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| Snow Hill Institute in Wilcox County, Ala. |
Tomorrow (Thursday) is Halloween and in the spirit of that spooky
holiday, I present to you my fourth 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 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. Institute Creek: Located on County Road 26 near Snow Hill
Institute, legends say that a girl came all the way from Boston to take
advantage of the fine education offered at the Snow Hill Institute, but she
became severely depressed by her inability to adjust to life in the Deep South.
One day, the distraught girl walked to Institute Creek and drowned herself in
its waters. Some say that even to this day, if you go down to the creek, you
can hear the sound of her ghost sobbing.
7. Intersection of County Roads 59 & 24: Located north
of Pine Apple, this eerie intersection is reportedly haunted by the spirits of
slaves and Civil War soldiers. Visitors to the site after sundown 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.
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, the House of the
Dancing Skulls near Rosebud, the Liddell-Burford House in Camden, McIntosh
Cemetery in Camden, McWilliams Cemetery, the Millie Hole on Pine Barren Creek,
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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