Blackburn Department Store in Downtown Amarillo
What: Blackburn Building
Where: 810 S. Polk
Demolished: 2017[1]
The department store was near 10th and Polk. Right across the street from the Santa Fe building. When I was in high school we used to break the chains on the doors and go explore. It was kind of creepy and absolutely pitch black with no windows.
We broke in a few times already when we broke in one summer afternoon. There was a giant staircase on the left side of the building and four of us climbed up to the second floor.
I do remember that mid-way up the stairs it became extremely cold. To the point where we could see our breath in the air. In the middle of summer. I could also begin to smell something like Pennies. Something metallic.
When we reached the landing, my friends pointed their flashlights forward. The next thing I know there was screaming from everybody and my son’s father had me around the waist while we all ran down the stairs and out the building.
I personally didn’t see anything, I didn’t look up in time when we hit the second floor so I have no clue what they saw that was so scary. The three other people who were there with me and did see it have never ever described it for me. They just don’t talk about it and they will change the subject immediately. It’s weird.
The city tore down Blackburns in about ~2015. I sent pictures of the demolition to the friends who were there that day and they STILL refused to describe what they saw.
Personally I think it was a homeless man 😂 who knows.
