The South is a land big on tall tales. Growing up, I often heard stories about "haints" (ghosts) and "boogers" (mischievous spirits), who generally hang around at the "witching hour" (the hour just before sunset). So in the spirit of today's spooky holiday, here are a few favorite haunted places from my hometown of Cookeville, Tennessee.
Crazy George's Bridge - Legend has it that this isolated bridge in a wooded hollow marks the place where a railroad worker named George met his untimely end. An incorrigible drinker, George was wandering the tracks one night near the bridge when he was struck by a train and beheaded. Locals will tell you that if you come out to this lonely place after midnight and turn off your car, it won't start again. And if you call for Crazy George three times, he's certain to reappear, carrying a light as he searches for his lost head.
A phone call with Jim Schultz of the Middle Tennessee Paranormal Society debunked this story for me, although it's worth noting that self-proclaimed local occult groups often perform rituals here - visitors have seen mysterious symbols, strange figures standing in circles, and even dead animals. (I came here in high school, and as a matter of fact, the car did not start immediately when we turned it on again - although that may have been more an effect of the driver's shaky hands than any real haunting).
Crazy George's Bridge - Legend has it that this isolated bridge in a wooded hollow marks the place where a railroad worker named George met his untimely end. An incorrigible drinker, George was wandering the tracks one night near the bridge when he was struck by a train and beheaded. Locals will tell you that if you come out to this lonely place after midnight and turn off your car, it won't start again. And if you call for Crazy George three times, he's certain to reappear, carrying a light as he searches for his lost head. A phone call with Jim Schultz of the Middle Tennessee Paranormal Society debunked this story for me, although it's worth noting that self-proclaimed local occult groups often perform rituals here - visitors have seen mysterious symbols, strange figures standing in circles, and even dead animals. (I came here in high school, and as a matter of fact, the car did not start immediately when we turned it on again - although that may have been more an effect of the driver's shaky hands than any real haunting).
The Witch's Cemetery - This mysterious cemetery, located only
half a mile from Crazy George's Bridge, is one of the spookiest places
in the area. An isolated graveyard appears suddenly in a forest
clearing along a dark road. Instead of classic tombstones, the graves
- which date from the 1790s - are covered with bizarre tent-like stone
slabs, a number of which bear no mark other than a pentagram.
Schultz also unveiled the mystery of this site for me, as "tent graves" were commonly used in the 1800s. The pentagram was the trademark symbol of a local engraver, used as a calling card at a time in which much of the area's population was illiterate.
American Legion Meeting House, Sparta - Located a few miles down the road from Cookeville, this building has been designated officially haunted by Schultz and his team. Built in the 1930s, the meeting house is said to contain the spirit of an especially patriotic former janitor, who can be provoked by shouting "anti-American" epithets. Visitors have heard heavy footsteps and doors opening and closing, seen doorknobs shaking, and watched chairs moving about by themselves.
The Park Theater, McMinnville - The owner of this 1950s movie theater was known to be quite the prankster in real life - he even constructed a secret passageway from his apartment to a theater balcony so that he could play tricks on unsuspecting patrons. One night, in a fit of rage, he supposedly killed his girlfriend near a staircase. Now, visitors report following a scent of either old-fashioned perfume or Aqua Velva that moves around the theater before stopping at the scene of the murder. Other times, visitors have had their hair pulled, or been pushed or pelted by pebbles. Schultz has even captured recorded voices saying, "Do you still love me?" And the response: "Yes, I do."
IT wants to know: What are some of your favorite local haunts?
Photo: The Old Union meeting house in Livingston is home to voices, music, and lights late at night, even though it has been locked for years and has no electricity. Courtesy of Middle Tennessee Paranormal Society.
Schultz also unveiled the mystery of this site for me, as "tent graves" were commonly used in the 1800s. The pentagram was the trademark symbol of a local engraver, used as a calling card at a time in which much of the area's population was illiterate.
American Legion Meeting House, Sparta - Located a few miles down the road from Cookeville, this building has been designated officially haunted by Schultz and his team. Built in the 1930s, the meeting house is said to contain the spirit of an especially patriotic former janitor, who can be provoked by shouting "anti-American" epithets. Visitors have heard heavy footsteps and doors opening and closing, seen doorknobs shaking, and watched chairs moving about by themselves.
The Park Theater, McMinnville - The owner of this 1950s movie theater was known to be quite the prankster in real life - he even constructed a secret passageway from his apartment to a theater balcony so that he could play tricks on unsuspecting patrons. One night, in a fit of rage, he supposedly killed his girlfriend near a staircase. Now, visitors report following a scent of either old-fashioned perfume or Aqua Velva that moves around the theater before stopping at the scene of the murder. Other times, visitors have had their hair pulled, or been pushed or pelted by pebbles. Schultz has even captured recorded voices saying, "Do you still love me?" And the response: "Yes, I do."
