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| Flowerbed atop 'Unfilled Hole' in Camden |
Today (Wednesday) is Halloween and in the spirit of that
ghostly holiday, I present to you my third annual list of the “Spookiest Places
in Wilcox County.”
As in years past, I compiled this list after discussing
Wilcox County’s “haunted history” with many of the county’s longtime residents
and with more than a few 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. 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 accidentally 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.
2. 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.”
3. 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.
4. 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” by David Higdon and Brett Talley.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 damaged by Hurricane
Nate in October 2017.
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, 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 close 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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