Evergreen Cemetery

September 8, 1900, began like any other day in Galveston. Weather forecasters had noted a tropical disturbance in the Gulf, but residents had weathered storms before. By midday, the winds began to pick up and the tide rose higher than normal. By evening, the situation became catastrophic.

The hurricane's storm surge—a wall of water 15 feet high—crashed into the island with devastating force. Entire city blocks were swept away in minutes. Wooden houses splintered like matchsticks. Families seeking shelter on upper floors watched in horror as the water continued to rise, eventually forcing them onto roofs or into the churning flood waters. The wind howled at 145 mph, turning debris into deadly projectiles. Survivors later described the sound as similar to thousands of screaming voices.

By the time the storm passed the next morning, Galveston was unrecognizable. The bodies of men, women, and children were everywhere—floating in the water, buried under rubble, impaled on broken timbers. The scope of death was incomprehensible. It remains, to this day, the deadliest natural disaster in American history.

In the days following the hurricane, Galveston faced an impossible task: what to do with thousands of bodies in the subtropical heat. Initially, the dead were loaded onto barges and taken out to sea for burial. However, the Gulf's currents brought many bodies back to shore, washing up on beaches and horrifying survivors.

City officials then made the grim decision to burn bodies in massive funeral pyres throughout the city. The smell of burning flesh hung over Galveston for weeks. Even this wasn't enough—there were simply too many dead. Emergency burial grounds were established, including what would become Evergreen Cemetery.

Workers, many of whom were convicts pressed into service at gunpoint, dug mass graves and buried victims by the hundreds. Most were never identified. Families were separated in death, children buried far from parents, husbands from wives. Many victims were never found at all, their bodies carried out to sea or buried beneath tons of debris that would never be fully excavated.

Evergreen Cemetery, originally known as New Cahill Cemetery, was formally established in 1900 in the direct aftermath of the storm. It was created specifically to memorialize and provide a final resting place for the hurricane's victims. The cemetery was later renamed Evergreen Cemetery as part of Galveston's effort to project hope and renewal after the disaster.

The cemetery contains an estimated 900 identified burials, but the true number of bodies interred here is unknown. Mass graves hold dozens or even hundreds of unidentified victims. Simple markers denote family plots where entire households were buried together—mothers with children, elderly couples, young families wiped out in a single night of terror.

The cemetery's establishment was part of Galveston's broader recovery effort, which included raising the entire island's grade by 8 to 17 feet and constructing a massive seawall. But while the city rebuilt, the trauma of the storm never fully faded. And neither, it seems, did the spirits of those who died.

Visitors to Evergreen Cemetery frequently report seeing apparitions of people in Victorian-era clothing wandering among the graves. These figures appear disoriented and distressed, often seeming to search for something—or someone. When approached, they vanish without a trace.

Many witnesses describe seeing families walking together: mothers clutching children, men and women holding hands. These spirits are often soaking wet, their clothes dripping with water despite the weather. Some appear with visible injuries—broken limbs twisted at unnatural angles, heads with visible trauma, bodies covered in mud and debris.

These manifestations are believed to be the spirits of storm victims who died so suddenly and traumatically that they don't understand they're dead. They continue searching for loved ones from whom they were separated during the storm, or try to find their way home to houses that no longer exist.

On stormy nights, particularly during hurricane season, witnesses report hearing terrifying sounds emanating from Evergreen Cemetery. The most commonly reported phenomenon is the sound of screaming—hundreds of voices crying out in terror, calling for help, searching for family members.

These phantom sounds are often accompanied by the roar of wind and water, even when the actual weather is calm. Some visitors have reported hearing the crash of breaking timber, the sound of houses collapsing, and children crying for their parents. The cacophony typically builds to a crescendo before suddenly falling silent, leaving witnesses shaken and disturbed.

Paranormal researchers believe these are residual hauntings—psychic imprints of the terror experienced during the storm, replaying like a recording on the anniversary of the disaster and during weather conditions similar to that fateful night.

One of the most frequently reported spirits at Evergreen Cemetery is a woman in a white nightgown, her long dark hair hanging wet and tangled around her face. She's often seen near the mass graves, walking slowly through the rows of markers, appearing to read each name.

Witnesses describe her as young, perhaps in her twenties or early thirties, with a expression of profound grief on her pale face. Some believe she's searching for her children, who were swept from her arms during the storm. Others think she may be looking for her own grave, unable to accept her death.

Those who have encountered her report feeling overwhelming sadness and despair. Some have heard her weeping or calling out names—'Sarah,' 'James,' 'William'—before she fades away. Photographs taken in the area where she appears often show strange mists or orbs, and electronic equipment frequently malfunctions.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking paranormal phenomena at Evergreen Cemetery involves the spirits of children who perished in the storm. Over 1,000 children died in the hurricane—some swept from their parents' arms by the surge, others crushed by debris, many drowned in the rising waters.

Visitors report hearing children's laughter and the sounds of playing, particularly near sunset. Small handprints appear on car windows and camera lenses. Some witnesses have seen groups of children in old-fashioned clothing playing among the graves, only to vanish when adults approach.

More disturbing are reports of children's voices crying out for their mothers, or small figures standing alone in the rain, appearing lost and frightened. These spirits seem to be seeking comfort and safety, still trapped in the terror of the storm. Sensitive individuals report feeling small hands tugging at their clothes or touching their hands, as if the spirit children are seeking help to find their way home.

Paranormal investigators who have studied Evergreen Cemetery report consistent phenomena:

• EMF readings spike dramatically throughout the cemetery, particularly near mass graves
• Sudden temperature drops of 20-30 degrees, even in summer
• Camera batteries draining instantly upon entering certain areas
• Countless EVPs captured, including voices calling for help, crying, and speaking in languages common to 1900s Galveston (English, German, Swedish)
• Apparitions appearing in photographs that weren't visible to the naked eye
• The overwhelming scent of salt water and decay with no physical source
• Physical sensations of being touched, pushed, or grabbed
• Feelings of drowning or inability to breathe, particularly near the mass graves
• Phantom lights appearing over graves on the anniversary of the storm

The cemetery is considered one of the most haunted locations in Texas, with activity occurring year-round but intensifying dramatically in September, particularly around the anniversary of the storm on September 8th.

Evergreen Cemetery is open to respectful visitors during daylight hours. The cemetery stands as both a memorial to the victims of the 1900 Hurricane and a reminder of nature's awesome and terrible power. Many of the graves are marked with simple stones bearing only dates of death: September 8, 1900—or September 9, 1900 for those who died shortly after from injuries.

Visitors are asked to be respectful of the dead and to remember that this is hallowed ground, consecrated by one of America's greatest tragedies. The spirits here are not malevolent—they are victims of circumstances beyond their control, many of whom died terrified and alone, separated from everyone they loved.

If you visit Evergreen Cemetery, particularly during hurricane season or on the anniversary of the storm, you may encounter these restless spirits. Approach with respect and compassion. They are not trying to frighten the living—they are simply unable to rest, forever trapped in the horror of September 8, 1900, the day the sea rose up and swallowed a city.