In the wide-open farmland just outside of Williamston, North Carolina, sits a bridge named “Screaming Bridge” on Yarrell Creek Road, which is said to be haunted. The bridge’s name and its haunting tale are enough to make one scream in silence from fear. Years ago, Mr. Yarrell and his beloved wife operated an old mill…
The 1955 Cherokee Bridge Collapse
On July 3, 1955, a deadly accident occurred when a 150-foot bridge gave way in Cherokee, North Carolina. The incident happened just before noon when the cables supporting it jerked from the structure, hurling tourists to the rocks and waters below. It was first thought that overcrowding may have played a role in the bridge…
Is This Historical North Carolina Cemetery Haunted
I am frequently asked if Riverside Cemetery, located at 53 Birch Street in Asheville, North Carolina, is haunted. It’s a place of mystery because we don’t hear many tales associated with it, but it’s undoubtedly historical. The cemetery dates back to 1885 and spans over 87 acres, housing more than 13,000 graves. It is the…
Beautiful Lake Jocassee and the Ghost Town beneath it
Revered for its emerald waters and abundant recreational opportunities, South Carolina’s Lake Jocassee was rich in history before the dam was built in 1973. Before the lake was created, the area was called Jocassee Valley. Cherokee legend states, “The first part of the name ‘Jocassee Gorges’ comes from tragic, star-crossed lovers. Jocassee was a beautiful…
The Hunter of Purgatory Mountain
No one knows where the name originated, but if you have ever visited the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, you have been on Purgatory Mountain. In 1971, a land grant of nearly 1,400 acres from Purgatory Mountain was issued to designate and build the state’s Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Some believe the name originated from…
The I-85 Median Cemetery in Cherokee County
Here is something else you may not be aware of. There is a graveyard between the northbound and southbound lanes near exits 95 and 96 in Cherokee County on Interstate 85. Nicknamed the I-85 Median Cemetery, the Lipscomb-Sarratt Cemetery dates to 1799. According to a goupstate article dated April 29, 2001, “The graves are about…
Land of Oz: No Place Like Home
Land of Oz in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, was/is a theme park based on L Frank Baum’s Land of Oz books. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series comprises 14 books in total by Baum. Baum’s description of Kansas in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was based on his experiences in drought-ridden South Dakota in 1888….
Legend of Becky Cotton
We are led to believe that Lavinia Fisher was the first female serial killer widely recognized in the United States. While Mrs. Fisher, who died by hanging on February 18, 1820, for highway robbery, not murder, could have certainly been a female serial killer, was she the first? If looks could kill, Becky Cotton from…
The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, located at 122 E. Bay Street, is a Charleston landmark built in 1771 as a commercial exchange and customs house. During the American Revolution, tea confiscated by the British was stored here. After the British captured the city in 1780, it was a barracks, and the basement served as…
The Poor Houses in South Carolina
In the 19th and 20th centuries, some counties in South Carolina established poor houses as places where paupers were sent to live. Often, they were elderly or disabled people in the community who had nowhere else to turn. Usually, a Poor House was accompanied by a Poor House Farm, where the able-bodied worked until they…