This is a story that was related to me many years ago by a family member.
When I was a little girl, we lived on a small farm in Bethel. (This would have been between 1910-1920. -Wes) One afternoon in the late summer or maybe early fall, my oldest brother came running in the house yelling about something in the sky. We all ran out to the porch and we could see this thick trail of smoke in the sky. My brother said that there had been something bright flying across the sky and leaving behind all this smoke. It crashed into the ridge up the valley from our house.
My father and a couple of my brothers and a man who lived further down the road rode their horses up to the spot a couple of hours later and said they could see a hole in the ground that was glowing red and smoking something awful, and the stench was so bad the horses didn't want to go too near to it. They told us this when they got home that evening. I think my brothers went up there a couple more times before my mom made them promise not to anymore. I remember that the hole smoked for several days after it crashed. We had never seen an airplane, and I don't think I had ever even seen a car when this happened, so it definitely stood out as something out of the ordinary.
It was probably a week after we had seen this thing crash in the woods. I remember that my dad and brothers had gone to town for the day, so my mom and my sister and I were sitting on the front porch talking and waiting for them to get back. There was this strange feeling, like right before a lightning storm, but it was a pretty, clear sky day. But the air felt almost prickly. We could see something coming up the road towards the house. As it got closer it looked for all the world like an egg, but shiny. It was 3 or 4 feet long and seemed to be floating above the road. It didn't make a sound. It floated right past the house, probably 100 feet from us on the porch, moving a little faster than a man can walk. It kept going up the road until we couldn't see it through the trees anymore. This would have been in the direction of the thing that had crashed. I don't know what that thing was, and I don't know if the two things were related. Sure was strange though.
The first part of that story seems easy enough to explain (meteororite, etc.), but the second part is indeed quite weird.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Post EVP Session Experience
Thursday night, October 8. I find myself hunkered down under a metal pavilion with Jeremy, the dull red lights of three separate voice recorders our only light. Well, that and the retina-shattering flashlight that Jeremy insists on sparking up every few minutes. That's right, folks, we're on a ghost hunt!
In the ongoing investigation into the 1928 murder of Deputy Claude Green and the ghost stories that surround his death, I decided to explore the more paranormal side of the story. Jeremy and I walked down to the old Balsam Community Center from his house and sat up our voice recorders and cameras. Unfortunately, environmental noise ranging from crickets and dogs to a higher than expected amount of traffic made our recording almost unusable. We walked back to Jeremy's house and relaxed for a few minutes, giving the audio recordings a cursory listen, glancing at the handful of images that we took, and discussing our next steps.
I left Jeremy's house an hour or so after we had finished our session, and something odd and startling happened to me. Jeremy's driveway is gravel and lined on both sides with heavy brush. At the end of the driveway, you must negotiate a very sharp turn to get back on the paved road. In my large truck, it usually requires some wiggling to avoid driving onto the railroad tracks on the other side of the road. As I came to the end of the driveway, with my windows up and my iPod playing through the trucks stereo, I was shocked to hear a loud screeching sound coming from somewhere in the woods up the hill and to my left. I can only describe it as the compressed screech of a train braking violently; metallic and harsh and sharp. It only lasted a second or so, but as soon as it was over, my stereo went silent. I was, if I'm being honest, terrified. I don't think I even realized that my music had cut out as I whipped the car onto the pavement. My only thought was that I was going to have to back up to make the curve, and the thought of looking back, looking into that dark forest behind me, was almost paralyzing. I dropped the truck into reverse and backed up blindly, and then threw it back into drive and onto the pavement. The entire drive home was full of dread, absolutely unwilling to look behind me.
I have no explanation for what I heard or felt that night. It's been a long time since anything paranormal has happened to me and I feel that I'm still processing the event. In some ways, it sounds like a UFO experience more than a ghost story. And no, no missing time for me. I'm interested if anyone has had a similar experience. Share in the comments or shoot me an email.
I left Jeremy's house an hour or so after we had finished our session, and something odd and startling happened to me. Jeremy's driveway is gravel and lined on both sides with heavy brush. At the end of the driveway, you must negotiate a very sharp turn to get back on the paved road. In my large truck, it usually requires some wiggling to avoid driving onto the railroad tracks on the other side of the road. As I came to the end of the driveway, with my windows up and my iPod playing through the trucks stereo, I was shocked to hear a loud screeching sound coming from somewhere in the woods up the hill and to my left. I can only describe it as the compressed screech of a train braking violently; metallic and harsh and sharp. It only lasted a second or so, but as soon as it was over, my stereo went silent. I was, if I'm being honest, terrified. I don't think I even realized that my music had cut out as I whipped the car onto the pavement. My only thought was that I was going to have to back up to make the curve, and the thought of looking back, looking into that dark forest behind me, was almost paralyzing. I dropped the truck into reverse and backed up blindly, and then threw it back into drive and onto the pavement. The entire drive home was full of dread, absolutely unwilling to look behind me.
I have no explanation for what I heard or felt that night. It's been a long time since anything paranormal has happened to me and I feel that I'm still processing the event. In some ways, it sounds like a UFO experience more than a ghost story. And no, no missing time for me. I'm interested if anyone has had a similar experience. Share in the comments or shoot me an email.
Monday, October 12, 2015
The Cowee Tunnel
In the years following the Civil War, the South seemed unwilling or unable to deal with the realities of an economy that couldn't depend on the free labor of slaves. Continued institutional racism, Jim Crow Laws, the Black Codes and the deprivations of indentured servitude meant that many blacks in the South were really no better off than they had been prior to the Emancipation Proclamation and the passage of the 13th Amendment. One lesser known approach that the southern states took in the decades after the War was the leasing of convicts for hard labor. Business owners, including the plantation owners further to the south, could acquire very cheap labor from the states prison systems, with almost no oversight into how they treated (or mistreated) the laborers. Keeping in mind that many laws unfairly targeted blacks and created harsh penalties for virtually any perceived crime (including walking outside after dusk, for example) and it's easy to see how this system became a nightmare for incarcerated blacks.
One salient example that leads us to our story: As the railroads began to push further and further into the mountains of western North Carolina, they started to encounter very treacherous terrain. Wide, fast, strong rivers flowed beneath steep and rocky peaks; deep gorges and isolated construction sites impeded and slowed the work. As the railroads found it harder and harder to entice workers to join the teams in the mountains, they turned to the state for a solution. In return, the state of North Carolina leased teams of convicts to the railroad to continue the dangerous work. These teams laid track and dug tunnels through some of the most inhospitable terrain in the eastern United States.
One of these chain gangs was tasked with digging the 700' long Cowee Railroad Tunnel, just outside Dillsboro, NC. They worked with pick axes and shovels throughout the winter of 1882 to clear the forest and tunnel through the rocky mountain. Every morning the team, one of whom was only 15 years old, would be shackled together, ankle to ankle, and make the long march to the site. They would be loaded into a raft and pulled across the frigid Tuckaseegee River. On the morning of December 30, 1882, 30 convicts were loaded in shackles into the boat. The river was especially rough that day, and the icy water crashed over the low sides of the raft. Panicking at the raging water spilling into the boat, the convicts rushed forward to the stern, causing the raft to tip and dump the passengers into the icy water. Nineteen convicts died, chained together at the bottom of the river. The bodies were dredged from the water two days later, on New Years Day, 1883, and buried in an unmarked mass grave near the mouth of the tunnel.
Other people have covered the history better and more thoroughly than I (specifically Gary Carden, although many others have written on the tragedy). Efforts have been mounted over the years to have the bodies exhumed and reinterred in a proper fashion, to give these men the respect they deserve.
Over the years, numerous people have reported noises emanating from the tunnel; the sounds of pick axes on stone, of voices echoing from inside the earthworks. On occasion, loud moans and screams and unexplained splashing sounds have been reported. Cave-ins and train derailments in the tunnel have led some to speculate about a curse directed at the place by the poor souls who worked on, and in some cases, perished at the tunnel.
