The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress - The Haunted Von Mindel Hotel - Schulenburg, Texas

Some fifteen years after the Von Minden Hotel was built, a bizarre story would unfold and leave the hotel in a paranormal state and is a favorite stop over for ghost hunters. Other incidents would occur the to solidify the Von Minden Hotel's status as one of the most haunted places in Texas if not the United States. 

The Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg, Texas is said to be haunted by "the girl in the polka dot dress".

A young soldier who had been overseas during World War II was severely injured when he was shot down.  He returned home and moved into the Von Minden until he could get settled down. He had been out of contact for quite while when he was shot down and was finally able to collect his mail and catch up on the news.  As he poured through the letters he paid most attention to those from his girlfriend.  However, sadly the news in the letters turned sour as one of them announced her intent to break up with him.  Devastated by the news, it is said that he through himself out of the window, falling three stories to his death below.  

Tragically though, rumors have it that the letters were some how mixed in order and his girl, having heard of his return and still in love with him, went to visit him at the hotel. She searched the hotel asking where she could find her love. Upon hearing the news, she was heartbroken and found it hard to believe that he was dead.  She wandered around the hotel in her polka dot dress still searching for her lost love. Over the years, many have seen a girl wearing a polka dot dress wandering around the hotel, asking questions as if she were searching for someone or something.

Many who have stayed at the Von Minden have also had strange experiences in and around room 23 where years after the first incident, a rail worker was staying there.  He suddenly fell ill and died trying to get out of the room.  Hotel workers could not get the door open to recover his body as it was blocking the door.  They had to send someone through a window to clear the doorway and retrieve the man's body.  Rumors are that strange, unexplained events have taken place in the room and surrounding areas. Door knobs turning, unexplained noises, and footsteps from unseen people. These events are believed to be attributed to this poor man's ghost wandering around the area where he spent the last few hours of his life.

The man who built the hotel, Gerhardt Von Minden, spent a lot of time devoted to the upkeep of his hotel and his family spent time with him there as a result.  His daughter included.  She spent so much of her time there playing and in general, living.  To this day some say they see a apparition of a woman and a man in the theater portion of the hotel.  Many believe that this is Von Minden's daughter and her husband, still enjoying the hotel in the afterlife.

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