10-30-2023 1:38pm

Alamogordo Ghost, Spirits and Legends Just in Time for Halloween

Chris Edwards Editor

From the "whispers by the wells” as proof of the Anasazi, to Pavla Blanca who roams the white sands seeking her lover the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Luna, to the ghost of Willie that roams Victoria on New York Avenue along with others who dance the night away from the Order of Knights of Pythias to the spirits of Julie, Magie, and of relations to the Hollomans; Alamogordo is rich in spirits from beyond.

The highest concentration of ghosts and the legends of the unknown roam Alamogordo's New York Avenue. Their stories are told monthly by AlamogordoTownNews.com journalist and published author Chris Edwards. Edwards has conducted over 20 tours over the last 2 years, over 300 people have participated from across the nation to hear the stories and hope for a chill or a brushing with a spirit from beyond.

What follows is a few of those legends and excerpts from a story that ran in New Mexico Influence Magazine written by Mr. Edwards. His findings of history and legends have been featured in New Mexico Magazine, Influence New Mexico and via several other media outlets...

The land now known as Alamogordo, New Mexico has been inhabited by people as far back as 11,000 years ago. Numerous pre-historic Paleo-Indian sites yielding unique artifacts, Indian wells, and petroglyphs are found within the city limits, most are not marked, and only known to locals. Sitting on an Indian well, near New Mexico State University Alamogordo as the wind blows, one can hear and feel the spirits of the first peoples and envision them living in communion with nature.

Several locals refer to the “whispers by the wells” as proof of the Anasazi are still roaming the mountains and riverbeds within Alamogordo.

For 1,000 years, long before Columbus, the Anasazi Indians were lords of this land. Their civilization was as complex and sophisticated as that of the Mayans. Then, apparently without warning, the Anasazi all but disappeared. They left the Tularosa Basin with their belongings in place, ladles left in ceramic bowls, granaries sealed full of supplies, Indian wells dug awaiting their return. Leaving as they did, they planned to return.

Local’s claim they are indeed here among us and when hiking in solitude when nearing their sacred grounds, riverbeds, and wells, if you listen, “you will hear their whispers from the other side.”

Spirits some say dating to the early Spanish settlers of the 1600s and 1700s are said to be heard in still nights in the state streets near Delaware and Kansas in the historic neighborhood of Chihuahuita.

The most active street in neighborhood for paranormal activity of Chihuahuita is New York Avenue. The street is the most active street having had investigators and television crews visit in the past.

According to an article in the Alamogordo News dated 3/17/2017, during the investigation, Hidden Haunts Paranormal with an episode that aired on Bravo a crew attempted to communicate with spirits and received responses from the unknown through radio frequencies, flashlight signals and dowsing rods. One of the investigators Brandt said she saw "figures in the dark while communicating" and even felt something touch her. Several of the investigators also felt a cold touch that made the hair on their necks stand up. Paranormal investigator Brandt’s conclusion was that the building on Alamogordo's New York Avenue was indeed haunted, and they contacted one female spirit and one male spirit who appeared to be a small child in the photographs they took.

Around 1900 Alamogordo’s main street named, New York Avenue was conceptualized as the commercial zone for the new city. The street was an ambitious project with the First National Bank buildings at 928 New York Avenue (now Roadrunner Galleria) as the launchpad for the commercial district. The bank was distinctive with its four safes, one being an art deco styled Mossler Safe that at the time cost $36,000 which would be $1.2 million today.

The bank President was Henry John Anderson who’s descendant roams the stairways and safes of the building as the spirit locals call “Judy.” Store owners over the decades who have resided at 928 New York Avenue have told stories of Judy’s presence. When it was a Halmark Store “she would move the bells around and glass candle holders would mysteriously fall to the floor,” according to local legend.

A Chakra visiting the store in 2022 in the lower level safe she lost her breath and hollered out that she felt a presence. Staff went down to the safe to ensure she was okay. She came back upstairs was seated, grabbed a petrified piece of wood and sage to center herself. Then she proceeded back down the stairs into the safe. This time she said she again felt the “presence but could tell the entity meant no harm to the building owners or occupants.”

The “Ghost Whisper” of New York Avenue, Alamogordo is a beautifully smiling and welcoming lady named Alice Weinman or “Ms. Alice” who owns, Victoria Alamogordo. She has operated a store on the street for nearly 40 years.

Within her store is an “entity” by the name of “Willie.” Willie was a horse rustler that got caught by the local sheriff in 1898 stealing horses and was shot. Willie died and his bones are in the wooden floor basement of Ms. Alice’s store at 913 New York Avenue. Ms. Alice is one that is of strong religious convictions, and never believed in ghost stories, until “Willie” convinced her otherwise. Ms. Alice explained that “visitors to her store, family members and she, would on occasion feel a very cold presence in her store.”