Today, the easiest way to see the tunnel is to take a ride on the Great Smoky Railroad. Listen carefully as the train passes through the mountain, and you may just hear the cries of the men who died to cut this treacherous tunnel.
Sources and Additional Info
Gary Carden theliarsbenchgazette.blogspot.com
The Ghost Writer https://spiritedwriter.wordpress.com/tag/cowee-tunnel/
Smoky Mountain News Article http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/10992-1882-cowee-tunnel-disaster-comes-into-21st-century-spotlight
One salient example that leads us to our story: As the railroads began to push further and further into the mountains of western North Carolina, they started to encounter very treacherous terrain. Wide, fast, strong rivers flowed beneath steep and rocky peaks; deep gorges and isolated construction sites impeded and slowed the work. As the railroads found it harder and harder to entice workers to join the teams in the mountains, they turned to the state for a solution. In return, the state of North Carolina leased teams of convicts to the railroad to continue the dangerous work. These teams laid track and dug tunnels through some of the most inhospitable terrain in the eastern United States.
One of these chain gangs was tasked with digging the 700' long Cowee Railroad Tunnel, just outside Dillsboro, NC. They worked with pick axes and shovels throughout the winter of 1882 to clear the forest and tunnel through the rocky mountain. Every morning the team, one of whom was only 15 years old, would be shackled together, ankle to ankle, and make the long march to the site. They would be loaded into a raft and pulled across the frigid Tuckaseegee River. On the morning of December 30, 1882, 30 convicts were loaded in shackles into the boat. The river was especially rough that day, and the icy water crashed over the low sides of the raft. Panicking at the raging water spilling into the boat, the convicts rushed forward to the stern, causing the raft to tip and dump the passengers into the icy water. Nineteen convicts died, chained together at the bottom of the river. The bodies were dredged from the water two days later, on New Years Day, 1883, and buried in an unmarked mass grave near the mouth of the tunnel.
Other people have covered the history better and more thoroughly than I (specifically Gary Carden, although many others have written on the tragedy). Efforts have been mounted over the years to have the bodies exhumed and reinterred in a proper fashion, to give these men the respect they deserve.
Over the years, numerous people have reported noises emanating from the tunnel; the sounds of pick axes on stone, of voices echoing from inside the earthworks. On occasion, loud moans and screams and unexplained splashing sounds have been reported. Cave-ins and train derailments in the tunnel have led some to speculate about a curse directed at the place by the poor souls who worked on, and in some cases, perished at the tunnel.
Today, the easiest way to see the tunnel is to take a ride on the Great Smoky Railroad. Listen carefully as the train passes through the mountain, and you may just hear the cries of the men who died to cut this treacherous tunnel.
Sources and Additional Info
Gary Carden theliarsbenchgazette.blogspot.com
The Ghost Writer https://spiritedwriter.wordpress.com/tag/cowee-tunnel/
Smoky Mountain News Article http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/10992-1882-cowee-tunnel-disaster-comes-into-21st-century-spotlight
Friday, October 9, 2015
The Fiddler's Grave, pt. 1
There's a story that I heard a few years ago that goes something like this:
There's a grave in a small cemetery in Waynesville inscribed with the name "The Fiddler." No matter the time of year or day that you visit, the grave will be swept clean, even if the rest of the cemetery is buried in fall leaves. Is this hallowed ground swept clean by the dancing of a spectral couple enjoying the fiddling of some long dead musician?
All good questions, I suppose.
I visited the site a few days ago as the initial visit in a longer research project. I had hoped to delve into the legend, find out who this mysterious 'Fiddler' was, then dip into the more supernatural side of things. I did find a little information on my brief visit, and I did notice some discrepancies with the original story.
There's a grave in a small cemetery in Waynesville inscribed with the name "The Fiddler." No matter the time of year or day that you visit, the grave will be swept clean, even if the rest of the cemetery is buried in fall leaves. Is this hallowed ground swept clean by the dancing of a spectral couple enjoying the fiddling of some long dead musician?
All good questions, I suppose.
I visited the site a few days ago as the initial visit in a longer research project. I had hoped to delve into the legend, find out who this mysterious 'Fiddler' was, then dip into the more supernatural side of things. I did find a little information on my brief visit, and I did notice some discrepancies with the original story.
The headstone is a little more informative than I had heard. The full inscription reads
Joe Gillian
"The Fiddler"
Died 1934
Died 1934
There were, in fact, a few leaves on the grave. Oddly enough though, is that there is very little grass or moss growing on the grave, which consists of the small headstone and a large (maybe 10' in diameter) semicircular depression in the bank, even though the rest of the graveyard is very lush and green.
To add to the weirdness is the fact that the grave site is set about 20 yards or so from the rest of the cemetery. If I hadn't been looking for this specific grave, I probably would have missed it entirely.
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| To the right is the mossy green of the cemetery, to the left is the bare earth of The Fiddlers Grave |
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Beyond that, my research has been fruitless. I can't find any reference to the legend online, and almost nothing about the enigmatic Joe Gillian. So I'll put this here: Has anyone else heard this story? Does anyone know anything about Joe "The Fiddler" Gillian? If so, please drop me a note in the comments or via email.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
The Spirit Leaves
When I was a kid, my grandparents (like a lot of Southern grandparents) were full of great stories, including a few ghostly tales. This is a story from my grandmother.
When she was a young woman, she had an unusual experience after a family friend had passed away. As was customary, the casket and body were placed in the family's home so that friends and relatives could visit and pay their respects. The casket was on display in the back room of this small house, and most of the well-wishers had said their goodbyes and headed home for the night. My grandmother and her family lived only a few doors down, so they had stayed on to help clean dishes and put away chairs and the numerous pictures and mementos that had been hauled out as the various well-wishers had stopped by.
Late in the evening, with the still summer air hanging heavy in the house, my grandmother and the rest of the family found themselves sitting quietly in the living room. The silence was interrupted by a sharp creaking sound coming from the back room. They all realized that they were hearing the sound of the casket slowly opening. Everyone sat up, alert and scared and fascinated. They heard the creak of the wooden coffin as it opened and the dull pop as the lid closed again. Then there was the soft shuffle of footsteps on the worn wooden floor. And then last, the sharp metallic creak of the spring on the back screen door as it opened and then slammed shut. Silence followed, until the normal summer chorus of crickets and katydid's resumed in the darkness around the house.
They sat in stunned silence for several long minutes until a brave member of the family finally crept into the back room, followed closely by the rest of the family and friends. Nothing was obviously amiss so he slowly raised the lid of the rough oak box. The deceased was still there, still firmly deceased. They retreated to the living room and sat in the gloom of the late summer night until sunrise.
I think this is a great story, spooky and a little sweet in the picture that it paints of family and friends coming together and a less frightening view of the spirit world. The house is gone now, replaced with a parking lot for a builders supply store. But the good, solid darkness of a southern summer night is still around, and it's easy to imagine that the quiet is crowded with spirits if you try.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Reader Story :: Spectral Dog
I received an interesting email from a reader that I thought I would share:
I came across your blog while looking for something completely unrelated, and it made me remember something that happened to me about 12 years ago. I was living in Balsam and working in Sylva (a town about 10 miles from Balsam - Wes). It had snowed Saturday night, maybe 4 or 5 inches, and it had been cold all day Sunday. The state snow plows hadn't made it to Balsam yet, so the roads were still fairly covered. I woke up early Monday morning, an hour so so before sunrise, to see if the roads were passable. I walked down to the road, maybe thirty yards from my front door, and stood in the middle of the road, testing to see how slick it was. Because a few cars had driven the road over the weekend, it was frozen into solid ice. There was no traffic, and it was dead quiet. The moon was out and the snow and ice practically glowed.
