about the tours for the public information channel. He brought along six kids ranging in ages from 9-12. I was really worried about having six kids on the tour, thinking that they would really be disruptive. Well, I will have to tell you that they were the best group of kids I have ever met in my life. After I would tell a story while at a headstone, they would ask questions and really challenge me. They really wanted to learn! I was so impressed with them
     My group last week wanted to do more "Ghost Hunting" and they came prepared with their equipment. They too were very inquistive and asked a lot of questions along the way. They found an app on their iPhones where you could download an EMF meter and it kept going off at some of the stones.
     Tonight, we have a group of Hirschi High School Alumni. A group of about 15 men and woman. This tour ought to be fun because they all know each other and might be more apt to interact then a group of total strangers. Some are coming from Amarillo and the DFW area to attend the tour tonight.
     My reason for starting this blog today was because I have one person who is completely upset with me because I have started giving tours in the cemetery at night. I tried to explain to her that it is done all over the country with the more famous one in New Orleans. Not to mention Austin, Galveston, Ft. Worth, San Antonio and all over Georgia and Alabama. But, she is still upset saying that "it is a sacred place and should be treated that way."  What she doesn't realize is that every time I tell a story at a gravesite, that the whole group is paying their respects to that person. We thank them for what they did for our town, or we say how sorry we are that they died. 
   I just don't handle negativity very well and writing is my way of release. I don't want to upset anyone by giving these tours. I wanted to start a business to earn an income to pay the bills just like every other person on this earth. I wanted to do something that I enjoyed doing. I LOVE Wichita Falls history and started my Darkside Downtown Historical Tour last year. This year, I have added a daytime tour and the cemetery tour. The downtown tours don't allow me to talk about the same people that I talk about at the cemetery. I truly love my new job and I hope that it doesn't offend anyone by what I am doing. If I can teach just ONE person something new about Wichita Falls, that they can in turn teach to someone else, than I feel like I have done my job!
Be sure to visit our website at Historical Tours of Wichita Falls, TX
Watch this blog for more topics of interest to come!

13 comments:

  1. I want to say That i Have known Julie for a long Time. I Love her Historical tours and everything she is doing to bring the History of this City to life. There are alot of People who dont know the real history of this City and i feel like she is doing a great service for the people of this City. I have 3 Family members Who are Burried in Riverside and dont feel at all disrespected because of the cemetary Tours...in fact i am signing up to go on the tour this Week. Julie is a very Respectable Lady and i Want everyone to know i Respect her and stand behind her Completly. Love ya Julie

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  2. Sounds as if everything is off to a good start, Julie! Keep at it & don't let the negatives weigh you down. People are learning about WF & the people who were instrumental in forming it. Good job!

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  3. Hey Julie:
    Remember the old Latin phrase: Non-illegitimas carborundum?
    "Don't let the B------- get you down!" (English interpretation)
    Regards,
    Jeanette Crumpler who has known her share of them also.

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  4. I am looking forward to coming down and taking part in a tour. There will always be someone who is "upset" or complaining. Dont worry about it. Do what your passion is and ignore your dissenters because they will always be around.

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  5. when and where do I sign up for a tour?? Really wanna go

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  6. I am hoping that my sister comes to visit sometime soon when you are doing a tour. I really want to go.

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  7. Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement. Amy Wright, you can go to my website at wftours.com and it will tell you all about the tours. Click on contact to get in touch with me to make a reservation, Christina and Jackie, I hope that you can both take the tour someday!

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  8. Me and Janelle are pretty excited about what you've got going!!! We're gonna come when we get the chance!( It kinda depends on whether Im fishing or if shes painting. Janelles a portrait artist, and I operate "Johnnybigfish Slabs Spoons and Guide Service. Just hope me and your husband dont get sidetracked on FISHING! See you soon, I hope!
    your friend,
    john

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  9. John, you two might get in trouble talkin' fishing! But we fish for large mouth so maybe the conversation can happen before we start the tour! Looking forward to meeting you both. Julie

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  10. I coordinated the HHS group that took the Riverside Cemetery tour this past Saturday night (April 20th), and the headache of getting everyone together and committed (however, yes, I would do it again!) and the frequent emails between Julie and myself, Julie and the rest of the gang - had to drive her bonkers. She and I were often sending emails to see where we stood with the head count! She has the patience of Buddha!

    The tour is 2 hours and mainly deals with those long gone from our world. Julie tells their stories very well and is very knowledgeable in their history. I, myself, took this tour to learn something of the city I have called home since 1966, when my father was stationed here at SAFB. The stories bring to life the past, the bank robbers, the rancher disputes, the evilness in people's hearts, and the goodness in them as well. I would certainly recommend this tour if you like historical things such as this. There is something here for believers of the paranormal, and for those who do not. It is done tastefully and with RESPECT to the hallowed grounds on which we tread. Care was taken not to walk over graves, stand on them, etc. out of respect for where we were. Laughter is a part of everything, but that does not mean we respect the grounds any less. We were just a group of high school friends looking for something to bring us together for a few hours away from our busy lives, to have a few laughs, some solemn moments, and some reflection into the past, the present, and the future. We are already talking about taking the Dark Side tour sometime this summer.

    Wichita Falls needs pretty much all the economic boosting it can get. At one point, it was in the top 10 cities in the United States in danger of going into a Double Dip Recession, and that folks, is not what we need right now. Supporting opportunities like these can only be good for our city. So, if you've been wondering about it, tossing it around, thinking maybe... be like Nike and JUST DO IT. I hope you will, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

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  11. As one of the HHS alumni that went, I have to say I absolutely loved the tour. We'd all heard the stories growing up, but to hear the real stories of what happened and seeing the realness of the result equaled an awesome night. We return home often to visit family and friends, and we plan to do the Downtown Dark Tour sometime this summer. We can't wait! Thanks Julie, for making history fun and enchanting. I am betting the residents enjoyed sharing their time with us.

    Cheree
    Amarillo, TX

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  12. I took the Riverside Cemetery Tour on April 30th and had a great time. I learned quite a bit about some of the early residents of Wichita Falls, both good and bad, that I never knew before. We are planning to take the Downtown Dark Tour sometime this summer. Thanks Julie! You did a great job putting this all together.

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  13. I just want to thank everyone for all of the positive comments for the Riverside Cemetery Tour. I found out today that a lady has complained to the city about the tour. The way the parks manager sees it, what's the difference it taking a tour a few minutes after sunset and one a few hours earlier? So he is on my side and is going to reply to her e mail in that way. I do hope that he tells her that we do not go anywhere near her families plots! They are buried in a section that we do not even walk by!
    I love telling the history of Wichita Falls and I am glad you all enjoyed the stories of some of the city's most well known people.
    I hope that sometime soon, you can all take a downtown tour also where you can hear more stories about Wichita Falls in the early years.

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