Ghost stories haunt communities across North Texas—but what happens when their claims meet the historical record? In this interactive virtual session, academic research librarian Marj Atkinson will demonstrate how local lore develops, spreads, and becomes accepted as “fact.” Participants will learn how to investigate those stories using RPL resources, the Portal to Texas History, newspaper archives, genealogy databases, fact-checking tools, and other reliable sources.
Online only due to the Richardson Public Library move.
Register for Zoom
Using Garland’s Smiley’s Grave legend as a shared case study, attendees will follow the research process step by step: separating the story into testable claims, locating historical evidence, comparing later retellings with contemporary records, and identifying the real-world events that can seed supernatural lore. Participants will help determine which parts of the legend are documented, contradicted, or still unresolved.
The session will also briefly examine Plano’s Carpenter House to show a different research outcome: historical sources may verify the setting and its history without resolving reports of paranormal activity. Along the way, participants will explore RPL resources and discover additional materials available through Texas history collections, other libraries, and reputable websites.
Whether you write mystery, crime, thriller, or supernatural fiction—or simply enjoy uncovering the history behind a good ghost story—this session will give you a research process you can apply to legends anywhere in Texas.
Explain how local ghost lore develops and spreads.
Identify reliable library and online sources for investigating legends.
Apply a step-by-step process to evaluate a ghost story.
Use historical research to strengthen mystery and crime writing.
Marj Atkinson, MLS, is an academic research librarian, community educator, and webmaster for the Writers Guild of Texas. She believes the scariest thing about a ghost story is often the history it hides. Drawing on her experience presenting at Denton Halloween, Marj brings a researcher’s eye and a mystery writer’s curiosity to debunking local lore.
The Writers Guild of Texas presents Guest Speaker / Program meetings on the 3rd Monday of each month in person at the Richardson Public Library and via Zoom. Visitors are welcome to attend.