Dillsboro, North Carolina, is full of history and haunts for such a small community. In 1882, the Western North Carolina Railroad planned the Cowee Tunnel, just west of Dillsboro. Every day, convicts were forced to perform manual labor to straighten a bend in the Tuckasegee River.
On the morning of December 30, 1882, tragedy struck when some men were ordered to board a boat while being connected with heavy chains. The vessel began to take on water from the rear, lifting the stern high out of the water when the terrified prisoners shifted weight, capsizing the boat.
Almost 20 chained inmates died that morning in the rain-swollen river. The men were buried nearby on a mountain above the tunnel, but are they resting in peace?
People have reported hearing echoes of men panicking in the water below, screaming for help, and chains rattling, especially after a rainstorm.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image: Citizen-Times