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| Railroad crossing at Coy, Alabama. |
As in years gone by, I compiled this list after discussing
Wilcox County’s “haunted history” with longtime county residents and with local
history buffs. This year, I’ve narrowed down the list to a “Top Ten,” but be
sure to check out the honorable mentions at the end. Without further ado,
here’s my Top Ten List of the Spookiest Places in Wilcox County.
1. Castro’s Tree: Located behind the old Progressive Era
newspaper office in Camden, this large pecan tree is said to be visited by an
unusual informant with uncanny knowledge about events in Camden, including the
names of wanted criminals. The late Mark Curl, who worked at the newspaper,
said that Castro was a young black man who often rode up to the tree on his
bicycle in the late 1970s. Curl indicated that there was something otherworldly
about Castro especially since no one else in town had ever heard of him or seen
him, including the police. This tree was damaged by Hurricane Nate in October
2017.
2. Coy Railroad Crossing: Located on County Road 13, stories
about the haunted railroad crossing at Coy vary, but sources say that a group
of children died in a tragic bus accident there in the 1950s. Now, the story
goes, if you visit the crossing late at night, you can hear the sounds of
children playing and laughing on the tracks. Others say that if you visit the
crossing late at night or early in the morning, you can actually see the ghosts
of children playing there.
3. Gaines Ridge: Located off State Highway 10 east of
Camden, this iconic house-turned-restaurant is said to be haunted by several
spirits. According to
one history of the house, Gaines Ridge “has its share of ghosts: the woman who
screams and calls out, and has been seen from outside floating past the
windows, the incessant crying of a baby, the aroma of pipe smoke in one room
when nobody in the house is smoking, and the reflected image of a tall, gaunt
man, dressed in black with a long beard.”
4. Gee’s Bend Ferry Landing: Located at the end of Ellis
Island Road, northwest of Camden, this landing is said to be the site of a
ghostly light that rises to the surface of the Alabama River. Witnesses say
that this light grows up to 60 feet in diameter, and some say that it may have
something to do with a military plane that crashed near the landing decades
ago. Other say it’s the ghostly remnants of someone who drowned there while
others say it has to do with a riverboat disaster.
5. Haunted Hills of Furman: According to “A History of
Furman, Alabama” by Dr. William Bradley Palmer, two high hills called “Old
Savage Hill” and McCondichie Hill were considered “haunted places” by many
older residents of Wilcox County. These two hills are located within one mile
of each other, south of Furman. Many people were afraid to travel near these
hills, and Palmer believed that the spooky tales about the hills had to do with
“several deaths in houses that stand, or once stood, on these hills.” Later,
Palmer wrote that, of all the “ghost-infested places,” a location called “Rock
Hill,” near Wildcat Creek, is the setting for many “weird tales” told by older
residents of the Furman community, who claimed to have seen lights and heard
chains being dragged down the hill.
6. House of the Dancing Skulls: Located on County Road 51
north of the Rosebud community, the attic of this house was supposedly filled
with human skulls. The
belief is that spirits from these skulls are easily excitable, and when they
become upset, they dance about in the attic and frequently about the walls and
the ceiling. In times of great excitement, especially during storms, these
“hants” even venture out into the yard and hover around the tombs that hold
their companions. For more information about this story, check out “Ghosts and
Goosebumps: Ghost Stories, Tall Tales and Superstitions from Alabama” by Jack
and Olivia Solomon.
7. Millie Hole: Located on private property on Pine Barren
Creek, west of County Road 59, this old swimming hole is supposedly haunted by
the ghost of slave named “Millie.” The story goes that Millie was going to be
sold away from her family, so she drowned herself in the creek. On moonlight
nights, she supposedly rises up out of the creek, wearing a long white dress,
and some claim to have heard her moans.
8. Purifoy-Lipscomb House: Located at Furman, this
antebellum residence was built by the Purifoy family in the 1840s and is
arguably Wilcox County’s most well-known haunted location. An old well behind
the house is reportedly haunted by the spirit of a worker who died after being accidentally
buried by tons of dirt while digging the well. This house has been mentioned in
numerous books, including Kathryn Tucker Windham’s “13 Alabama Ghosts and
Jeffrey” and “Haunted Places: The National Directory” by Dennis William Hauck.
9. Snow Hill Institute: Located off State Highway 21 at Snow
Hill, this historic school was founded in 1893 and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
A wide variety of ghosts have been seen on this old campus and at the slave cemetery
nearby. For more information about this supposedly haunted school, I recommend
that you read “Haunted Alabama Black Belt” by David Higdon and Brett Talley.
10. Unfilled Hole: Located on the northwest corner of
Camden’s downtown square in front of the Old Courthouse, this unusual hole is
now covered by a large, brick flowerbed. Historians say that a large pecan tree
once stood on this spot, and it was used for public hangings more than a
century ago. Supposedly, the spot beneath the hanging limb would not stay
filled, despite the county’s best efforts, and visitors to the site today
report feeling “cold spots.” This “haunted hole” is also described in the book,
“Haunted Alabama Black Belt.”
Other nominees for this year’s “Spookiest Places in Wilcox
County” list included the Camden Cemetery, the Coy Cemetery, the Dale Masonic
Lodge in Camden, Harris Hill Cemetery, the Harris-Jones House, Institute Creek
at Snow Hill, the Liddell-Burford House in Camden, McIntosh Cemetery in Camden,
McWilliams Cemetery, the Moore Academy in Pine Apple, Prairie Bluff Cemetery,
the Reaves Chapel Cemetery, Snow Hill Institute and the Wilcox Female Institute
in Camden.
Before I wrap up, I want to make it very clear that many of
the places mentioned above are on private property, so if you want to visit any
of these places (especially at night) you’d better get permission first to
avoid getting in trouble for trespassing. Also, if you plan to visit any of
these places, especially cemeteries, respect your surroundings.
In the end, contact me if you
know a good local ghost story or if you have information about a spooky
location in Wilcox County.
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