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| Coy Railroad Crossing |
As in years past, I put this list together after discussing
Wilcox County’s “haunted history” with local history buffs and longtime county
residents. This year, I’ve narrowed down the list to a “Top Five,” so be sure
to check out the honorable mentions at the end. Without further ado, here’s my
Top Five List of the Spookiest Places in Wilcox County.
1. 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.
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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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, Gee’s Bend Ferry Landing, Harris Hill Cemetery, the Harris-Jones
House, Institute Creek at Snow Hill, the Liddell-Burford House in Camden,
McIntosh Cemetery in Camden, McWilliams Cemetery, 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 want to visit
any of these places (especially at night), 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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