Ghost of Allatoona Pass - A 19th Century Haunting in Georgia

Tracks near Allatoona Pass

Much as American newspapers did with UFOs in the 1950s, the papers of the 19th century often covered reports of ghost sightings as hard news. As a result, some of the best documented alleged ghost appearances in American history are those that took place during the 1800s.

One particularly unique story involves a ghost that appeared on the trains of the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) during the years after the Civil War.

Deep Cut at Allatoona Pass

According to an 1872 issue of the Atlanta Journal, the ghost appeared on trains as they passed along the stretch of tracks between Allatoona Pass and Tilton, a crossing not far from Dalton in North Georgia.

...This individual appears suddenly on top of the freight cars, takes a seat and remains there for many miles, then the unknown brakesman disappears. Conductors, seeing him, have often gone out to collect his fare, but on nearing him, he would vanish like mist. - Atlanta Journal, Dec. 1872.

The spectre most often appeared as the trains steamed out of the Deep Cut at Allatoona Pass and picked up speed.This prompted speculation among the railroad men that it might be the ghost of a Civil War soldier killed in the frightful battle at the pass on October 5, 1864.

The ghost did not attempt to frighten anyone and seemed more like the mere image of a man than a troubled spirit. It simply sat atop a freight car on the train. It made no sound. It did not move. It was almost as if it were a photograph on the air.

A number of train crews saw the figure and finally a particularly brave engineer decided to get to the bottom of the mystery. Learn what he discovered and read more about the Ghost of Allatoona Pass by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoonaghost.

The Wild Man - 19th Century Bigfoot Sightings in Arkansas

Swamps of Eastern Arkansas

It might be a common perception that the first recorded sightings of the gigantic, hair-covered creature known as Bigfoot took place in the Pacific Northwest, but this is not true.

As hunters and settlers pushed deeper into the wooded frontiers of the early South, they often came into a contact with a monster that they usually called the "Wild Man of the Woods." Mirroring modern-day accounts by eyewitnesses who say they have seen Bigfoot, the 19th century reports indicate the Wild Man was a gigantic, hair-covered creature with unusually large feet.

Some of the most compelling written accounts originated in Arkansas in the 1840s, although these same reports indicated the monster had been seen there as early as 1834. In 1846, however, a newspaper story spread across the nation reporting a sighting near Crowley's Ridge west of Memphis. The monster's track, it was said, "measures 22 inches, his toes are as long as a common man's fingers, and in height and make, he is double the usual size."

Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas

The description of the footprints clearly is almost identical with modern accounts and is one of the earliest recorded descriptions of a Bigfoot's tracks.

The sightings in Arkansas continued to be covered by the nation's newspapers until the eve of the Civil War when, of course, other news took priority. By the time the war ended, the Arkansas Wild Man had almost been forgotten, although the term "Arkansas Wild Man" continued to be used to describe rowdier residents of the Natural State.

There are, of course, Bigfoot sightings in Arkansas to this day and the southwest corner of the state is famed for its Fouke Monster (immortalized in the low budget film "The Legend of Boggy Creek"). But the historical 19th century accounts survive as some of the earliest accounts of the mysterious creature and as such are a unique part of the history of the Natural State.

To read a full account, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/arwildman.