IT wants to know: What are some of your favorite local haunts?
Photo: The Old Union meeting house in Livingston is home to voices, music, and lights late at night, even though it has been locked for years and has no electricity. Courtesy of Middle Tennessee Paranormal Society.
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Seriously, this stuff is spooky.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Susan
http://www.car-insurance-choices.com
Hi,
I have enjoyed reading your comment about the Crazy George Bridge, and the others.
I have been to the Crazy George Bridge several times, in the past, but not recently. I did see
3 spirits walking the railroad tracks, once, when I was there, and I should say I didn't waste any time getting into the car. Another time
when some friends and I went there,, we were chased down the mountain by what we thought were Devil Worshippers. That was on a Saturday Evening
just a little before dark. As we were going over the Bridge to turn around, in the car, the street light went off! It was really scary.
I have heard different versions, of what happened up there, but the first version, that I had heard was that George was a Crazy man, and that he had thrown some people off the Bridge and it had killed them! I wonder which version is really correct.
I suggest that if anyone goes up there, to take someone others with them, because of the rituals they have up there, there was an article in the paper, that some people that lived in that community had animals missing, and they thought they were being usede for sacrifice.
Thanks,
Barbara
I was born and raised in putnam co. my dads family is from algood and i went to school in algood. i have heard the crazy george stories all my life. i always heard the version of where george fell or got pushed off the train and the train ran over him decapitating him. it is said that he walks the tracks at night with a lantern in search of his missing head. i have been to the bridge long ago when it was wooden and rickedy.it was really spooky then. now they have redone the bridge. it is not at all scary now. we were always told the devil worshiping stories also and i know and have been to witches cemetery right down from the bridge. the cemetery is really scary or use to be especially when your young and up there at night and cats come out of no where and run at you. i have seen pictures of slaughtered goats and cats that were supposedly taken somewhere on the same mountain. was told they were sacrifices. i did have a personal experience on that mountain along with two friends of mine that could be eyewitnesses to back this up. going up the mountain before you get to the bridge, even before you get to where you turn down to go to hidden hollow there use to be a radio station tower with a small building on the lot on the left hand side of the road..think there might be a church there now.anyway right across from that is a road on the right. we got tired of riding around and the guy with us told us to turn down that road he knew somewhere we could go sit and hang out so we headed down the road and he told me to turn into this empty field, there is now a house on this field i'm talking about and the whole area around it is a subdivision but the field was wide open and flat then but it had thick woods at the back of it, we drove thru the field towards the woods and ended up parking right along the woods edge. we all got out of the car and went to the front of it to sit on the hood and hang out.we were just there for a few minutes when we heard some sounds coming from the woods and sounded like they were getting closer to us. we sat there thinking that it was just some more teenagers out and about until thru the woods we starting seeing a glowing light. it came closer and closer to the woods edge, then it came out of the woods into the field we were in and at that time we could see that it was about 10-13 people carrying torches, wearing white robes with hoods(looked exactly like what you see the KKK wearing). they were paying no attention to us, i'm pretty sure they were unaware of us being there at that moment but we could hear them talking, but we could not understand what they were saying. it sounded like they were talking in tongue or another language. of course by this time i was petrified. i told my friends in a low whisper to get into the car. we slowly got in the car and just as we shut the car doors they heard us and turned toward us. i was frantically trying to get my keys in the ignition at this time. by the time i got the keys in and turned the car to start it they were coming toward us or FOR us. i cranked the ignition but it didn't start we were all screaming by this time and i kept cranking and cranking until the car finally started just as the first one of them was reaching for my door. i threw the car in drive and gased it. mud and grass went flying and we were gone. as we were heading out of the field we kept looking back and these people were following us on foot. i sped up and high tailed it out of there. Seeing how all three of us were white i really don't think it was the KKK. i really think it was devil worshipers. It took me 15 years to go back to that field. by that time a house was built on the field. needless to say the last time i went there i left the car running and stayed inside it.
Amy
I suggest that if anyone goes up there, to take someone others with them, because of the rituals they have up there, there was an article in the paper, that some people that lived in that community had animals missing, and they thought they were being usede for sacrifice.
I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading about Hometown Hauntings. Nice blog.
If you really want to visit any place or maybe if you want to travel to somewhere special I've seen in National Geographic you can find many options.
HI nice site visitors report following a scent of either old-fashioned perfume or Aqua Velva that moves around the theater before stopping at the scene of the murder thats some scary think .