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| 'Haunted' Coy Railroad Crossing. |
Halloween is just six days away, and today, in the spirit of
that spooky holiday, I give you my second annual list of the “Spookiest Places
in Wilcox County.”
I put this list together after discussing the county’s
“haunted history” with more than a few of the county’s longtime residents and
with local history buffs. Some of their suggestions surprised me, and they
might surprise you as well. With that said, here’s the list:
Castro’s Tree: Located behind the old Progressive Era
newspaper office in downtown Camden, this 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, clean-cut 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 recently damaged by
Hurricane Nate.
Coy Cemetery: Located at the dead end of Coy Cemetery Road,
southwest of Camden, this large, country cemetery has been the subject of
unusual claims of supernatural activity for years. Visitors to this cemetery
have reported seeing an
eerie, unexplained light over the graves and have heard disembodied voices from
unknown sources. Some witnesses have even reported hearing their names called
out by unseen spirits.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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
“ha’nts” 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.
Intersection of County Roads 59 & 24: Located north of
Pine Apple, this spooky intersection is said to be haunted by the ghosts of
slaves and Civil War soldiers. Visitors to the site at night say that they’ve
heard the rattling of chains. Others say that the sound is caused by the
clanking of military gear as ghostly soldiers march through the area after
dark.
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 (sometimes
spelled “Milly”) 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.
Purifoy-Lipscomb House: Located at Furman, this house was
built by the Purifoy family in the 1840s and is arguably Wilcox County’s most
famous haunted location. An old well behind the house is said to be haunted by
the ghost of a man who died after being buried by tons of dirt while digging
the well. This house has been featured in numerous books, including “13 Alabama
Ghosts and Jeffrey” by Kathryn Tucker Windham and “Haunted Places: The National
Directory” by Dennis William Hauck.
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 Rhumpf
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.
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 Dale Masonic Lodge in Camden,
the Liddell-Burford House in Camden, the Moore Academy in Pine Apple, Prairie
Bluff Cemetery, the Reaves Chapel Cemetery and the Wilcox Female Institute in
Camden.
Before I close this column out, I want to make it very clear
that many of the places mentioned above are on private property, so if you get
the idea 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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