Tragedy in Sand Cave

In 1925, cave explorer Floyd Collins discovered Sand Cave, not far from what would one day become Mammoth Cave National Park.  Floyd, like many others in Kentucky cave country, had hoped to discover a cave of his own that he could profit from as a tourist attraction.  Unfortunately, while attempting to uncover the secrets of his new found cave, Floyd Collins became trapped.  The resulting rescue attempts fueled a media frenzy that stretched across the nation.

The Beale Ciphers

In 1885, publisher James B. Ward released a small pamphlet that contained three encrypted messages that purportedly told the whereabouts of an immense treasure.  Unfortunately, after a century of attempts to decipher these mysterious codes, no trace of this hidden stash of gold, silver, and jewels has been found.

Black River War

From 1847-1870, along the Black River in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, two neighboring plantation owners engaged in a violent family feud. The cause of the dispute is still unknown, but whatever it may be, the result was the loss of numerous lives, including Confederate Brigadier General St. John Richardson Liddell.

The Bride of Annandale

The apparition of a grieving woman purportedly haunts the Chapel of the Cross cemetery in Mannsdale, Mississippi. Legend says this ghost is Helen Johnstone.-- the victim of one of Mississippi's most tragic tales of heartbreak and loss. Days before her wedding in 1859, Helen's beloved Henry Vick was struck down in a duel. The Johnstone family promised to one day bury the grief-stricken young woman in the plot next to her lost love, but unfortunately she was not, thus resulting in the many claims that her spirit will not leave.

Cities of the Dead

One of the most significant issues that the early settlers of  New Orleans encountered was where to bury their dead. The city’s swampy location has an exceptionally high water table, so when graves were dug, water quickly filled the holes.  Caskets would float from their graves after heavy rains. The solution was not to bury the dead below ground, but rather inter their lost love ones in aboveground vaults. The result was beautiful cemeteries that have since come to be known as Cities of the Dead.

In New Orleans, there are 42 surviving historic cemeteries, with the oldest and most well-known being St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. The cemetery was established in 1789 and remains in use over two hundred years later.  Occupying only 300 square feet, a single city block, St. Louis No. 1 remains the final resting place for thousands, welcoming each new internment as the newest residents of the New Orleans’ cities of the dead.  

The Franklin Masonic Hall

One of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place in the small town of Franklin, Tennessee.  However, the rich history of this southern community is far deeper than what occurred on November 30, 1865, and no structure in this historic town exemplifies that past more than the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall-- a three story brick building that has stood for almost two centuries.

Stay tuned after this episode for a brief interview with Rachael Finch, the Executive Director of the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall Foundation.

Ghost of Fiddler's Rock

On a precipice near the top of Stone Mountain in Johnson County, Tennessee is a flat outcropping of sandstone called Fiddler's Rock. The mysterious landmark is covered in carvings of images, names and dates; however, what makes Fiddler's Rock so infamous are the purported sounds of a ghostly fiddle playing in the distance.

The Devil's Tramping Ground

Just fifty miles south of Greensboro, North Carolina, amidst lush pine forests and rolling hills is a large patch of barren nothingness known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground.  This empty spot is circular in shape, roughly 40 feet across, and for as long as anyone can remember it has been completely devoid of all plant life. As a result, some legends claim this eerie location is where the devil himself comes to Earth each night to plan his wicked deeds, others that is of a unique Native American origin.

Lost Confederate Gold

As the end of the Civil War became imminent, Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled his capital city of Richmond, Virginia.  After leading the South for four years, he had high hopes to escape the country and rebuild a new Confederacy. So Davis took with him the entirety of the Confederate Treasury, a massive fortune of gold, silver and bullion.  Yet when the Confederate President was finally captured by Union forces, this gold was nowhere to be found.

To this day, speculation runs rampant over the whereabouts and fate of that lost Confederate gold, a mystery that has grown for over a century and a half, spurring the imaginations of historians and treasure hunters alike.

Skeleton of Longwood Mansion

In 1860, Dr. Haller Nutt began construction on a palatial estate in Natchez, Mississippi. Unfortunately the outbreak of the Civil War put a halt to progress, leaving Dr. Nutt's vision incomplete for over a century and half.

The Lady of Bellamy Bridge

Legend says that the Bellamy Bridge in Marianna, Florida is haunted by a woman, who's life was supposedly lost to a vicious fire on her wedding night in 1837.; however, legend and history tell two different tales as to the origin of the Lady of Bellamy Bridge.

Legend of Bill Sketoe's Hole

On December 3, 1864 William Henry Sketoe was hanged near his home in Newton, Alabama. Some legends claim he was a Confederate deserter, others a Union sympathizer; but for whatever the reason may be, his story has been one of Alabama's most infamous ghost stories for over a century.

The Ruins of Rosewell

The Rosewell Plantation of Gloucester County, Virginia was once the most grandiose plantation home of the British Colonies in North America; but after a fire destroyed this exquisite home in 1916, all that is left of this once great mansion is ruins.

The Gray Man of Pawley's Island

Each year, June 1st marks the first day of the Atlantic Hurricane season; and while modern technology has helped reduced the catastrophic destruction of these storms, on the small barrier island of Pawley's Island, South Carolina, locals believe it is the appearance of an apparition known as "The Gray Man" who truly warns them of impending disaster.

The Greenbrier Ghost

On January 23, 1897, Elva Zona Heaster was found dead in her home in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. At the time, the cause was presumed natural; however, after her ghost purportedly appeared to her mother, it was soon found that the circumstances surrounding Zona's untimely death were much more sinister.

St. Augustine's Haunted Lighthouse

Founded in 1565 by the Spanish, St. Augustine, Florida is one of America's oldest surviving cities; and while the history of this three century old port, once instrumental in early colonization by the Spanish, is rich with tales of hauntings and folklore, one of its most infamous haunted structures is a lighthouse built by the United States Federal Government between 1871-1874

The Curse of Lake Lanier

---

*Since this episode first came out more indepth research into Lake Lanier and the history of the area has been published. Consider checking out one of those works:

---

The creation of Georgia's Lake Lanier came at a high cost for the people who had once settled there. As waters rose to engulf everything in its path, the Georgia landscape changed and entire towns were lost.

Today, many claim that the lake is not only cursed by the remnants of the underwater town below, but also haunted by some of the spirits from its past.

Legacy of Lavinia Fisher

Many legends claim that Lavinia Fisher was the first female serial killer in the United States.  She and her husband John operated an inn just outside of Charleston, South Carolina.  They named it Six Mile Wayfarer House, but their intentions behind the business were sinister.  It is said the Fishers targeted wealthy travelers, poisoning them at dinner and stealing their valuables.  For these crimes, the Fishers were executed on February 18, 1820.  It is said that Lavinia wore her wedding dress to the gallows and when it came time for her to speak her last words she unrepentantly bellowed, “if you have a message you want to send to hell, give it to me, I’ll carry it.” 

But the historical accuracy of this legend is entirely false.  In fact Lavinia may not have actually murdered anyone.

The Ghost Town of Cahaba

The town of Cahaba was once the thriving state capital of Alabama.  Yet today, over a century since it was last seen on census records, only ruins remain at the location of this once great city that many claim to be “Alabama’s Most Infamous Ghost Town.”

The Burning of Atlanta

The city of Atlanta, Georgia was a strategic stronghold for the Confederacy during the Civil War, serving as an integral railroad hub supplying the South with men, munitions and supplies.  But by the spring of 1864, as President Abraham Lincoln became desperate for a military victory, the city would become the direct target of the infamously aggressive Union General William T. Sherman and his philosophy of '“total war.”