From down the road I heard the unmistakable sound of a dog running. I could hear heavy panting, the jingling of a collar and the thumping of paws on the frozen pavement. I stared towards the source of the sound, but I couldn't see anything. My first thoughts we simply wondering if I was about to be attacked by a dog. As it got closer though, I started to get weirded out. The sound was definitely coming from the road, and it was definitely coming towards me. After maybe 20 seconds, the sound of this invisible dog passed right in front of me and I could hear it continue down the road for a another few seconds until it faded back to silence. I swear that I could have reached out my hand and touched the source of the sound as it passed me, but I never saw anything. No dog, no ghostly footprints in the snow, nothing. Just this disembodied dog sound.
Anyway, probably not the weirdest story in the world, but your blog brought it to mind so I thought I would share. Nothing else ever happened while I lived there, and that was probably the closest I've ever come to a paranormal experience. Thanks for the blog, cool stuff.
Chris
Thanks for sharing that. Definitely interesting, and probably really unnerving in the moment.
I came across your blog while looking for something completely unrelated, and it made me remember something that happened to me about 12 years ago. I was living in Balsam and working in Sylva (a town about 10 miles from Balsam - Wes). It had snowed Saturday night, maybe 4 or 5 inches, and it had been cold all day Sunday. The state snow plows hadn't made it to Balsam yet, so the roads were still fairly covered. I woke up early Monday morning, an hour so so before sunrise, to see if the roads were passable. I walked down to the road, maybe thirty yards from my front door, and stood in the middle of the road, testing to see how slick it was. Because a few cars had driven the road over the weekend, it was frozen into solid ice. There was no traffic, and it was dead quiet. The moon was out and the snow and ice practically glowed.
From down the road I heard the unmistakable sound of a dog running. I could hear heavy panting, the jingling of a collar and the thumping of paws on the frozen pavement. I stared towards the source of the sound, but I couldn't see anything. My first thoughts we simply wondering if I was about to be attacked by a dog. As it got closer though, I started to get weirded out. The sound was definitely coming from the road, and it was definitely coming towards me. After maybe 20 seconds, the sound of this invisible dog passed right in front of me and I could hear it continue down the road for a another few seconds until it faded back to silence. I swear that I could have reached out my hand and touched the source of the sound as it passed me, but I never saw anything. No dog, no ghostly footprints in the snow, nothing. Just this disembodied dog sound.
Anyway, probably not the weirdest story in the world, but your blog brought it to mind so I thought I would share. Nothing else ever happened while I lived there, and that was probably the closest I've ever come to a paranormal experience. Thanks for the blog, cool stuff.
Chris
Thanks for sharing that. Definitely interesting, and probably really unnerving in the moment.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
TAPS/Harrah's Casino investigation
Not much to report, other than the bits that I've heard via social media, but I thought I would share what I know.
On Monday, October 25th, Harrah's Casino in Cherokee hosted a meet and greet with a couple of the guys from Ghost Hunters. After the event, the Ghost Hunters and a few guests journeyed over the mountain and did an investigation of the Balsam Mountain Inn. I don't have any details on the investigation, and I'm not sure if they filmed it to make an episode, but Harrah's twitter feed did post a fairly intriguing photo of a figure in a window. The photo purports to show the infamous "Blue Lady".
Again, not a lot of details, but it's exciting that some of the big names in the paranormal world have taken an interest in our little area.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Flat Laurel Creek Bigfoot Encounter
I pulled this first report from a website that specializes in cryptids in western North Carolina. It's a fairly typical Bigfoot encounter, but it represents another facet of the unusual here in Appalachia. I've linked to the original website below if you want to look at the original write-up or read through some of the other mystery animal sightings from the area. There's some fascinating reports to examine. The second report came to my by word-of-mouth. I'm still trying to track down some of the participants, but I've told the story as I heard it.
In June of 2005, an unnamed hiker claims to have had an encounter with a large, bipedal creature on the Flat Laurel Creek trail. The creature stood and moved away, quickly vanishing in the thick underbrush. The hiker found physical evidence in the form of a 16" long, 8" wide footprint. It is unknown if he took a photo of the footprint.
The second case is almost identical: Four hikers were moving down the Flat Laurel Creek trail when one of them spotted what they thought was a bear resting in the shade. They made a little noise to scare of the creature, but were shocked when it stood up on two legs. It appeared to be human in shape, but much larger and more muscular. It was described as having black and silver fur, and moving quickly away, with large strides.
More than one person has ventured into the dense thickets that surround the trail, only to find branches that have been broken off with a twisting motion. Others have reported thuds and thumps and crashing noises.
It's hard to make any sort of judgement based on these two meager reports. The area is known to have a healthy bear population, so simple misidentification may be the explanation. I will say that the area would make a good habitat for a large mammal; the rugged topography keep most hikers out, and water and food sources abound. Is there some connection between these more modern encounters with a cryptid ape and the historical accounts of the Boojum of the Balsams?
If you want to go explore, the Flat Laurel Creek trail is a great hike. Take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Black Balsam Parking Area. Drive all the way to the end of the road until you hit the parking area with a restroom. Park there; the trail starts at the far end of the lot opposite the restrooms.
Resources
Mystery Animals in WNC
In June of 2005, an unnamed hiker claims to have had an encounter with a large, bipedal creature on the Flat Laurel Creek trail. The creature stood and moved away, quickly vanishing in the thick underbrush. The hiker found physical evidence in the form of a 16" long, 8" wide footprint. It is unknown if he took a photo of the footprint.
The second case is almost identical: Four hikers were moving down the Flat Laurel Creek trail when one of them spotted what they thought was a bear resting in the shade. They made a little noise to scare of the creature, but were shocked when it stood up on two legs. It appeared to be human in shape, but much larger and more muscular. It was described as having black and silver fur, and moving quickly away, with large strides.
More than one person has ventured into the dense thickets that surround the trail, only to find branches that have been broken off with a twisting motion. Others have reported thuds and thumps and crashing noises.
It's hard to make any sort of judgement based on these two meager reports. The area is known to have a healthy bear population, so simple misidentification may be the explanation. I will say that the area would make a good habitat for a large mammal; the rugged topography keep most hikers out, and water and food sources abound. Is there some connection between these more modern encounters with a cryptid ape and the historical accounts of the Boojum of the Balsams?
If you want to go explore, the Flat Laurel Creek trail is a great hike. Take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Black Balsam Parking Area. Drive all the way to the end of the road until you hit the parking area with a restroom. Park there; the trail starts at the far end of the lot opposite the restrooms.
Resources
Mystery Animals in WNC
Friday, January 3, 2014
Lights in the Mountains
Brown Mountain Lights
Though it's not technically in the Balsam Mountain region, the Brown Mountain Lights are an important part of the paranormal history of North Carolina, so I'll touch on them briefly. There are lots of great resources available if you want to explore this topic in more depth. In particular, I would direct you to this excellent resource provide by L.E.M.U.R.
The lights at Brown Mountain have been seen for generations; one of the first published accounts is from 1913, but native beliefs incorporated the lights long before European settlers entered the area. The US Geological Survey undertook a study in 1922 to attempt to solve the riddle of the Brown Mountain lights; the report indicated that people were simply seeing common terrestrial lights including trains and automobiles. A flood shortly after forced the temporary closure of the railroads and washed out several bridges, greatly reducing automobile traffic. But the Brown Mountain lights did not cease, and the explanation provided by the USGS was proven to be incomplete at best.
The lights have been described in numerous ways; white or yellow, sometimes rising slowly in the night sky, other times spinning and darting away. Likewise, there are numerous explanations for the supposed cause of the lights, ranging from geophysical anomalies to lost a Indian maiden in search of her true love. L.E.M.U.R. investigator Brian Irish captured some pretty remarkable footage of the lights in late 2000. That video is available on YouTube here. There are several vantage points if you wish to experience the lights for yourself. The Brown Mountain Lights site that I mentioned earlier can fill in the details; even Wikipedia lists good spots to see the ghost lights.
