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Mitchel Whitington, author of Ghosts of East Texas and Angels of Oakwood: Jefferson's Historic Cemetery, loves talking to people. He accepted
our plea for an interview, and entertained us with his intriguing personality and rich story telling. A born speaker, he receives many
invitations as guest speaker to paranormal and writers' conferences, as well as requests for radio and newspaper interviews.

Mitchel resides at The Grove in Jefferson, Texas with his wife of 29 years, Tami, and their beloved bassets, Lilly and Delaney. He was
born and raised in East Texas where he met and married his high school sweetheart. They both left to attend school and soon settled in
the Dallas area where they stayed for over 20 years until purchasing The Grove.

Mitchel and Tami spotted The Grove during one of their many visits to Jefferson, as it lay vacant, neglected and for sale. During their
visits, they enjoyed strolling by the house and dreaming of purchasing it, never taking themselves too seriously until the day the "for
sale" sign disappeared. WIth the prospect of losing their dream, they immediately contacted the realtor who told them that the house
was not sellable, and it was to be rented out. They began the purchase process and acquired The Grove in 2002. The Whitingtons have
lovingly restored The Grove to its former glory.

Mitchel's writing career was inspired by Stephen King's, The Shining. He was amazed at the emotions evoked by words on paper, and he
knew then that he wanted to do the same. Now, with over twenty years of writing experience, his published books include Uncle Bubba's
Chicken Wing Fling (fiction) and the nonfiction, Debunking the Y2K: Terrors and Tales, in which he correctly predicted that the world would
not go into a tailspin at the turn of the century. His lifelong interest in the paranormal prompted him to write about his own experiences
with the supernatural.

His writing experience is accompanied by over 7 years of publishing experience. Mitchel has also edited several books including the
Haunted Encounters series, co-edited by Ginnie Siena Bivona and Dorothy McConachie. Mr. Whitington founded 23 House Publishing in
1998. He also co-founded Atriad Press in 2002 which publishes the Haunted Encounters series.

His passion for the paranormal dates back to childhood, and he has traveled all over the nation chasing ghost stories for his books. His
travels include Louisiana, Mississippi, Las Vegas, Arizona, Wyoming, Washington D.C., California, among others. Not only does he travel
for research, but for public speaking as well. Mitchel has done his share of speaking at Writer's and Paranormal Conferences, and giving
interviews for radio, television, and newspapesr. His favorite is probably radio interviews which he can do from the comfort of his own
home.

When he has a little spare time, Mitchel enjoys working on the house and garden, reading, and working on a fiction novel. He also
writes the GroveZine, a fun ezine periodical that keeps subscribers updated on the happenings in Jefferson and at The Grove.

A Brief History of The Grove

The Grove property was purchased in 1861 by Frank and Minerva Stilley and the current house was built. The property was sold in 1880,
and passed through two owners before being purchased in 1885 by Charles and Daphnie Young. One of the previous owners
stayed only six months before fleeing and saying he couldn't live in "that house". Louise Young, daughter of Charles and Daphnie, was
born in the house around 1887 and lived there until her death in 1983. Daniel and Lucille Grove then purchased the property and sold it
to Patrick Hopkins in 1990. Patrick turned The Grove into a restaurant which operated until 1994. It then lay vacant until being purchased
by Mitchel and Tami.

Grove Ghosts
The Grove has been a hotspot of paranormal activity for several years. No one is sure when the activity started, but Louise told her
friends about the ghosts that lived with her, and she was so frightened that she had a security light installed in the garden to keep them
at bay.

Spirits of The Grove include the Lady in White and a man in dark clothing, nicknamed "The Garden Guy", that is only spotted in the
gardens. The Lady in White makes frequent appearances to visitors at The Grove, but we were not so fortunate during our brief visit.
While getting ready for a dinner play when the restaurant was open she was spotted by a light technician walking down the side of the
house and through the wall where a door used to be. The Lady in White was then seen walking through the house by an actress in the
play. A child has also been seen in the gardens, and it is not uncommon for the couple to be home alone and hear footsteps throughout
the house. We found The Grove to be quite warm and inviting with its two gas log fireplaces glowing upon entry into the home

The Grove
The property and house of The Grove were named for the grove of pecan trees it sits amid. It has a long history of being haunted, dating
back over 100 years, and is often referred to as the "most haunted house in Jefferson".

Mitchel and Tami Whitington have a long list of accomplishments relating to The Grove. The house is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places as the Stilley-Young House. Historic homes are commonly named after the family who built it and the family living in it
the longest. The Whitingtons were instrumental in having the home declared a Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. It
is on Jefferson's Candlelight Tour of Homes and was a tour home for Jefferson's Historic Pilgrimage.

After frequent requests, from the mildly curious all the way to full-fledged thrill seekers, the Whitingtons began offering hour long tours
of The Grove on Saturdays and Sundays that cover the history of the house as well as the supernatural experiences of the owners. The
Whitingtons try to maintain a reasonable amount of normalcy in their everyday lives, and on occasion someone will walk into the house
with no announcement, with the thought that the home is open as a business. Please note that The Grove is not open to the public, and
access is obtainable only during the guided tours. You won't be disappointed with Mitchel's vivid stories and obvious affection for his
home.

For more information on Mitchel Whitington and The Grove, visit their website at www.thegrove-jefferson.com.

Thank you, Mitchel Whitington, for your contributions to the world of the
paranormal, and also for taking the time to welcome us into your home for
our entertaining interview.