A Welcome from the Author Barry Harrin

Helena,Texas

Since this was written in December, 2010 there has been a dramatic change in Helena, Texas. The town has been overrun and infested by ghosts. In the past year, more than five Paranormal Investigation Groups have found dramatic evidence of serious and sometimes dangerous activity in many of the town’s buildings and captured this activity on both audio and video.

The sun drops quickly from the sky, and a dark blanket of bright stars covers the old ghost town of Helena, Texas. A car passes at high speed, the sound of its engines and lights quickly fading into silent darkness … broken only by an occasional howling coyote. This is Helena now … but it wasn’t always this way.

Helena, Texas is located in Karnes County near the intersection of State Highway 80 and Farm Road 81, about 70 miles southeast of San Antonio. Although it is a virtual ghost town today, for many years it was one of the most important towns between San Antonio and the Texas gulf coast port of Indianola (Powderhorn).

The old Helena two story courthouse museum built in 1873.sits on FM 81. Hidden under the blacktop road, lies an ancient superhighway used centuries ago by buffalo and Indians, During Spanish colonial times this superhighway was first known as the La Bahía Road, and later the  Ox-Cart Trail, This road ran from San Antonio to La Bahía (now Goliad) and the Texas coast.

Much of Texas’s early history has passed by what is now this old courthouse museum. Spanish conquistadores, priests, heroes of the Alamo, Santa Anna’s messenger ordering the death of Fannin’s 300+ men in Goliad, Polish and German settlers, Confederate and Union cavalry, and of course the ever present outlaws and desperados followed by quick shooting lawmen.

On this ancient superhighway between San Antonio and Powderhorn, there was a constant flow of pack animals, two-wheeled ox-carts, prairie schooners and Wells-Fargo wagons drawn by sixteen mules. Gold and silver bullion, trade with Mexico, supplies and weapons for the frontier forts of the U.S. Cavalry, flowed like a river of commerce.

My hope is that HELENA, TEXAS “The toughest town on earth” will expose the hidden history of Texas that our “politically correct” history books have cleansed of truth and reality. I am sure you will agree with me once you’ve read the book. I only ask one thing in return … please share with your friends and family what you learn about your “real history.”