Thomas Divide Lights
This is a lesser known story concerning inexplicable lights in the mountains. The Thomas Divide Overlook is on the Blue Ridge Parkway and provides an incredible view of Cherokee, NC. It's named for William Thomas, the white chief of the Cherokee who, in the 1830s and '40s, helped create the Qualla Boundary that allowed some Cherokee to stay here in the mountains.
The story goes that if one parks at the overlook so that you are looking over the Thomas Divide Ridge and either blink your lights or honk your horn, inexplicable lights will appear in the darkness. One report states that the lights "appeared as balls of lights that shot up vertically in the air like a bottle rocket, but then circled around to drop back to earth only to shoot up again to follow the same route."
This video on Vimeo shows a different phenomenon: Two lights seem to appear and the disappear on the ridge facing the overlook. This YouTube video depicts lights, but there is no visible ridge line or anything else to give scale or context to them.
It's difficult to determine the source of these lights, especially considering the various ways that the atmosphere can bend and distort lights. Its certainly feasible that there is a totally normal explanation for the lights seen both at Thomas Divide and at Brown Mountain. It could be something slightly more exotic, like ball lightning. Or the lights could emanate from some paranormal realm, where we have yet to delve. Whatever the case, ghost lights in the mountains have a long history and hopefully will continue to befuddle and amaze us for years to come.
Resources
http://www.brownmountainlights.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98ss17HFKKU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Mountain_Lights
http://southernspiritguide.blogspot.com/2010/09/thomas-divide-lights.html
http://vimeo.com/27979481
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqRXmMaGRGw
Though it's not technically in the Balsam Mountain region, the Brown Mountain Lights are an important part of the paranormal history of North Carolina, so I'll touch on them briefly. There are lots of great resources available if you want to explore this topic in more depth. In particular, I would direct you to this excellent resource provide by L.E.M.U.R.
The lights at Brown Mountain have been seen for generations; one of the first published accounts is from 1913, but native beliefs incorporated the lights long before European settlers entered the area. The US Geological Survey undertook a study in 1922 to attempt to solve the riddle of the Brown Mountain lights; the report indicated that people were simply seeing common terrestrial lights including trains and automobiles. A flood shortly after forced the temporary closure of the railroads and washed out several bridges, greatly reducing automobile traffic. But the Brown Mountain lights did not cease, and the explanation provided by the USGS was proven to be incomplete at best.
 |
| A still from the LEMUR video linked below |
The lights have been described in numerous ways; white or yellow, sometimes rising slowly in the night sky, other times spinning and darting away. Likewise, there are numerous explanations for the supposed cause of the lights, ranging from geophysical anomalies to lost a Indian maiden in search of her true love. L.E.M.U.R. investigator Brian Irish captured some pretty remarkable footage of the lights in late 2000. That video is available on YouTube here. There are several vantage points if you wish to experience the lights for yourself. The Brown Mountain Lights site that I mentioned earlier can fill in the details; even Wikipedia lists good spots to see the ghost lights.
Thomas Divide Lights
This is a lesser known story concerning inexplicable lights in the mountains. The Thomas Divide Overlook is on the Blue Ridge Parkway and provides an incredible view of Cherokee, NC. It's named for William Thomas, the white chief of the Cherokee who, in the 1830s and '40s, helped create the Qualla Boundary that allowed some Cherokee to stay here in the mountains.
The story goes that if one parks at the overlook so that you are looking over the Thomas Divide Ridge and either blink your lights or honk your horn, inexplicable lights will appear in the darkness. One report states that the lights "appeared as balls of lights that shot up vertically in the air like a bottle rocket, but then circled around to drop back to earth only to shoot up again to follow the same route."
This video on Vimeo shows a different phenomenon: Two lights seem to appear and the disappear on the ridge facing the overlook. This YouTube video depicts lights, but there is no visible ridge line or anything else to give scale or context to them.
It's difficult to determine the source of these lights, especially considering the various ways that the atmosphere can bend and distort lights. Its certainly feasible that there is a totally normal explanation for the lights seen both at Thomas Divide and at Brown Mountain. It could be something slightly more exotic, like ball lightning. Or the lights could emanate from some paranormal realm, where we have yet to delve. Whatever the case, ghost lights in the mountains have a long history and hopefully will continue to befuddle and amaze us for years to come.
Resources
http://www.brownmountainlights.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98ss17HFKKU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Mountain_Lights
http://southernspiritguide.blogspot.com/2010/09/thomas-divide-lights.html
http://vimeo.com/27979481
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqRXmMaGRGw
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
I hope that everyone has a safe and happy New Year! Tune in on Friday to get a little glimpse into the local ghost light scene!
WH
WH
Monday, December 30, 2013
Light on the Parkway
This is a story that was told to me several years ago by a coworker. He was a very honest and straight-laced type of guy, so while I can't verify this story, I can vouch for the teller. He told me this story one evening wile we were working, and even though the encounter had been several years in the past, he still seemed shaken up by the experience. I've changed the names to respect his privacy, everything else is as I remember it.
My name is Bill and I live in Cherokee, North Carolina. I had a rare weekend night off (I'm in healthcare), so my wife, her sister and the sister's husband decided to head over to Asheville. It's a fairly long drive, so when we go, we usually make an occasion out of it. We spent the day shopping, had a decent meal and then caught a movie. We left the theater around 11 pm. It was a beautiful summer night, so we decided that we should take the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville back to Soco Gap and then on to Cherokee and home. This would almost double the trip time, but we were enjoying the day and didn't mind a late night. I want to point out that I do not drink or take any drugs. No one else in the car had been drinking that day either.
The parkway was almost deserted; we passed a few cars early in the trip, near the Asheville side of the Parkway. For most of the trip, we had the road to ourselves. The sky was clear and the moon illuminated the road and forest. We were enjoying the drive, talking and looking down into the valleys that fell away from the road. Just past the Black Balsam overlook area, I noticed a light on the road behind us. At first, I assumed that it was a motorcycle, but after a moment, I realized that it was glowing red. I still didn't think much of it; maybe it was the brake light of a car that had pulled away after we had passed. A couple of minutes later, I looked up again and realized that the red light had gotten much closer. I motioned with a nod and asked my companions to look back. They all saw the light, but none of us were alarmed by it. Within moments though, the light had gotten close, maybe 200 yards back. I could see it illuminating the trees that frame the road. Everyone again looked back, and we realized that the light was much higher off the ground than a car or motorcycle would allow. It seemed to be just below the tops of the trees. This spooked us. I sped up, trying to outrun this thing while also avoiding driving us all of the parkway. My wife and her sister were frantic, staring back at this ominous red light that seemed to be chasing us down the parkway. Ahead, I could make out the silhouette of Devil's Courthouse. I knew this meant that we were approaching a tunnel, and the thought of being trapped under the ground with that thing terrified me. I sped up again, but this damned light was still behind us, maintaining that same 200 yard buffer.
I hit the entrance to the Devil's Courthouse tunnel doing about 60 mph. Seconds later, the light slipped in to the tunnel as well, and the walls were suddenly bathed in red. The inside of the van seemed to glow with this unnatural light. As soon as we were out of the tunnel, I whipped the car into the Devil's Courthouse parking lot, ready for a fight. We all saw the light just behind us. It flew past us, still above the Parkway road, and then ascended to just over the trees before swooping down the northern face of the mountain, heading towards Sunburst. The tops of the trees were lit up for the few seconds that the light was there, and then all was dark again.
We sat there in the dark, silent, waiting for this thing to come back. After fifteen or twenty minutes with no sign of it, I backed the van out of the parking lot and sped down the parkway towards home. Nothing else strange happened that night. I looked around online after this happened, trying to understand the experience. I didn't really find anything, but I did read some about UFO encounters and abduction experiences. We didn't notice any missing time, and none of us had any sort of physical effects from the experience. It was simply and utterly terrifying. I'm still wary of the Parkway, especially at night. As a Native American, I know that certain places are charged with power, either good or evil. I'm not sure what we saw that night, but I know that I never want to see it again.
