Haunted Tennesse (Cookeville, Adams: theatre, horse, car)

[Rcm58]

I found this link to Historic Newspaper Archives taken from Tennessee Newspapers.
Tennessee Genealogy: Newspaper Archives

[Kklynnt]

In the Sequatchie valley there is the legend of John Merrill...some claim he was the meanest man on earth.

I'll try to list some of his reported crimes and activites.

1. One story tells how a young child's crying was upsetting him. He allegedly grabbed the toddler and slung the child's head against a fence post--killing the child.

2. He also went to prison for murdering a man and stealing his watch...the man was found floating in a river and it was later determined that he had flagged the man down on a bridge and killed him to get a gold watch.

3. John Merrill was known to be a very clever man when it came to devising his criminal pursuits...one legend tells how he became a member of the underground railroad that was helping escaped slaves make their way north to freedom. While he pretended to be helping the slaves, he was supposedly secretly locking them in a makeshift dungeon under his house and would then transport them back to the south to either collect a bounty or resell the slaves for his own profit. Other members of the underground railroad were unknowingly sending the slaves to him thinking he was feeding them and sending them on to the next stop.

One of the most famous tales of John Merrill is about his burial in the Smyrna Cemetary just north of Pikeville, Tn.

John Merrill died in Pikeville and was reportedly buried in this cemetary. The story goes that he was considered to be such a monster that he was buried sideways in the cemetary.

Supposedly graverobbers dug his body up, and removed his head. There are several notions about why this was done, but I think the most accepted version is that a Doctor From Nashville had learned of this man's life of crime and monsterous ways and wanted to examine his brain to see why such an otherwise intelligent man would choose such behaviors.

Locals had reported that around the time that his grave was found disturbed that a fancy looking buggy was in the area and that there was a horrific odor coming from a box in the back of the buggy. The buggy was the type of buggy that was commonly owned by doctors, etc. and of course the odor was believed to be coming from John Merrill's severed head.

[hew2a]

I took my girlfriend to Stones River Battlefield one Memorial Day...I grew up around it and always found the idea of a Civil War Battle having taken place on the ground I was standing so fascinating. Well, as we rode through to find a place to park, she got very quiet. I finally parked and we got out. She immediately said "Let's go now!" I couldn't understand it, but she was clearly freaked out. We left, and I asked her what was wrong. She said that the feeling of death was so strong she just couldn't take it. I've known she was a sensitive person, and just attributed it to her being a woman. But could she have felt what had occured there a hundred plus years ago? From that point on I have been incredibly fascinated with with Stones River and wondered if people who live near it have seen, felt, or heard anything. I've heard the stories of many of the other battle fields and the re-enactors who stay late at night and see soldiers etc. Does anyone know if that's happened at Stones River? I'm sure it has. It's so spooky late at night, from 10pm on, during the summer months when the thick fog rises above it...AH! Talk about scary.

[Rcm58]

Unknown confererate soldiers in A cemetery in Bristol TN.

[carolac]

Our old courthouse in downtown Orlando, Florida has been turned into a History Center. The guards and people working there at night have been frightened by ghosts, so the story goes. Below is a link of some paranormal pictures taken by a little girl.

Orlando Ghost Tour Photos - Paranormal Australia

[babyhedge1226]

There are tons of places in Tennessee, Crazy George's Bridge in Brotherton, just north of Cookeville, Macedonia church near Bangham, the blue door mansion in the Holiday Community, the Braswell Brothers house in Baxter, just to name a few.

Crazy George's Bridge- local tale goes that a fellows car stalled on the bridge, a train came through, hit him as he was trying to get out at which point he was decapitated and he comes back to look for his head, if you pull across the at midnight, your car will stall and you will see a light come toward you from up the tracks, supposedly George, come back to hunt his head.

Macedonia church- woman died of unknown causes on her wedding night, autopsy was illegal but performed anyway on the back pew of the church, if you place a bible on the altar at midnight and walk back down the aisle you see her lying there on the back pew with her wedding rings glowing decked out in her wedding gown.

Blue door mansion-long ago destroyed, there is a house sitting on the original site, it is well known that unexplained crying or music can be heard in various rooms of the house.

Braswell brothers house-the braswell (not sure of sp) brothers were hanged from a tree in the front yard, any man who lives there is safe but if a woman moves into the house she is harassed and tormented by an unexplained entity believed to be the younger of the two brothers, they took the blame for crimes their sister was also involved in and were hanged because of it, apparently they are taking their anger out on her in any female form.

Good luck and happy haunting!

p.s. If anyone else has stories of Crazy George's bridge or any other hauntings around Cookeville I would love to hear them.

Thanks,
babyhedge1226

[babyhedge1226]

Here is a link to a website I am starting to try to get a few TN haunted experiences! Thought you might enjoy it.

babyhedge1226

Memories of Crazy George's Bridge

[KnoxBrian]

The Baker-Peters house in West Knoxville is rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of confederate soldiers-If I recall the mansion served as a field hospital during the war

[OneKEighty]

Originally Posted by babyhedge1226

There are tons of places in Tennessee, Crazy George's Bridge in Brotherton, just north of Cookeville, Macedonia church near Bangham, the blue door mansion in the Holiday Community, the Braswell Brothers house in Baxter, just to name a few.



Braswell brothers house-the braswell (not sure of sp) brothers were hanged from a tree in the front yard, any man who lives there is safe but if a woman moves into the house she is harassed and tormented by an unexplained entity believed to be the younger of the two brothers, they took the blame for crimes their sister was also involved in and were hanged because of it, apparently they are taking their anger out on her in any female form.


p.s. If anyone else has stories of Crazy George's bridge or any other hauntings around Cookeville I would love to hear them.

Thanks,
babyhedge1226

The Brassell Brothers were from western Putnam County, comitted the murder for which they were hanged in western Putnam County, and are in fact buried within the city of Baxter. However, they were tried, convicted and hanged in Cookeville. They were executed on Billygoat Hill on gallows constructed for the ocasion, in front of the largest gathering of people ever assembled in Cookeville up to that time.

Where is the Macedonia Church located in the Bangham Community? The Macedonia area and the Bangham area are both located in Putnam County, but are several miles apart.

[krenkraw]

Originally Posted by babyhedge1226

Here is a link to a website I am starting to try to get a few TN haunted experiences! Thought you might enjoy it.

babyhedge1226

Memories of Crazy George's Bridge

I have been over Crazy George's Bridge many times and have never felt anything because there is nothing there. That story got started back in the early 20's by men that would go there to drink and be left alone. I know this because my grandfather was one of the men.
As far as Stamps Cemetary being inhabited by witches, well that is ridiculous. The people that make up these stories do it for drama but are not intuitive. A good haunted place is at a bridge on Calfkiller. There is a woman that walks the road. I have seen her myself. Her name is Etheline and she was killed by her lover when she found out she was pregnant.