Crossroads said to be one of the most haunted places in Wilcox County, Alabama

Intersection of Wilcox County Roads 59 and 24.

It’s said that one of the most haunted locations in all of Wilcox County is the intersection of County Road 59 and County Road 24.

Sources say that many local residents have gone to this location and have heard all sorts of unusual sounds, including the sounds of rattling chains at night. Some say that the sounds of chains are caused by the spirits of long-dead slaves. Others say that the sounds are caused by the ghosts of Confederate soldiers marching through the night.

Many readers will be familiar with this spooky intersection. It’s just a few miles northwest of Pine Apple on County Road 59, which is also called Freedom Farm Road. You won’t have to travel far up this road before reaching the intersection with County Road 24, which is commonly known as the Allenton Road, just a short drive up from the old George W. Watts Elementary School.

I ventured out alone on Saturday and investigated this location for myself to see if I could hear or see anything strange. I parked just off the blacktop, dropped the tailgate of my truck, sat and listened. Nothing stirred except for the windblown treetops, and the only sound that met my ears was the background noise of insects.

While sitting there listening intently for anything remotely metallic - chains or otherwise - I studied my topographic map of the area. I could see that this intersection sits between two sizeable creeks, Turkey Creek to the east and Bear Creek to the west. It’s a commonly held theory among paranormal investigators that running water can sometimes stimulate ghostly activity, and I was left to wonder if perhaps these parallel creeks had something to do with the eerie sounds reportedly heard at this remote intersection.

While studying my map, I got the unmistakable feeling that I was being watched. A few seconds later, I heard a noise in the ditch on the other side of the road. I looked up just in time to see a tiny, green lizard emerge from the grass. We locked eyes, and he made a beeline toward me before finally coming to a stop right at my dangling feet.

He looked up and appraised me with an unblinking eye, as if to ask me what I was up to in his neck of the woods. A second later, he dismissed me with a flick of his scaly tail and scampered off again into the grass, headed off to more pressing business and leaving me alone with my map and my thoughts.

I sat there for what seemed like a long time and eventually decided to move on, but not before telling myself that I would return to this mysterious intersection. Maybe the conditions on Saturday weren’t right to hear or see something out of the ordinary. Perhaps it would be better to return on a night with a full moon, perhaps later in the year, perhaps on Halloween. Whatever the case, I won’t come back alone.

In the end, how many of you have ever heard the ghostly sounds at this supposedly haunted spot in the road? What do you know about the location’s history? What eerie tales have you heard about the intersection of County Road 59 and County Road 24? Let me know by e-mailing me at leepeacock2002@hotmail.com.