Norman has plenty of charm by day, but when the sun goes down, the city’s haunted side begins to stir. From ghostly whispers in historic spots to phantom paws on the football field, these stories have been passed down for generations. Guest writer Jeff Provine, a local author, professor and ghost tour guide, has gathered some of the eeriest legends in town. Step carefully, and see which of Norman’s haunted places you might dare to explore!
(405) Brewing
When long-time Norman brewer, (405) Brewing, started renovating for their new location on Main Street, they would come in to find strange things happened. Even though no one had been there all night, tools were moved from where they had been left and things too heavy for one person to lift were knocked over. During the day with people present, the radio would change itself from whatever station they had been playing to country music. Deciding it was a “cowboy ghost,” they cranked up the country tunes, and the strangeness calmed down. Now folks can come out to enjoy a drink alongside a cheery ghost!
Mex the Dog
OU’s first mascot, a Boston terrier named “Mex,” served from 1915 to 1928. When he passed away, he was buried on the 50-yard line of Owen Field so he could still attend home games. To this day, they say that you can hear a dog bark every time there’s a kick and howl every time there’s a touchdown. For those on the sidelines, Mex is much more personal. Numerous players and sports photographers have claimed to feel an unseen little dog lean up against their legs or lick their fingers.
Bison Witches
Staff at Bison Witches have long joked that they have a ghost named “Gertrude,” or, if you’re friendly enough with her, “Gertie.” Some people think it’s more than a joke, and they even put up a stocking with her name on it at Christmas so she doesn’t feel left out. One worker said she didn’t believe in any such thing as ghosts. Immediately, a cup on the bar flew up into the air, spun around, and landed standing straight up. The worker decided she needed to go on break for a while to think things through.
Warren Cemetery
In the early days of Norman, part of the old Warren place was set aside as a cemetery in what was then the farmland outside of town. Today it’s smack in the middle of Brookhaven. Folks living there don’t have a problem, saying, “It makes for quiet neighbors.” There is a legend about the cemetery, though: go to the oldest graves on the south end and find one that has discolored through the decades to give the impression of a human face. If you watch it very, very carefully, the face will slowly change shape as if it’s trying to say something to you.
Benvenuti’s
Main Street west of the railroad has been a busy one throughout Norman’s history. It has served as the depot for the old Interurban electric rail that carried passengers as far as El Reno and Guthrie, Interurban Burgers in the ‘70s, and Benvenuit’s Ristorante with some of finest Italian dining in the area. It’s no wonder that numerous ghostly figures from the past continue to show up there. People have caught ghosts in the background of photos wearing starched collars from the early twentieth century or seen residual phantoms out of the corner of their eyes vividly enough to tell their clothes from decades ago. Be careful when you blink: they may not be there when you open your eyes again!
Lake Thunderbird
A lot of the stories around Lake Thunderbird talk about a mutant freshwater octopus, but the story of a haunting goes back over a century. Before the Land Run, Dave and Jim Blue ran a trading post on the hill south of Highway 9 on 48th Ave. Their namesakes, Dave Blue Creek and Jim Blue Creek, still flow into Lake Thunderbird, which was Little River when they had hidden their saddlebag full of gold and silver coins under a rock outcropping 140 years ago. If you swim in the middle of the lake and get too close, you might just feel a hand grab your ankle. It’s one of the Blues suggesting you go swim somewhere else and leave their treasure alone.
Jeff Provine has been collecting ghost stories in Oklahoma since 2009, leading to publications like Haunted Norman and Campus Ghosts of Norman, Oklahoma. Today he serves as a professor of English and gives ghost tours to tell the tales.
Want to uncover more? For those interested in exploring more of Norman’s haunted history, Jeff’s walking tours offer a deeper look into the legends and sites featured here. To find upcoming tour dates, learn more about his books, or uncover even more Oklahoma ghost stories, visit http://jeffprovine.com/.
