BY: Chelsea Bassett
Known as the “Heart of Dixie,” home to many singers, historical significance and the best college football, it is no secret that Alabamians relish their Southern heritage. However, Alabama also has a not so glamorous side that isn’t mentioned in the history books. Alabama can’t exactly wash its hands clean of some of the horrific events that has occurred throughout its history, causing some areas of the state to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. The following is a list of the most haunted places in Alabama:
SLOSS FURNACES— Birmingham, AL
Now a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces was once the largest manufacture of pig iron in the world. It operated from 1882-1970 during the Industrial boom and brought much inc
ome into the city. However, Sloss Furnaces doesn’t have the most pristine history. It is the home of many paranormal sightings and activity, inspiring many TV documentaries and investigations by none other than “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Adventures.” It was even on Fox’s list of Scariest Places on Earth. However, the creepiest legend surrounding Sloss Furnaces is the story of James “Slag” Wormwood. According to styleblueprint.com, “In the early 1900s, James “Slag” Wormwood, foreman of the graveyard shift between sunset and sunrise at Sloss Furnaces, led a group of over 100 workers who lived in cramped housing on the furnace site, forcing them to take dangerous risks in order to speed up production. During his reign, a total of 47 workers lost their lives and numerous others lost their ability to work due to horrific accidents, including an explosion that left six blind. The rumor is that workers, fed up with their daunting and dangerous nights, fed Slag into the furnace in October of 1906. After his disappearance, workers continuously complained of an ‘unnatural presence’ in the worksite, and some complained of being pushed from behind or being told by a mysterious voice to ‘get back to work.’ Three supervisors were even found unconscious and locked in a small boiler room, only to emerge with stories of a seemingly burned man who shouted at them to ‘push more steel.”
The Sloss Furnaces website states that they offer self-guided tours throughout the week and guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm. However, during the month of October they also have haunted tours on select nights. You can find more information and buys tickets at frightfurnace.com.
HIGHWAY 5 GHOST—Lynn, AL
Legend has it that a teenage girl and her boyfriend were driving home from prom late at night when the two got into an argument. The girl, highly upset at her boyfriend, asked him to pull over and let her out. Her boyfriend pulled the car over and she proceeded to get out and walk home, but she never made it. As the story goes, she was hit by an 18-wheeler. Unable to deal with what he had done, the driver pushed her mangled body into a ditch on the side of the road and drove off. She was discovered the next morning by her boyfriend and family after learning that she never made it home. Many have experienced seeing the ghostly presence of a teenage girl walking up and down the highway late at night. Many truckers will avoid going down this road as many have reported seeing a girl climb onto the side of their truck peering into the window to see if it’s the man who killed her years ago.
BEAR CREEK SWAMP— Prattville, AL
Swamps even of themselves can be creepy places to hang out, but Bear Creek Swamp has much more than a creepy setting. There have been many ghost stories involving the swamp prompting “Deep South Paranormal,” a Syfy show, to investigate the area. The team wrote, “Among the legends of Bear Creek Swamp that keep many from driving through the area after dark are rumors of phantom cars that speed by only to fade into darkness, a 4-foot apparition that appears in front of vehicles and floating orbs of light. In addition, many claim the swamp, which was originally occupied by the Creek Indian Tribe, is haunted by the ghosts of the Creek Indians, early settlers and fallen soldiers. A more disturbing rumor, however, tells of the ghost of a mother looking for her lost child that attacks anyone brave enough to utter the phrase ‘We have your baby three times.”
OLD CAHAWBA— Orrville, AL
Formerly the state’s capital from 1820-1825, Old Cahawba (also known as Cahaba) is now an unincorporated town with only two buildings and some cemeteries left standing. The town has been declared a historic site and is home to the Old Cahawba Archeological Park. However, “Deep South Paranormal” began an investigation of the area after visitors and workers described hearing “disembodied voices and the sounds of children laughing.”
SWEETWATER MANSION— Florence, AL
Sweetwater Mansion is an eight-room, plantation home that was designed by General John Brahan, a veteran of the War of 1812. Sweetwater Mansion was even featured in an episode of A&E’s “Paranormal State” in 2011. There are many ghost stories surrounding the mansion, but the most prominent one is that of a caretaker who said, “she s
aw a casket holding the corpse of a Confederate soldier in a downstairs room,” according to al.com. It is believed that the apparition was one of Robert Patton’s sons who died in the Civil War. Robert Patton was the son-in-law of General John Brahan and the first inhabitant of the mansion after it was completed in 1835. The mansion was also used as a Civil War hospital and county jail for some time. However, the creepiest part of Sweetwater Mansion according to hauntedrooms.com is that, “There is a room in the house which inexplicably tends to lock women inside. One of the mansion’s caretakers, Emmet Lettie Region, was so terrified of her experience that she would only live in two rooms. The house also has a mysterious area which is called the ‘secret room’. It has no door and can only be accessed through a small interior window. It is believed that two of the sons of the former owners were buried in the floor of the secret room.”