10 Great Ghost Stories of the South!

Recent Photo of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge

With Halloween just one day away, I thought it would be a great time to share this year's list of 10 Great Ghost Stories of the South!  So, here we go...

1. The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge (Marianna, Florida) - This is a great story that originated in the 1800s and preserves the tragic tale of an unfortunate young woman who is said to haunt the environs of one of Florida's oldest bridges.  Learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.
2. The Face in the Window (Carrollton, Alabama) - The face of a terrified man can be seen in the window of the old Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/faceinthewindow.
3. The Edgefield Ghost (Greenwood County, South Carolina) - This early 19th century haunting was one of the most noteworthy in American history and was witnessed by hundreds of people including ministers and reporters!  Learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/edgefieldghost.
4. The Bell Witch (Adams County, Tennessee) - Possibly America's most famous haunting, the Bell Witch incident supposedly took place in Adams County, Tennessee.  Learn more at: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch1.
5. The Crescent Hotel (Eureka Springs, Arkansas) - The Crescent Hotel bills itself as America's most haunted hotel, and with good reason! Learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/crescenthotel.
6. The Ghost of Big Cedar (near Branson, Missouri) - Big Cedar Resort just south of Branson is said to be haunted by the wife of one of its original owners!  This is one of the most famous ghosts of the Ozarks.  Learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bigcedar1.
7. Ghosts of the St. Augustine Lighthouse (St. Augustine, Florida) - One of Florida's most intriguing ghost stories, the tale of the strange figures in the St. Augustine Lighthouse has attracted attention for years. Learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/staugustinelighthouse.
8. Ghost of Allatoona Pass (Bartow County, Georgia) - This ghost used to catch rides on trains along the old railroad leading north from Atlanta!  Please click here to learn more: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoonaghost.
9. Ghosts of Waverly Mansion (West Point, Mississippi) - Waverly Mansion near West Point is said to be one of the most haunted places in Mississippi.  Please click here to learn more: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/waverly
10. Ghost of St. Simons Lighthouse (St. Simons Island, Georgia) - The unhappy spirit of a former lighthouse employee is said to haunt the beautiful old tower of the St. Simons Lighthouse.  Please click here to learn more http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons2.html.

The Ghost of Big Cedar - Branson, Missouri

One of the South's more unique ghost stories surrounds historic the historic Big Cedar resort on the outskirts of Branson, Missouri.

The resort got its start as the private wilderness getaway of two wealthy families during the years before the Great Depression. Harry Worman, a railroad executive, and Jude Simmons, an entrepreneur, purchased the Big Cedar Hollow and its mysterious Devil's Pool spring, a tributary of the White River, as a private resort deep in what was then the wilderness of the Ozarks.

Several of the structures built by Worman and Simmons can still be seen at Big Cedar, now a resort owned by Bass Pro Shops and located in Ridgedale, a community about ten minutes south of Branson, Missouri. The resort has done an outstanding job of preserving and using the structures, incorporating them into the landscape.

Harry Worman was married to a young woman named Dorothy. Census records show that she was half his age and tradition holds that she was unhappy at Big Cedar. She supposedly ran away to Mexico with one of the staff members hired by Worman to maintain the wilderness estate and died there far from her Missouri home.

But if the stories of staff members of the resort are to believe, Dorothy came back home after all. There have been numerous reports of her restless spirit, dressed in a long white gown, being seen roaming the grounds. In fact, it is probably Branson's best known haunting.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bigcedarghost.

Southern Ghosts Part Three - Big Cedar, Missouri

On the outskirts of the modern tourist mecca of Branson, the Big Cedar Resort preserves several historic structures as part of the wilderness themed complex.

Among these is the Worman House (seen here).

Built by Harry Worman, an executive with the Frisco Railroad and one of two prominent businessmen that bought the Big Cedar Valley during the 1920s, the house is now a noteworthy restaurant.

It is difficult to imagine that the beautiful scenery could have been a miserable location for anyone, but according to legend the Big Cedar Valley felt more like a prison than a vacation spot for Worman's young wife, Dorothy. Fond of the society and parties, she feld out of place and lonely in the house at Big Cedar and, as the story goes, ran away and died at an early age.

Employees and guests, though, often see an unusual shadowy figure walking the grounds of the resort at night, prompting the growth of a legend that Dorothy Worman haunts the place that once caused such misery in her life.

To learn more about Big Cedar Resort and its history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1 and follow the link for Big Cedar Resort.

Spring at Big Cedar - Branson, Missouri

The redbuds are showing across the Ozarks and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful spring.

This photo shows some of the waterfalls and spring blooms at Big Cedar Resort near Branson, Missouri.

Big Cedar is unique among many of the resorts in the Branson area because in addition to its amenities, it offers a rich history. The beautifully landscaped resort is set in the Big Cedar Hollow and surrounds historic Devil's Pool.

The hollow was first developed as a private retreat during the 1920s by Harry Worman and Jude Simmons, two successful Missouri businessmen. Worman was an executive with the Frisco Railroad and Simmons was an brilliant entrepreneur. The two men built homes in the hollow, much to the chagrin of Worman's socialite wife. It is said that her unhappy ghost inhabits the grounds to this day.

To learn more about Big Cedar and its fascinating history, please visit our Branson section at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1. You will find links to Big Cedar Resort and a number of other historic sites in the Branson area.

New Branson, Missouri Pages are now Online!

Our new Branson, Missouri pages are now online at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/! Just look for the link under the "Also New This Month" section of the site.

Although our Branson section will be expanding over the coming days and weeks, for now it includes a number of key sites including the Showboat Branson Belle, the Branson Scenic Railway, historic Big Cedar Resort, Country 76 (the famed Branson Strip), the Branson Titanic Museum, the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area and many others.

Drop by and take a look!