Decatur was one of the first mills to take advantage of river transportation of grain. Two Federal gunboats patrolled the river. A local storyteller dressed in period clothing leads the one-mile tour of haunted hotels, infamous murder sites, cemeteries, and more. Since it was erected in 1922, the Masonicbuilding has a public library for black residents and home to offices for prominent black doctors and lawyers, as well as the local NAACP. The ROW can still be made out in many places . One surviving example is the stone on the grave of Korea Nettles, which has three faces said to be those of her children. These buildings are the longest continuously occupied industrial buildings in the state. Information with the photo said: This building stood on the southeast corner of Vine Street and First Street North. Water faucets that turn on and off. Reportedly, an unusually high number people who lived along the road have died; some say 68 since 1890. Simp McGhee's The bank is defunct but the building is still in use. On the third floor, people report doors opening and closing and furniture moving of its own accord. The abandoned P. D. Barker House at 109 Saint Anthony St. in Mobile in the 1930s. The current owners of the Moody Brick claim that the old plantation is definitely not haunted. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The buildings, built only for filming exteriors, were not completed and not built to code. After a mummified woman was discovered in her home, people claimed she was a witch. 1910, was slated for demolition, but a citizens group hopes to save it. Others may still have residents, but not as many as they once had, making them living ghost towns in Alabama. Some abandoned historic sites may even be classified as a ghost town, depending on the size of the site. Many people claim theyve seen a face behind the barred windows of the second floor but the building was empty. Winter Place is actually a complex with two huge homes; the second is that both homes are in dire need of renovation. As the Drish mansion lore goes, the ghost of Sarah was furious about this and occasionally locals will see the third-story tower lit in flames. People report hearing maniacal screaming among other reported paranormal activity. Local residents have reported seeing a strange mist rise up in the area in front of the statue of boxing great Joe Louis, who was born in Chambers County. Others claim to have witnessed the spirit of a mysterious mist, a crying baby and a strange man dressed in black. The legend was recorded by author Kathryn Tucker Windham in 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.. the inventory is constantly changing as new places come up for auction. It would go on to boast others, including the "Second Most Corrupt City in Illinois." What are the most popular ghost stories in Alabama? Dicksonia Plantation in Lowndesboro had a reputation in its day as a stately mansion in picturesque surroundings. A pyromaniac ghost? It's now underwater and the only remnant left of the town is a cemetery. (Source: Library of Congress/Historic American Buildings Survey). She never harmed them, other than perhaps causing some ringing in their ears. It is now home to the Lowndesboro Town Hall. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The oddest sighting is an apparition that appears to be half-wolf and half-man. Haunted Places Decatur, Alabama Decatur High School Decatur High School was built in 1950. The site is reportedly haunted by numerous spirits with the most famous known as Pegues Ghost. It is located at 1928 First Avenue North. Unfortunately, the introduction of new railroads following the American Civil War really hurt the town. People who cross the bridge hear the sounds of a babys cries. "Forks of Cypress" ruins near Florence. (Source: Historic Drish House Facebook page), This home was built by Dr. John R. Drish in 1837. The first reports of a haunting was around 1919 after a teenage boy who slept at the house had a . 10.7K subscribers Exploring Abandoned Kmart Decatur Alabama Kmart is a chain of big box department stores headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. Take I-65 to Decatur, Exit 334. (Picture: Prairie Bluff, taken from the Alabama River in 1894), Blakeley, founded in 1813, is a ghost town in Baldwin County, Alabama and was a location of a major fort during the American Civil War. