Oconee Hill Cemetery at 297 Cemetery Street in Athens, Georgia, is a beautiful and historic resting place. But this cemetery is a little different from the rest we have covered at The Lantern, like Hell’s Gate in Spartanburg.
By 1896, all the lots were whole, so the city expanded the scenic cemetery by eighty-two acres to meet the growing demand. “A bridge connecting the old section with the new section was erected in 1899.”
According to Alan Brown in his book Georgia Legends & Lore, the bridge is a paranormal hotspot. The famous haunting is a spectral carriage driven by a drunken farmer. Legend has it that the farmer was driving through the cemetery when the wagon veered off the bridge, and he went to his eternal home. His apparition is seen when the moon is full, as he attempts to complete his journey from many years ago.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: Alan Brown, Georgia Legends & Lore (Quotes in this article were taken from page 44 of this book.)