Ghost of Dancer’s Flats, Llano County
I can’t let the first, fall feeling, morning pass without posting another true origin Texas ghost story. This one takes us to southern Llano County, largely an area between County Road 308 and the west entrance of Farm to Market 3404 (Slab Road) with Highway 71. A rather large area known as Dancer’s Flats, and supposedly haunted by the wandering spirit of its namesake.
Revered Jonas Dancer came to Llano County in 1857, when the region was still barely brand new on the map of Texas. Initially he wanted to get involved with an early mining boom that had stirred up some excitement in the state about gold and silver in the Llano area. But not finding much success, as most did, he stayed with his true profession as a Methodist minister and established the first house of worship in the community of Honey Creek Cove.
The Reverend Dancer was never seen absent of a Bible within reach of his large hands. A man of God, he was most frequently amongst labor crews and common workers, helping them with their work and tending to their religious needs.
In 1859, a new road was planned to connect the Honey Creek area to either Llano or a larger trail that would head towards Austin (there is telling of both). On the morning that the work was to begin, the crews were to meet at a local spring near the present County Road 308 and larger Honey Creek vicinity. Despite being cautioned about Comanches also frequenting the same site, Reverend Dancer wanted to be the first one at the watering hole so he could hold a brief worship before the work began.
Dancer apparently had arrived to the site either very early in the morning or possibly the night before. No one knows the exact details, but when the work crews arrived, they found Dancer propped up against a rock. Several arrows were protruding from his heavy frame, his scalp was bloody and bare, and there are some versions that say his white minister’s collar had been tore away from around his broad neck. Whatever the case may be, his Bible was still sitting next to him, ripped and now crimson stained.
The work crews buried Dancer’s body near the spring, which has since (or maybe already was) nicknamed as “The Blue Hole.” Bible and all. Scouts were dispatched to try and track the murderers, but the group was already long gone. In his memory the area was christened as “Dancer’s Flats” and the work went-on.
Not even long after his murder, stories were told of the Reverend Jonas Dancer still being seen in the area. Mostly at the watering hole where he met his untimely end. He has never been described as terrifying or frightening, just as the ghostly image of a preacher still carrying his blood stained Bible and dark blotches on his robe from where the arrows had once protruded. Some say he is devoid of scalp, but other stories claim otherwise.
The most infamous appearance of Jonas Dancer is said to have taken place around 1873. A young bandit is said to have stayed one evening at the Blue Hole, and the ghost of Reverend Dancer visited him and convinced the crook to surrender himself to both the law and God. It is said that the bandit rode back to whatever place he had robbed, returned everything he had stolen, and begged for forgiveness which was given. He later became a preacher himself and would frequently relate his, not-so-harrowing, encounter with the dead Methodist pastor.
Being raised in the area, I don’t know of anyone who has personally witnessed the spirit of Jonas Dancer. But clearly, someone must have, or the story wouldn’t exist.
Text is from “Indian Depredations in Texas.”
Till next time, stay spooky!