My name is Bill and I live in Cherokee, North Carolina. I had a rare weekend night off (I'm in healthcare), so my wife, her sister and the sister's husband decided to head over to Asheville. It's a fairly long drive, so when we go, we usually make an occasion out of it. We spent the day shopping, had a decent meal and then caught a movie. We left the theater around 11 pm. It was a beautiful summer night, so we decided that we should take the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville back to Soco Gap and then on to Cherokee and home. This would almost double the trip time, but we were enjoying the day and didn't mind a late night. I want to point out that I do not drink or take any drugs. No one else in the car had been drinking that day either.
The parkway was almost deserted; we passed a few cars early in the trip, near the Asheville side of the Parkway. For most of the trip, we had the road to ourselves. The sky was clear and the moon illuminated the road and forest. We were enjoying the drive, talking and looking down into the valleys that fell away from the road. Just past the Black Balsam overlook area, I noticed a light on the road behind us. At first, I assumed that it was a motorcycle, but after a moment, I realized that it was glowing red. I still didn't think much of it; maybe it was the brake light of a car that had pulled away after we had passed. A couple of minutes later, I looked up again and realized that the red light had gotten much closer. I motioned with a nod and asked my companions to look back. They all saw the light, but none of us were alarmed by it. Within moments though, the light had gotten close, maybe 200 yards back. I could see it illuminating the trees that frame the road. Everyone again looked back, and we realized that the light was much higher off the ground than a car or motorcycle would allow. It seemed to be just below the tops of the trees. This spooked us. I sped up, trying to outrun this thing while also avoiding driving us all of the parkway. My wife and her sister were frantic, staring back at this ominous red light that seemed to be chasing us down the parkway. Ahead, I could make out the silhouette of Devil's Courthouse. I knew this meant that we were approaching a tunnel, and the thought of being trapped under the ground with that thing terrified me. I sped up again, but this damned light was still behind us, maintaining that same 200 yard buffer.
I hit the entrance to the Devil's Courthouse tunnel doing about 60 mph. Seconds later, the light slipped in to the tunnel as well, and the walls were suddenly bathed in red. The inside of the van seemed to glow with this unnatural light. As soon as we were out of the tunnel, I whipped the car into the Devil's Courthouse parking lot, ready for a fight. We all saw the light just behind us. It flew past us, still above the Parkway road, and then ascended to just over the trees before swooping down the northern face of the mountain, heading towards Sunburst. The tops of the trees were lit up for the few seconds that the light was there, and then all was dark again.
We sat there in the dark, silent, waiting for this thing to come back. After fifteen or twenty minutes with no sign of it, I backed the van out of the parking lot and sped down the parkway towards home. Nothing else strange happened that night. I looked around online after this happened, trying to understand the experience. I didn't really find anything, but I did read some about UFO encounters and abduction experiences. We didn't notice any missing time, and none of us had any sort of physical effects from the experience. It was simply and utterly terrifying. I'm still wary of the Parkway, especially at night. As a Native American, I know that certain places are charged with power, either good or evil. I'm not sure what we saw that night, but I know that I never want to see it again.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Boojum of the Balsams
There's an old legend here in western North Carolina that has been all but forgotten in the last few decades. The story of Boojum of the Balsams is sometimes cited as a peculiar Appalachian variant of the Bigfoot legend, but it's hard reduce this tale into something so simple. I've read several articles about the Boojum, both online and in print, and they all tell a very similar story, with only a few details changing between versions. I'll give you the condensed version of the Boojum story, and then we can discuss.
Boojum is described as tall, between 7 and 8 feet tall, and covered in shaggy dark brown or gray fur, except for his face, which is long and human-like. His eyes are almost always noted as being somehow sad. Most of the reports of Boojum, however, are based on his sounds and vocalizations. Lip smacking, grunting, and heavy breathing are all hallmarks of the Bigfoot of the Balsams. A particular noise, something of a cross between an owls hoot and the growl of a tiger is a frequent report.
Most of this sounds like a typical Bigfoot story; the physical attributes and noises are found in reports across the country. But where Boojum departs from the norm is in his actions and in the particulars of his story. He has an insatiable affinity for shiny jewels, rubies, sapphires and beryls found in the clear mountain streams of his home. He is said to hunt the hills in his search for these baubles, hiding them in caves scattered around the area. Beyond this, he has an affinity for human women, especially women who have slipped off to cool off in the mountain streams. Many less-than-fully-dressed young women have reporte hearing the sounds of breathing or a rustling in the leaves only to look up and see those sad eyes, framed in a dense mat of long hair, peering down from the underbrush.
It is said that one of these lasses, (named either Annie or Maggie, depending on the source) found herself drawn to that forlorn face. She followed Boojum into the forest, becoming his companion and eventually, his wife.
The end of this story revolves around another grand hotel here in the mountains, although this one is long gone: the old Eagles Nest Hotel. Built by S.C. Satterthwait of Waynesville, this high altitude hotel catered to wealthy patrons who could afford to escape the oppressive southern heat. Stories about strange occurrences started almost immediately. Well-to-do patrons of the hotel reported occasional sightings of Boojum and numerous unexplained sounds. Fearful of this strange beast, they demanded that Satterthwait put an end to the strange occurrences. I haven't found much in the way of historical documentation, but on April 22, 1918, the hotel burned to the ground. Some say that Satterthwait finally captured Boojum, and that a lonely, heartbroken Annie (or Maggie) burned down the huge building in retribution. The stories and sightings have continued, though only sporadically. Maybe the Balsam Mountains are home to some offspring of Boojum and his bride, still searching for gems in those cold and lonesome creeks.
It's hard to say much about this story. It's so completely tied to local legend that it's almost impossible to tease out what is true and what is purely imaginary. There are numerous mythological archetypes in here as well, and parts of the story seem to be designed to either teach a lesson (young women shouldn't be skinny dipping alone) or impart a moral lesson (true love is blind). Normally, I regard these sorts of stories with caution, simply because I can't prove or disprove anything. But the Boojum story resonates with me for a couple of reasons: I lived on Eagles Nest Mountain as a kid, and a relative of mine was said to have had a physical run-in with the elusive creature.
The story goes like this: A great uncle of mine was a driver for a livery company that existed in the days of the Eagles Nest Hotel. He would pick guests up at the old train depot just below Main Street, Waynesville and load them into his horse-drawn wagon for the trip to the top of the mountain. He reported several instances of feeling watched, of hearing strange noises in the forest or seeing shadowy shapes disappearing behind the brush. But on one night in particular, his experience became much more real. He was taking a load of passengers to the end, and the sun had begun to set as they made their approach to the hotel. Suddenly, his horses became skittish and refused to move another foot up the road. He urged them to move forward, as his passengers were tired and more than ready to check into their rooms for some rest. Almost instantly, the source of his horses fear became apparent as a tall, broad creature broke from the brush, crossing the road not more than 10 yards in front of him. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished into the dense forest on the other side of the road. After a couple of moments of coaxing, the horses began to walk towards the hotel, as if nothing had ever happened.
Unfortunately, this relative died long before I was born so I can't ask him for more details. This story was passed to me by my grandparents, like a lot of good stories are around here. I don't believe this story was ever written down, but I've told it as best I can remember. It mimics a more traditional Bigfoot story, but the location places it firmly in Boojum territory. I'll be looking at some more recent western North Carolina Bigfoot sightings in an upcoming article, so it'll be interesting to search for parallels with the Boojum legends of years past.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
I'm taking the day off today to open gifts, eat too much food and enjoy some family time. I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday. I'll be back on Friday to talk about Boojum of the Balsams. Merry Christmas!
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Monday, December 23, 2013
The Great Balsam Mountains
So far on the blog, I've written primarily about experiences and reports that are coming from within the confines of the actual town of Balsam, North Carolina. But the Balsam area is a much larger entity, covering several high mountain peaks and including parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This region is called the Great Balsam Mountains, and includes Cold Mountain, Black Balsam and Shining Rock. As I continue, I hope to expand the scope of this blog to include tales from these more far-flung areas. Beyond providing more area to cover, this expanded coverage also gives us a ton of additional history to look at, including some Cherokee legends. Included within the range of the Great Balsams are two incredible pieces of Native lore and history: Devil's Courthouse and Judaculla.