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. During the Civil War it was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops at different times. Now her ghost is often seen along the road. It hasnt been used since 2000. Some say theyve heard voices and felt cold spots inside the jail. Haunted Decatur Tours, 141 North Main Street, Decatur, IL, 62523, United States. A stretch of Highway 5 between Natural Bridge and Jasper is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a teenage girl who was killed while returning from prom. Cook Museum. . Shortly after the American Civil War, Cahawba became a ghost town. The population in 2010 census was 55,683. Location: 30338 Lester Road, Lester, Alabama Hours: 7 to 11 p.m. Website: Click here Haunted House of Horror About: Wander around an 8,000 square-foot town filled with supernatural scares. The preserved ruins of Alabama's first permanent capital city can be toured at Old Cahawba Archaeological Site. The spirit of an inmate who committed suicide in the building is reported to walk its halls. 2. Rumored to be haunted by an old man ghost with a fondness for flammables as well as a young boy who is often heard laughing. This historic museum operated as a hospital during the civil war, so the rumours of haunting's appear to have a leg to stand on; which can't be said for some of the apparitions supposedly reported. Perrins, Alfonso's, Josie's, and Let's Do Lunch are very casual. Cahawba, or Cahaba, was the state capital from 1820-1825 but was eventually abandoned because of flooding from the Alabama and Cahaba rivers. The woods off Hinds Road are said the be haunted by a witch who sold her soul to the devil. Shown: The Old Shelby Hotel in Shelby County. Each tour gets on and off the bus during the evening and we do go inside some of Decatur's most haunted locations. The Knight Sanitorium is a three-story brick building. Various urban legends have arisen around the claims that Cry Baby Hollow and the bridge going across it are haunted. The abandoned Hall Hotel building is among the loveliest - if spooky - structures in the Madison County town of Gurley. On October 27, Hood arranged his army as it arrived to encircle Decatur. Our "history tour with ghosts" reveals not only the highlights of the city's history, but also reveals the history "that no one wants you to know" -- from crime scenes, to scandals, unsolved murders, and more. His ghost has been sited several times by a lot of people. Vice districts, gambling parlors and brothels sprang up in the wake of the railroads and the Civil War, bringing bloodshed and violence to the city. Her sons pulled her from the wreckage, but she died in the front bedroom on the eastern side. Inside a seven-story, Renaissance Revival-style building in downtown Birmingham, framed photos of unknown people linger on desks that haven't been used in three decades. Cemeteries near Decatur, AL (Source: ecjmartin1 via Wikimedia Commons). Across fromSt. Clair's Bait & Tackle, Grocery and Hardware, a tiny catch-all store at the crossroads of Lowndes County Roads 29 and 40, is a narrow, shaded dirt lane that leads to one of Alabama's best-kept secrets. The third floor of this historic courthouse formerly housed a row of cells, dating back to the early twentieth century. StorageAuctions is the best place to find online storage auctions. It is now a concert venue. Every community has a ghost tale that everyone has heard, often related to an old or abandoned house, a spooky cemetery or a dark and creepy road. SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! Get more stories delivered right to your email. When his spirit would pass people in the halls, they would feel cold. It is no longer in use and the abandoned building is reportedly haunted. According to legend, a female student was killed while she was trying to sneak out after curfew. A marker on Court Square North in Carrollton tells of the Pickens County portrait: "A freedman, Henry Wells, was accused of burning the second on November 16, 1876. It is to her that witnesses attribute the sound of footsteps, lights that turn on and off by themselves, cold spots, and a phantom Locals tell a tale of playground sounds that can be heard at night: children laughing, playing and having fun. Legends of hauntings in the home include one about a screaming woman dressed in Victorian clothing. Click here to see Robinson Switch Road on Google Maps. The hospital closed for good in 1957 and the building was later used for a variety of purposes, including Dorsey Yarbrough's National School of Music. Flickr/Annie Chartrand. One version of the story claims Molly was the ghost of a woman who had lost an infant who dealt with the tragedy by hugging local children. The historic rock building is said to be haunted by two ghosts: one of an older man whose spirit reportedly sets things on fire and slams doors, and one of a little boy whose laughter is heard throughout the theater. In 2020, Troy introduces the 25th Anniversary Edition of his first book! Isaac Nettles Sr., a black inventor born in the 1880s, created cement masks of people in life and later used them to adorn headstones in the cemetery