August 8, 2005
Floyd and the Walking Horse Hotel
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Patrick, Wartrace, Tennessee, Early 1980s,
info@ghostvillage.com
I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and went to school with lots of
the country music stars' kids. This afforded me some rather unique
experiences and one of those is how I came to encounter a ghost. There
is a hotel in Wartrace, Tennessee called the Walking Horse Hotel. I know
it is still there because I visited it yesterday with my wife and kids
on the way back to Atlanta from visiting family in Nashville. The
property has changed dramatically on the inside, but as soon as I saw
the outline of the building I knew that was it -- even after 20 years
since my experience.
It was in the early 1980s and I was invited to go with some of my
friends and one adult, the wife of a very prominent country music star,
to stay New Year's Eve as the guests of the manager of unique hotel
located in Tennessee -- Walking Horse country. We were to be the only
people in the hotel as it was closed that evening. My friends had stayed
there in the recent past and had some interesting experiences. This
particular hotel was the resting place of “Strutting Jim,” one of the
most famous Tennessee walking horses of all time. His trainer “Floyd”
had lived in the hotel and sometime after the horses passing had died
himself in his room on the 3rd floor of the 3-story hotel. Floyd was
said to still be wandering the grounds and the halls of the hotel but
our host George, the manager of the property, assured us that he was
always friendly and had not harmed anyone.
We arrived mid evening after stopping for dinner on the way and enjoyed
a nice quiet evening. We spent most of the evening looking at the
amazing Walking Horse artwork that hung on almost every square inch of
the lobby and main staircase. It was shortly after midnight, we had been
listening to George’s tales of encounters from other guests when
everyone started settling down to sleep. I was feeling a bit brave and
still wasn’t as sold as the others on the authenticity of “Floyd the
Ghost,” so I decided to go up and sit in his room on the third floor to
see if anything would happen. I sat on the bed in the almost total
darkness and waited for “Floyd.”
When I opened my eyes I was laying on the bed, still fully dressed in
clothes and shoes and day was just breaking. I knew that I had fallen
asleep and that there had been no visit from “Floyd.” I went downstairs
to find George starting to put together breakfast and the others were
just starting to mill about. George suggested we go out and see
“Strutting Jim’s” grave marker and stretch our legs before breakfast. As
we headed out to the back pasture to visit the stables and grave it all
seemed strangely familiar. As we approached a fenced in area on the side
of the pasture I stopped George and asked how long the English sheep
dogs had lived there. He looked rather surprised as we had not been out
here the night before and there had been no mention of the dogs, but
sure enough they came running up to the fence and started barking and
looking directly at me.
We then proceeded to the stables where the grave marker was and there
were a few horses kept. As we approached one of the stales George told
us all to stay clear of the big black one as he bit anyone he didn’t
know. The black horse immediately came to me and started nuzzling my
head with his and stamping his feet in excitement. We then walked over
to the Grave marker and I lead the way as if I had been going there for
years. By now even George was blown away with all of this and when
asked, I responded that I slept in “Floyd’s” room but didn’t remember
leaving the bed all night.
We all walked back to the hotel talking about the strange events and
without asking I walked directly in the rear kitchen door like I owned
the place. We had not been anywhere near this area of the hotel for our
visit but I knew exactly where to go. We all sat down in the dining room
and George asked who would like biscuits with honey to start. I jumped
up and stated that these were the best biscuits in the world and
everyone should have some. George asked how I knew this since this was
my first visit and we had arrived after dinner the night before. I
walked straight into the kitchen – opened a pantry – reached up to a tin
on the third shelf and opened it up to reveal a tin full of the very
biscuits.
That pretty much sealed the deal. It is my assumption that “Floyd” took me
for a little spin the night before, using my body as a vehicle to get to
his favorite places and get some of his favorite food. I am still not
quite sure what to make of this incredible event, but I know that I now
believe that there are some people who just aren’t ready to go on to
heaven or whatever awaits them and they are still here on earth with us.
On my visit yesterday it was so disappointing to learn that the new
proprietor had gutted the hotel, changed the entire layout -- losing the
lobby and grand staircase, and didn’t believe that any of the tales
about “Floyd” were anything more than poppycock. The entire feel of the
place was different and I hope “Floyd” has moved on to his eternal
resting place. I know the memory of that incredible day will always be
with me.