Neighbors told her that the presence was one of the ghosts of New York Avenue. She was skeptical being a strong Christian woman, but things started to point to the legend of spirits roaming New York Avenue. Events occurred that made her more and more inquisitive. Lights she knew she turned off would turn on, things would move around her store and a chill would cross her path. As such, she reached out to a friend that was a medium and connected with the afterlife to investigate. Sure enough, her friend was able to connect with the entity in her building and he told her his story. Willie was a horse rustler that was caught, shot, and died. Because he was caught his parents did not want his body, so they told the sheriff “To throw his bones wherever.”

In 1898 Alice’s building did not exist it was just a dirt lot. So, the sheriff dug a grave and placed him in the ground where Victoria is today. A few years later the storefronts of that side of New York Avenue were built. In 1900 to 1910 they did not do major excavations or research what lay under the ground. So, the building was built and his bones that lay in the basement. He told the medium and Ms. Alice that, “I remember the many occupants of the building and didn’t like it when they tossed boxes on top of my bones.” The basement was used for storage for many decades.

Years later during a remodel they filled in the basement with earth but left “Willies bones to remain.” Willie makes his presence known to Ms. Alice and to those, on occasion, that don’t believe. Ms. Alice has seen herself on more than one occasion when a skeptic speaks out, Willie has been known to appear. On one occasion he pushed a non-believer down to the floor right in front of Ms. Alice. On other occasions, Ms. Alice has seen his shadow when there should be no shadow cast. A break in occurred to her store several years ago and Willie witnessed the break-in and even described the bandit to Ms. Alice as “a man of dark spirit that was in and out and knew where the cash was.” Willie let Ms. Alice know, “the bandit had dark long hair, a sharpnose and a dark soul. He was closed minded that even, he could not get through to the banditto stop the robbery, no matter how hard he tried.” Ms. Alice forgave Willie, for allowing the robbery to occur on his watch while she was away, as such Willie is very protective of Ms. Alice today. The robber, got away with it and was never seen again which is probably for the best; because the district attorney was not convinced that “he could get a conviction based on the statement of a ghost.”

There are stories of many other ghost on New York Avenue. The very building that used to host the editorial staff of Influence Magazine is the home to “a rowdy crowd of spirits” according to Ms. Alice and others.

The upper floor, closed off today but still intact was a dance floor for the Fraternal Order of Knights of Pythias. The Order of Knights of Pythias was the first American Order ever chartered by an Act of the Congress of the United States on recommendation of the President -Abraham Lincoln. As such this was a fraternal order of men that believed that any two men, believers in a Supreme Being, meeting in a spirit of good will in an honest effort to understand each other, can live together in peace and harmony. Peace and harmony were the mantra, but their lodge on New York Avenue, Alamogordo, was a wonderous ballroom with private rooms for entertaining with the ladies in the back. The lodge would hosted dances and such, until the wee hours, during the early 1900s and the spirits of those rowdy nights still linger on New York Avenue today.

The upper floor, closed off today but still intact was a dance floor for the Fraternal Order of Knights of Pythias. The Order of Knights of Pythias was the first American Order ever chartered by an Act of the Congress of the United States on recommendation of the President -Abraham Lincoln. As such this was a fraternal order of men that believed that any two men, believers in a Supreme Being, meeting in a spirit of good will in an honest effort to understand each other, can live together in peace and harmony. Peace and harmony were the mantra, but their lodge on New York Avenue, Alamogordo, was a wonderous ballroom with private rooms for entertaining with the ladies in the back. The lodge would host dances and such, until the wee hours, during the early 1900's and the spirits of those rowdy nights still linger on New York Avenue today.

Alamogordo and its historic New York Avenue cultural district is ripe with mystery; from the woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing making spooky appearances on the staircase and safes, at Roadrunner Galleria, to Willie who protects Ms. Alice, to the whispers of the Anasazi along the creek side Indian wells.

The mysteries of the past are alive to be heard by those brave enough to listen there are others Maggie who died on the surgeons table and is a troubled soul to those that roam the 1200 Block and are tied to the Holloman’s - the spirits and legends live on and roam the streets forever wanting their stories told.

To hear more stories of the spirits of New York Avenue and the history of Alamogordo, visit Alamogordo’s Main Street, New York Avenue and join one of the monthly ghost and history tours hosted by AlamogordoTownNews.com beginning at 1209 New York Avenue. Check out the community calendar at AlamogordoTownNews.com for the date of the next tour in November.