adjoining Mt. (Illustration from historic photo/AL.com file). According to legend, the site is haunted by spirits of numerous people hung from the limbs of the tree in its 200- to 300-year history. It had no ballroom, no gold-leafed interior, no orchestra. The family reportedly had the image sandblasted from the stone but it soon returned. When Huntingdon was a Methodist female college, a young woman allegedly committed suicide in the dorm and continues to haunt it. Others have claimed to see odd sights while driving the road, from lights darting through the trees to ghostly figures. The David Wade House on Bob Wade Lane in Huntsville shown in 1935. People claim to hear knocking on the floors and walls. (Historic American Buildings Survey/Library of Congress). When filming was completed, the owners of the property on Jackson Lake Island near Millbrook told director Tim Burton to leave the sets rather than bulldoze them. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. It says, "Anne E. Kirtley gave many years of her life as a beloved professor at Judson. During the 1920s, Decatur would gain infamy as a place where murder, bootlegging, prostitution, kidnapping, gambling, corruption and, of course, ghosts, were commonplace. A photo of the Richard Crocheron mansion in the 1880s, when it was already an abandoned ruin. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The historic Josephine Hotel, built in 1880 in downtown Union Springs, now houses a cafe, art studio and gift shop. ", Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Thank you! Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The land this was built on was at one time a cemetery. Crime truly came to Decatur in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroads. Check out the 15 most haunted places in Decatur then learn more by visiting HauntedDecatur.com. Today, Jackson Lake Island is open to the public for camping and fishing. Click hereto see more photos. Childrens laughter has been heard by those working on the third floor, and even outside the bathroom down in the restaurant when there have been no children around. It was abandoned for years and is currently being refurbished. the interior, seen here from the doorway, is closed to the public because it is unsafe. Ashland Place Historic District in Mobile. Some claim to see the orb today. This floor is allegedly haunted by an inmate who hanged himself in one of the cells, where visitors have reported feeling a sad presence. The Goode-Hall house in Town Creek, also known as Saunders Hall, in 2010. After Old Main burned in 1887, the Chapel was used for classrooms until Samford Hall was built. In the small south Alabama town of Mount Vernon, one of the state's greatest historical treasures is slowly being consumed by kudzu, time and apathy. This airfield built in 1941, shown above in aerial view, was used to train the famous Tuskegee Airmen. The once flourishing Eastern Bank of Alabama at 201 Broad Street in Eufaula, was abandoned and in bad shape when this photo was taken in 1935. The Canabiss House in Huntsville today. Legends often say that he was hanged on trumped-up charges for deserting the Confederate army, although details vary. We only offer a very limited number of these tours each season and it's one not to miss! All rights reserved (About Us). Properly called Jackson Ford Bridge, there are currently plans to demolish the bridge due to vandalism and decay making for a safety hazard. (Picture: St. Stephens Gravesite), Riverton, located in Colbert County, Alabama, was an old trade town that was destroyed when the Pickwick Landing Dam was built during the 1930s. Legend says it is haunted by a woman named Annie, who acted as a nanny for the children in the home and was later the owners caretaker. Find museums in Decatur, AL, Dead Children's Playground - Maple Hill Cemetery, Off Campus Book Store - University of North Alabama, University of North Alabama - Romeo and Juliet statues, Wesleyan Hall - University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium - University of North Alabama. (Sources: Alabama Department of Youth Services, left; Kelly Kazek, right). Best Restaurants in Decatur, AL - The RailYard, Two Fish & A Toad, The Moody Crab, Simp McGhee's, Brick Deli, Francesco's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, Bank Street Grill, Hard Dock, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Sushi Sumo Nebo Baptist Church. A massive oak at the junction of the Pea and Choctahatchee rivers is known as the Constitution Oak and is one of the largest in the state. Before the settlement of the original St. Stephens was abandoned, it sat atop a limestone bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River.

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