The Blowing Rock is North Carolina’s oldest attraction, and visitors who stop to take in the views at 432 The Rock Road in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, are familiar with the legend associated with the premises. In 1933, it was established as “North Carolina’s First Travel Attraction,” dating back almost 250 million years ago when…
Surry’s Witch
Many believe the first known person to have been accused of witchcraft lived in the present-day Northeastern United States, and that is not true. Actually, Joan Wright, or “Jane,” was the first known person to be legally accused. She is also referred to as “Surry’s Witch” and lived in Elizabeth City (Surry County) in the…
Is This the Real “Ghost” Town of Lake Hartwell
When the area was flooded to make way for the lake in the early 1960s, graveyards, roads, and buildings were lost forever beneath the serene surface of Lake Hartwell on the border of South Carolina and Georgia. But the biggest mystery that lurks on the bottom may be the small town of Andersonville. Yes, Ghost…
The Strange Case of Billy Wayne Cope in Rock Hill: Part 1
In 1997, I attended York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to gain undergraduate credits toward a Bachelor’s degree. I am not a math whiz, and honestly, it’s the one class where my ADHD kicks in the most. During that fall, several students around the student center began to notice a larger man, who…
Beneath the Waters of Kerr Lake
Our “Beneath the Waters” series has earned thousands of views, covering Lake Norman, Lure, Jocassee, and Murray. Tonight, we will cover Kerr Lake. The lake is no different from the others in terms of roads, and former structures were flooded to make way for it, but it does have a secret lying on the bottom,…
Coley Patterson: Missing
Coley Patterson was 79 years old when he went missing on October 13, 2006, in Kershaw, South Carolina. Mr. Patterson appears as case number 06-23620 at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. According to NamUs,“On the last day Patterson Sr. was seen, his sister had taken him to the doctor and brought him back to his…
Babe Ruth’s North Carolina Connection
Many may not be aware, but the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, played a pivotal role in the beginning of George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. It was here that Ruth hammered his first home run as a professional against the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles on March 7, 1914. The blast traveled 350 to 400 feet…
The Disappearance of Silas Sessions Jr.
Silas Sessions Jr. was only 55 years old when he reportedly told his mother, whom he lived with, that he was going out for a pack of cigarettes. He never returned to the residence. According to NamUs, Sessions went missing on July 9, 1999, in Charleston, South Carolina .Sessions is described as a Black male….
Beneath the Waters of Lake Norman
Lake Norman is a beautiful lake just north of the City of Charlotte, but have you ever wondered what lies just beneath its waters? You may be shocked to know that the remains of a summer camp that opened in the 1930s and the site of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford, where General William Lee…
The Legend of Boojum and Hootin’ Annie
Sometime around 1900, or even a little before, another piece of western North Carolina folklore emerged. Some believe the legend of Boojum and Hootin’ Annie was used to attract early tourism in the area. The story places a large, Bigfoot-like creature called the Boojum on Eagle Nest Mountain in Haywood County. It’s believed the Boojum…