Carolann Smith: The Mistress of the Hex House

Based on the true events that dominated national headlines in 1944, the story of Carolann Smith—later known as the Mistress of the Hex House—remains one of Tulsa’s most unsettling chapters. For years, I have been researching and documenting the history of the Tulsa Hex House, tracing the events leading up to, during, and following Smith’s arrest in March 1944. She was charged with holding two women captive in the basement of her modest Tulsa home, where they lived under conditions described at the time as slavery.

Who Was Carolann Smith?

Carolann Smith, born Opal Mary Carey in 1893 in Indianapolis, Indiana, grew up in a well-established family. Her father, Thomas Carey, was a prosperous employee of the Indiana Glass Company, allowing him to provide a comfortable upbringing for his three daughters. Carolann and her sisters attended private schools, and the family maintained an active presence in their Episcopal church.

How Opal Carey became Carolann Smith—and ultimately the infamous Mistress of the Hex House—forms the heart of this extraordinary and chilling true story.