Just off Highway 55 in Coffee County, Tennessee, in Tullahoma, at Concord Cemetery, lies the grave of an alleged witch that is said to walk the grounds still and haunt the area.
Inside the cemetery, a headstone sits on the ground with only one thing inscribed on it: the name, Sadie Baker.
Legend says the Shelton family had the most beautiful and most eligible young ladies in the county. The youngest, Olivia, was said to be the most stunning of the bunch, as well as the nicest.
One day, Olivia encountered a girl who wore ragged and dirty clothing, with tangled dark hair, who was around the same age. The young girl did not speak, and only held out her hand begging for money or food.
Olivia, being extremely kind-hearted, took the girl in, cleaned her up, and even gave her clothing to wear. During the makeover, it was discovered that the poor girl was also breathtakingly beautiful.
All of the young men in town just swooned over the beautiful girl, even Olivia’s boyfriend. The arrival of the new girl began to hinder the Shelton girls from finding a husband. Olivia’s mother knew that she needed to act quickly, and she did. As everyone was mingling and coming together, the mother of the Shelton girls screamed out, “SHE’S A WITCH!”
Soon, the people of the town came together to get rid of the suspected witch. They dragged her body to an open hole.
But just before she was thrown to her death into the large grave, the girl screamed, “I am Sadie Baker!” Those would be her last words before she met her demise on that day.
The woman was gone, and life eventually returned to normal, until one day, Olivia went mad. According to legend, she accused her husband of wanting to be with Sadie, cut her hair off, and tried to become Sadie Baker.
Over time, people began seeing a ghostly figure of a young woman near the grave. Some believed that the spirit was Sadie, while others thought it was Olivia.
Years later, people started leaving coins on the grave as tribute to the woman, who met her demise at the spot.
Was Sadie Baker a witch, and is she buried in that cemetery? The person buried where the dateless headstone stands is named Sarah Baker, who went by the name Sadie. Some believe that the legend was started because a few disliked Sarah Baker and crafted a tale about her as a way to feud with her after her death, or was it?
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.