Previously, Ella Mae Quicksilver and her daughter, Averil Jean, saved Freddie James, a notorious card shark, from a mob lynching in Nocona, Texas. A few nights later Averil saw her star and they headed to Louisiana.
Early one fall morning, as they drove through the Red River Town of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Averil suddenly awakened and gave her mother instructions to the west side of the town by the river.
On a quiet tree-lined street Averil pointed to a large Victorian house with a “rooms for rent” sign. They parked and went to the door, welcomed by a tall, severe gray-haired lady who offered quarters on the second floor. The landlady, Ethel Moore, was the cook at the nearby Hanna School and in need of an assistant, offering the job to Ella Mae.
Averil Jean was accepted at Hanna in the sixth grade, being placed in Mr. Hennery’s class, who quickly took to the bright, pretty child. The other children welcomed Averil, but kept their distance, sensing her difference, wary of their new classmate .
All went well for a few weeks, but then Mr. Hennery began keeping Averil after class to bring her up to speed. He was intrigued by the raven haired girl, with the heart-shaped face, high cheekbones and cupid lips.
One afternoon he closed the door and went to Averil’s seat, taking her hand. Mr. Hennery was medium height, balding with watery eyes and large lips. He stood there looking down at his pupil with a wicked look on his glistening face. Averil fixed the teacher with her green eyes.
Mr. Hennery felt a tingling as he stared at the girl’s strange countenance, which seemed to emit an amber aura. Then suddenly a blinding beam shot from the girl to him, radiating throughout his body and searing him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Mr. Hennery wanted to run, but was rooted. He breathed in and out, gasping. His eyes widened as his lips puckered and he expelled his malevolence into the quiet classroom. He watched the dark cloud float out of the windows into the afternoon quiet.
Regaining his composure and without a word, Mr. Hennery turned away and left the class room. He was pale and shaking, but he felt a tremendous relief, as if a terrible and heavy load had been lifted from his back. No longer would he need to seek, to keep the girls after class.
Averil Jean watched Mr. Hennery go. She knew he would no longer trouble the vulnerable children in his class. Quite the opposite, he would offer his hand in sincere help.
Suddenly she was aware of a presence in the empty classroom and turned to see a woman in white standing in the back. She was quite lovely with blond hair and blue eyes, the belle of the ball fit nicely.
“You and your mother need to move on to Myrtles. Fix the wrong there, and then bring me justice.” The woman said.
That night Averil Jean went to her mother and told her it was time to move. Ella Mae never argued, never questioned, and by the end of the week they were on their way to the Myrtles Plantation in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Of note, Mr. Hennery went on to become Louisiana’s teacher of the year.
Regrettably, the repeated appearance of a woman in white hovering in the halls at Hanna terrified the children and unnerved the teachers. The Parish was forced to abandon the school.
Natchitoches has offered attractive terms to the real estate community for the redevelopment of Hanna School. But so far, there are no takers.
Well, good story, but as far as I know, not true, sorry. I went in there one night, upstairs and down. The school is filled with hay and very little furniture or anything. The second floor has collapsed onto the first leaving only the 2nd story hallway. Cool place to explore, but no spirits to my knowledge. I would love to buy it and renovate it one day. If anybody knows who owns it, let me know.
ReplyDeleteContact the parish school board, they should be or know the owner. 318-352-2358
ReplyDeleteHanna is in Red River Parish, not Natchitoches. It is not haunted. The story is intriguing but completely false. It is privately owned. Restoration is not an option due to the extremely high cost of asbestos removal that would be required and was one of the factors contributing to its closure. Please remember that this is private property and, therefore, against the law to be on the premises.
ReplyDeleteThe Myrtles Plantation is not in Alexandria. It is about 90 miles to the southeast in St. Francisville, near the Mississippi Border. As was already mentioned, Hanna is in Red River Parish, not Natchitoches Parish. The city of Natchitoches is in Natchitoches Parish, and is on the Cane River, although the Red River is not too far off.
ReplyDeleteI went thete for 8 years nothing happened to us then not did we see any one.How do you get its history from the year 1959-1967 we want to get together with just that clasd.I found picture of the school but I want teacher names.318-751-8194 Regina Ardison Breakenridge. Thanks
ReplyDeleteOk it not in natchitoches it in coushatt. It not haunted the build is unsafe to be in. It us privately own also.
ReplyDelete