In Native tradition, Judaculla (or Tsul 'Kalu, more traditionally) was a slant-eyed giant known by the Cherokee as the lord of the hunt. His home was on the boundary of three western North Carolina counties in a high mountain bald. Judaculla rock, far below the bald in a river valley, is a huge soapstone boulder covered in undeciphered markings and pictographs. This piece of prehistoric art is said to be the result of the giant leaping from his high mountain home down into the valley. His huge, six-fingered hand print impressed in the stone is a visible reminder of his presence.
Judaculla rock can still be visited, although rain and wind have taken their toll upon the inscriptions. It's just a short drive past Western Carolina University off Caney Fork Road. Tanasee Bald, the legendary home of Judaculla, is a little harder to find. Some articles place it just down the parkway from Devil's Courthouse, while other reports seem to center on Richland Balsam, several miles further away. Judaculla rock is a fascinating artifact that helps make the legends of the past more solid and real.
Some researchers who have studied Judaculla and his significance to the Cherokee have noted the similarities between this mythological giant and stories of Bigfoot and Sasquatch. In fact, the very name Tsul 'Kalu, when used in its plural form, refers to a race of giants that the Natives believed lived far to the west. It's also interesting that Tsul 'Kalu and Bigfoot seem to share several physical similarities. There are more modern legends of Bigfoot-type sightings in the area; a famous case revolves around the Eagles Nest Hotel, now long since burned and forgotten. This creature was referred to as Boojum, but the story is remarkably similar to tales of Tsul 'Kalu. I'm working on some reseaarch into the Boojum story; I hope to have that up in the next few weeks, so more details on that are forthcoming.
So no real ghost story today, no tale of the paranormal. Just some history and legend that I find interesting, and maybe a reminder that this area, with it's high, dark and foggy mountains, has always been a place of mystery and mythology.
In Native tradition, Judaculla (or Tsul 'Kalu, more traditionally) was a slant-eyed giant known by the Cherokee as the lord of the hunt. His home was on the boundary of three western North Carolina counties in a high mountain bald. Judaculla rock, far below the bald in a river valley, is a huge soapstone boulder covered in undeciphered markings and pictographs. This piece of prehistoric art is said to be the result of the giant leaping from his high mountain home down into the valley. His huge, six-fingered hand print impressed in the stone is a visible reminder of his presence.
Judaculla rock can still be visited, although rain and wind have taken their toll upon the inscriptions. It's just a short drive past Western Carolina University off Caney Fork Road. Tanasee Bald, the legendary home of Judaculla, is a little harder to find. Some articles place it just down the parkway from Devil's Courthouse, while other reports seem to center on Richland Balsam, several miles further away. Judaculla rock is a fascinating artifact that helps make the legends of the past more solid and real.
Some researchers who have studied Judaculla and his significance to the Cherokee have noted the similarities between this mythological giant and stories of Bigfoot and Sasquatch. In fact, the very name Tsul 'Kalu, when used in its plural form, refers to a race of giants that the Natives believed lived far to the west. It's also interesting that Tsul 'Kalu and Bigfoot seem to share several physical similarities. There are more modern legends of Bigfoot-type sightings in the area; a famous case revolves around the Eagles Nest Hotel, now long since burned and forgotten. This creature was referred to as Boojum, but the story is remarkably similar to tales of Tsul 'Kalu. I'm working on some reseaarch into the Boojum story; I hope to have that up in the next few weeks, so more details on that are forthcoming.
So no real ghost story today, no tale of the paranormal. Just some history and legend that I find interesting, and maybe a reminder that this area, with it's high, dark and foggy mountains, has always been a place of mystery and mythology.
Friday, December 20, 2013
More tales from the Balsam Mountain Inn
In doing some research, I stumbled across another book that mentions the strange occurrences reported at the Balsam Mountain Inn. Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels was written by Frances Kermeen. Kermeen is the owner of Myrtle's Plantation in Louisiana, which is touted as one of America's most haunted locations. The full book is available on Amazon.
The brief chapter on the Inn includes a bit of the history of the structure and the surrounding town, and speaks briefly of the restoration of the Inn in the 1990's. Reports from guests of footsteps and jiggling doorknobs are cited. The most interesting aspect of the article is something I've never heard before. Back in the years when the Inn was a seasonal operation, the employees spoke of how they would spend hours buttoning up the building for the winter, tidying up, turning off lights and closing the windows and doors. They would leave the dark structure, say their goodbyes for the winter and then trek down the hill. Once at the bottom of the drive, they would be shocked to look back at the grand old hotel only to find all of the lights burning brightly. They would return, extinguish the lights, and leave again. By the time they had gotten to the bottom of the hill, the lights would be on again.
This is an interesting report, but little additional detail is given, so it's hard to investigate further. It's a fascinating tale, however, that points to a long history of the paranormal at the Inn.
The brief chapter on the Inn includes a bit of the history of the structure and the surrounding town, and speaks briefly of the restoration of the Inn in the 1990's. Reports from guests of footsteps and jiggling doorknobs are cited. The most interesting aspect of the article is something I've never heard before. Back in the years when the Inn was a seasonal operation, the employees spoke of how they would spend hours buttoning up the building for the winter, tidying up, turning off lights and closing the windows and doors. They would leave the dark structure, say their goodbyes for the winter and then trek down the hill. Once at the bottom of the drive, they would be shocked to look back at the grand old hotel only to find all of the lights burning brightly. They would return, extinguish the lights, and leave again. By the time they had gotten to the bottom of the hill, the lights would be on again.
This is an interesting report, but little additional detail is given, so it's hard to investigate further. It's a fascinating tale, however, that points to a long history of the paranormal at the Inn.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Ghost Hunting: The Basics
If you want to watch ghost hunting on television, you are living in a golden age. Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Mine, the list goes on and on. There's almost always a show on where people, lit by the ghastly green light of a night vision camera, run and trip through some haunted location with all sorts of esoteric paranormal equipment blinking and beeping to let us now that something is there with them. Likewise, the amateur ghost hunter can pack a bag with meters, cameras and many more expensive electronic baubles that attempt to prove the existence of spirits. There are smartphone apps that are marketed as full-featured ghost detection units. So what's useful? What works? I think there are two answers, and my feelings about this aspect of paranormal investigation may surprise you. So here we go.
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| A Selection of ghost hunting tools from Amazon |
The list of equipment used in a typical television ghost hunt is staggering: K2 meters, voice recorders, EMF detectors and motion detecting cameras are the old standbys. Newer innovations include the aforementioned smartphone apps and the spirit box, which supposedly allows a spirit to select words from a digital dictionary that the spirit box can then play aloud. There are a host of other devices that show up on each television spook hunt. So what's worth using? Technically, I would argue that most of this stuff is worthless junk. Personally, I think that the chance of detecting any sort of spirit with a digital device is slim to none. K2 meters, EMF detectors and spirit boxes seem to rely on random chance more than anything. I think that cameras and voice recorders can be a valuable tool to document the investigation and to capture the human reactions to the paranormal. The iPhone apps that I've played with have meters for things like EMF detection when the iPhone clearly does not have a sensor to detect EMF.
So, does that make this stuff completely worthless? As a technical tool, probably. But I think that there may be a deeper value to these devices, something beyond the obvious. I think that having this equipment puts us in the proper mindset to be able to notice the paranormal. The ritual of checking batteries, flipping switches and peering through the green-tinged eyepiece immerses us in the experience. When the voice-recorder is rolling, we are quiet and still, trying not to contaminate the sound. This allows us to actually listen to the environment. When the camera is action, we are alert and aware of everything we can see. In this way, I think that the equipment can be a useful component for the paranormal team, as long as it's not allowed to get in the way of the human experience.
I do want to end this with the admission that I have seen good paranormal photos, and I've heard some really chilling EVPs, so I can't completely discount these tools. But the human mind is especially good at making patterns from random noise, so everything becomes suspect. Again, these new digital toys should be used to supplement the human experience of the paranormal rather than as a substitute for it. So by all means, use a camera and a digital recorder to document the moment and maybe even catch something unexplainable. Use these other tools with caution, but don't be afraid to let yourself get into the moment and more open to the supernatural.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Update on the Claud Green Murder Research
I've been doing a little follow up research on the murder of Deputy Sheriff Claud Green in 1928. Some attribute the unexplained phenomenon at the Balsam Mountain Inn to this tragic occurrence. We know that Deputy Green was shot on the grounds of the old Balsam School (now the Balsam Community Center) during a community dinner. We know that a man named Ed Smathers was arrested and convicted of the murder, but only spent a short amount of time incarcerated before being released. Several questions remained unanswered for me, most notably: What connection would this murder have to the experiences at the Inn? Was Green taken to the Inn before he expired?
I began my investigation by searching for newspaper reports from the time period. My first attempts were stymied by bad luck. The archive of newspapers in Haywood County for the years of 1927 to 1931, including the crucial year of 1928, were lost in a fire that destroyed the old Haywood County library. Other archives of local papers were either missing or damaged beyond use.
I made my way to the Jackson County library and hit the jackpot. The September 6, 1928 edition of the Jackson County Herald opens with the headline "SLAYERS OF GREEN STILL AT LARGE." The article goes in to significantly more detail about the events of August 31, and creates even more mystery. I'll attempt to condense and clarify this information as much as I can. I think the easiest way to do this is probably a simple timeline. I'll put my notes and comments in italics.
Friday, 31 August 1928: During a box dinner and play at the old Balsam School, Sheriff's Deputy Claud Green is shot seven times with two different guns. Only one eyewitness is noted in the reports, a 14 year old student from the school. His name is never mentioned again. The Jackson County Herald reports two shooters.
Thursday, 6 September 1928: Alney Mehaffey is arrested for the murder of Green. Mehaffey is a 24 year old escaped convict.
Tuesday, 11 September 1928: Ed Smathers is arrested for the murder of Green. Smathers is a 35 year old escaped convict1. He is asleep in a friends home when deputies Strike him in the head, knocking him to the ground2. He is taken to a local doctor for medical care before being imprisoned.
16 October 1928: The trial of Edward Smathers begins. He stands accused of first degree murder. Smathers' defense team argues that his trial should be delayed until his accused accomplice, Alney Mehaffey is indicted. The prosecutors acknowledge that the case against Mehaffey is so weak that he will probably never be indicted unless new facts are brought up in the trial of Smathers3. The defense then argues that a fair trial in Jackson County is nearly impossible. To alleviate this concern, the judge orders that the jurors should be pulled from the eastern part of Haywood County4.
18 October 1928: A witness in the trial testifies that she heard Smathers confess to his wife his role in the death of Claud Smathers, and further implicates Alney Mehaffey in the death. She quotes Smathers as saying, "I shot Claud Green, but I had to do it." The character of the witness is called into question, and it is noted in court that she has repeatedly denied that Smathers ever made the admission that she is testifying to5.
Smathers has a comprehensive alibi; several people testify on his behalf as to his whereabouts on the night of the murder. School children that were present on the night of the shooting claim that they believe that Smathers was at the scene, but none of them will testify that it was definitely him.
25 October 1928: Smathers is convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20-25 years in prison. The jury is concerned that there are no eyewitnesses and that the case is entirely cicumstantial.
Beyond this date, I don't have a lot of solid information. There are two interesting tidbits, however. It is known that Smathers only served a short portion of his sentence before being released and moving west. This seems strange, considering that he had been convicted of murdering a police officer, and that he was an escaped convict when he was apprehended. This doesn't seem like the type of prisoner who gets an early release.
Secondly, there is a story within the Smathers family that seems to hint at a cover-up. According to the tale, Smathers sent a letter from the prison to his cousin George that said, "If you don't get me out of here, I'm coming with the truth." Was Smathers taking the fall for someone? According to this story, most locals understood that it was in fact George Smathers, and not Ed, who had murdered Deputy Green.
So what does this have to do with ghosts? If some theories are to be believed, a spirit may become stuck if there is some great unsettled tragedy or a wrong to be righted. Does Deputy Green still hang around because he feels that Smathers got off too easy, or is he still looking for the real killer?
I began my investigation by searching for newspaper reports from the time period. My first attempts were stymied by bad luck. The archive of newspapers in Haywood County for the years of 1927 to 1931, including the crucial year of 1928, were lost in a fire that destroyed the old Haywood County library. Other archives of local papers were either missing or damaged beyond use.
I made my way to the Jackson County library and hit the jackpot. The September 6, 1928 edition of the Jackson County Herald opens with the headline "SLAYERS OF GREEN STILL AT LARGE." The article goes in to significantly more detail about the events of August 31, and creates even more mystery. I'll attempt to condense and clarify this information as much as I can. I think the easiest way to do this is probably a simple timeline. I'll put my notes and comments in italics.
Friday, 31 August 1928: During a box dinner and play at the old Balsam School, Sheriff's Deputy Claud Green is shot seven times with two different guns. Only one eyewitness is noted in the reports, a 14 year old student from the school. His name is never mentioned again. The Jackson County Herald reports two shooters.
Thursday, 6 September 1928: Alney Mehaffey is arrested for the murder of Green. Mehaffey is a 24 year old escaped convict.
Tuesday, 11 September 1928: Ed Smathers is arrested for the murder of Green. Smathers is a 35 year old escaped convict1. He is asleep in a friends home when deputies Strike him in the head, knocking him to the ground2. He is taken to a local doctor for medical care before being imprisoned.
1Smathers was convicted in 1926 for manslaughter after claiming self-defense. He is sentenced to 5-7 years, but escapes after just six months.
2It is almost definite from reading the reports that a relative of Smathers turned him in for the reward. He is lured to a friends home with the pretext of meeting this relative and procuring some liquor. It is here that he is arrested after nodding off at the kitchen table.
16 October 1928: The trial of Edward Smathers begins. He stands accused of first degree murder. Smathers' defense team argues that his trial should be delayed until his accused accomplice, Alney Mehaffey is indicted. The prosecutors acknowledge that the case against Mehaffey is so weak that he will probably never be indicted unless new facts are brought up in the trial of Smathers3. The defense then argues that a fair trial in Jackson County is nearly impossible. To alleviate this concern, the judge orders that the jurors should be pulled from the eastern part of Haywood County4.
3I have yet to find any further mention of Mehaffey, either in the papers or online, other than a census record from 1940 and a few pages about his burial. If this is the same Mehaffey, he passed away in 1985.
4This is a distance of only 30 miles or so; the idea that the people in this area wouldn't have heard of the murder of a policeman seems ludicrous.
18 October 1928: A witness in the trial testifies that she heard Smathers confess to his wife his role in the death of Claud Smathers, and further implicates Alney Mehaffey in the death. She quotes Smathers as saying, "I shot Claud Green, but I had to do it." The character of the witness is called into question, and it is noted in court that she has repeatedly denied that Smathers ever made the admission that she is testifying to5.
Smathers has a comprehensive alibi; several people testify on his behalf as to his whereabouts on the night of the murder. School children that were present on the night of the shooting claim that they believe that Smathers was at the scene, but none of them will testify that it was definitely him.
5The story gets murky here. To paraphrase, the witness testifies that she overhears Smathers admitting to the murder to his wife. Smathers goes on to explain what happened, and that Deputy Green had attempted to search a man on the Balsam School grounds. She never names this man. A scuffle ensues, and another man fires at Deputy Green. At this point, the man involved in the scuffle opens fire as well. She ends her testimony by saying that she also overheard Smathers telling his wife that he didn't kill Green and that she should believe him no matter what she hears. This testimony is all over the place, and makes little sense. This could be chalked up to poor reporting by the newspaper, or it could simply be an untrustworthy witness. It's important to note, however, that this is one of the only witnesses that is mentioned by the paper.
25 October 1928: Smathers is convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20-25 years in prison. The jury is concerned that there are no eyewitnesses and that the case is entirely cicumstantial.
Beyond this date, I don't have a lot of solid information. There are two interesting tidbits, however. It is known that Smathers only served a short portion of his sentence before being released and moving west. This seems strange, considering that he had been convicted of murdering a police officer, and that he was an escaped convict when he was apprehended. This doesn't seem like the type of prisoner who gets an early release.
Secondly, there is a story within the Smathers family that seems to hint at a cover-up. According to the tale, Smathers sent a letter from the prison to his cousin George that said, "If you don't get me out of here, I'm coming with the truth." Was Smathers taking the fall for someone? According to this story, most locals understood that it was in fact George Smathers, and not Ed, who had murdered Deputy Green.
So what does this have to do with ghosts? If some theories are to be believed, a spirit may become stuck if there is some great unsettled tragedy or a wrong to be righted. Does Deputy Green still hang around because he feels that Smathers got off too easy, or is he still looking for the real killer?
Friday, December 13, 2013
Pots and Pans
This is another reader submitted experience.
For several years, I had a friend who lived just a few minutes away from me in Balsam. Our houses were connected by a narrow trail that cut through the forest. There were no other houses near the trail, so it could be a bit creepy at times, especially if you were walking it alone. My friends house had a particularly weird vibe, but this one incident really stands out to me.
My friend and his family were moving, so I had been up helping him get his things together and generally saying a long goodbye. His mother came up, and asked if we would carry some pots and pans to my house. She didn't want to pack them, and she thought my mom could find some use for them. We dutifully stacked the pots, maybe 6 or 8 of them I total, and started walking to my house. After just a couple of minutes, in a fit of rebelliousness and laziness, I pitched the whole stack of cookware over the bank, down into the dense brush. We continued to walk to my house, grabbed a couple of sodas and never mentioned the pots and pans to my mom. We left for a while, heading out into town. When we returned, we started to walk back to my friends house. It was then that we saw a surprising sight.
There, on the side of this quiet little trail, was a perfect stack of pots and pans. Someone, or something, had collected every piece that I had tossed down the bank and left a neat pile for us to find. It's important to note that we were out of sight of my friends house, and too far away for anyone to have heard the noise. My mom was home alone and could certainly not have done it. There are no other houses nearby, and no reason that anyone else would have been in this area. I don't recall seeing the brush on the hillside being trampled in any way that would indicate a person had been down there picking up cookware. It simply seemed like the forest itself was unhappy that I littered.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Background Info
If you haven't already, please be sure to read the link in the sidebar to the page titled "Balsam Basics." This helps explain some of the history of the area as well as my personal links to the town. I'm also working on a page explaining my personal beliefs about ghosts, the paranormal and our realtionship to it. That should appear in the sidebar in a few days as well, so keep your eyes open. Lastly, please feel free to contact me with any personal experiences, family legends or just random comments.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Balsam Mountain Inn guest experiences
I'm going to try to collect here some of the experiences that have been reported by guests at the Balsam Mountain Inn. Most of these are culled from various websites so I can't really vouch for the veracity of any of them. I think it's still a helpful exercise to simply compare stories and try to get an idea of any "hot spots" within the Inn and to look for patterns within the experiences.
A guest in room 109 was awakened by the senstation of someone grabbing her foot.
Two guests in room 332 were on the porch looking up at the building when a shadow crossed by the window to their (supposedly unoccupied) room. Both guests reported seeing shadows in the room later that night, as well as hearing whispering voices. They were roused from their sleep at around 5 am by the sound of knocking, followed by more anomalous whispering.
A female guest woke to see a man in overalls looking though a suitcase at the foot of the bed. She assumed it to be her husband, but quickly realized that he was still in bed with her. She closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, the strange figure was gone.
Above reports collected from Ghosts of America.
Haunted Places notes that two rooms in the Inn seem to be haunted: 205 and 207. Unexplained footsteps, jiggling doorknobs and other unexplained noises are reported. No personal experiences are noted.
Haunted Places
In a 2009 interview with The State, the former innkeepers specified room 205 as the focal point of the haunting, and even give a name to the spirit that lingers there: Henry. It's also noted in the brief interview that a crew from The Travel Channel had been at the In, filming a segment of the paranormal happenings1. One guests' experiences are related: A woman sleeping in the room awoke to find her husband rubbing her back. She turned to thank him, and then realized that he was sound asleep in the bed beside her.
The State: Rooms with a Boo
Sheila Turnage notes room 205 again in her book Haunted Inns of the Southeast. A jiggled doorknob is again mentioned, as is a window being opened as guests slept in the room.
Haunted Inns of the Southeast on Amazon
So this brief look at some publicly available experiences give us some interesting things to think about. Room 205 is an obvious starting point, and the name Henry is also an interesting tidbit. Without sounding mean, some of the stories on-line seem to be written by ninth graders. It's tempting to just dismiss some of this offhand, but I want to examine them as fully as I can. Some things (footsteps, whispering) are pretty easy to explain in a 100 year old Inn with paper thin walls. Some things are more mysterious. Hopefully this overview of reports can get us moving in the right direction, and provide a starting point for more serious research.
Notes:
1: The Travel Channel spot mentioned in the interview is episode 8 of a show called Weird Travels, which ended its run in 2006. The episode is called "Haunted Hotels: Where Darkness Dwells." I've yet to find a copy of this, but when I do, I'll review it here.
A guest in room 109 was awakened by the senstation of someone grabbing her foot.
Two guests in room 332 were on the porch looking up at the building when a shadow crossed by the window to their (supposedly unoccupied) room. Both guests reported seeing shadows in the room later that night, as well as hearing whispering voices. They were roused from their sleep at around 5 am by the sound of knocking, followed by more anomalous whispering.
A female guest woke to see a man in overalls looking though a suitcase at the foot of the bed. She assumed it to be her husband, but quickly realized that he was still in bed with her. She closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, the strange figure was gone.
Above reports collected from Ghosts of America.
Haunted Places notes that two rooms in the Inn seem to be haunted: 205 and 207. Unexplained footsteps, jiggling doorknobs and other unexplained noises are reported. No personal experiences are noted.
Haunted Places
In a 2009 interview with The State, the former innkeepers specified room 205 as the focal point of the haunting, and even give a name to the spirit that lingers there: Henry. It's also noted in the brief interview that a crew from The Travel Channel had been at the In, filming a segment of the paranormal happenings1. One guests' experiences are related: A woman sleeping in the room awoke to find her husband rubbing her back. She turned to thank him, and then realized that he was sound asleep in the bed beside her.
The State: Rooms with a Boo
Sheila Turnage notes room 205 again in her book Haunted Inns of the Southeast. A jiggled doorknob is again mentioned, as is a window being opened as guests slept in the room.
Haunted Inns of the Southeast on Amazon
So this brief look at some publicly available experiences give us some interesting things to think about. Room 205 is an obvious starting point, and the name Henry is also an interesting tidbit. Without sounding mean, some of the stories on-line seem to be written by ninth graders. It's tempting to just dismiss some of this offhand, but I want to examine them as fully as I can. Some things (footsteps, whispering) are pretty easy to explain in a 100 year old Inn with paper thin walls. Some things are more mysterious. Hopefully this overview of reports can get us moving in the right direction, and provide a starting point for more serious research.
Notes:
1: The Travel Channel spot mentioned in the interview is episode 8 of a show called Weird Travels, which ended its run in 2006. The episode is called "Haunted Hotels: Where Darkness Dwells." I've yet to find a copy of this, but when I do, I'll review it here.
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