America has a long, tangled history, but nothing stands out like the twisted past of the southerns states. These haunted legends might just be true, at least that’s what the locals say.
1. Alabama’s Dead Children’s Playground
In 1822, ground was broken for the first time at Maple Hill, an old cemetary in Huntsville, AL. Over 150 years later, the city of Huntsville elected to build a playground adjacent to the gravesite. It was intended to keep children busy while their parents paid their respects to the dead, but it quickly became something else entirely. Townspeople mentioned stories about the eerie things they have seen moving about the playground, including orbs of light scaling the slide and swings that move when nobody is around. Of course, legend says that the playground isn’t completely empty. The souls of the children buried in Maple Hill have chosen the playground as their final resting place.
There may be a reason for the townspeople’s fright. In 1960, a series of gruesome child murders took place in Huntsville. In fact, it is told that several of these murders happened exactly where the playground is located. Alabama locals seem to be pretty fond of the children’s spirits, though, because they protested when the town demolished the playground to expand the cemetery. The uprise was so severe, actually, that the city replaced the old stuff with all new equipment. Maybe the residents were concerned for the kids, or maybe they were afraid of the ghostly uproar.
2. Arkansas’ Dog Boy
65 Mulberry Street sounds like someplace out of a Dr. Seuss book, but it’s actually a real place in Quitman, Arkansas, and honestly, it’s a place of nightmares. Legend says that the street is haunted, but not by any friendly neighborhood Casper. No, this ghoul is a 300 pound thing of terror, half human, half beast. Legend says the spooky spirit, aptly named “The Dog Boy” can be seen glaring out of windows with doglike, glowing eyes, at all hours of the night. If you look too closely, he will chase you, snapping at your ankles until he gets a bone.
The story isn’t even all that crazy, considering past events. Somewhere on 65 Mulberry there lived a boy named Gerald Bettis. Bettis was frequently described as “troubled” and had some pretty terrifying hobbies: trapping, torturing, and killing local animals. People around town began calling him “the dog boy,” which may have provoked his final fright. Allegedly, Bettis held his elderly parents captive in their home, tormenting them the way he did his captured prey, until he eventually killed his own father. Of course, none of this has been confirmed, but that doesn’t stop the people of Quitman from walking a little more quickly on 65 Mulberry.
3. Mississippi’s Three-Legged Lady of Nash Road
This one is a little out there, but as far as Mississippi’s spooky legends go, you can never really be surprised. The three legged lady has several background stories, and they tend to chage with the time. Some say the severed the leg of her lover and sewed in onto her own body, while others believe she scoured Nash Road for her dead daughter’s body, only to find a rotting leg, which she fastened to herself as a keepsake. You may even hear that she stitched on her third leg so that she would be better fit to race you across a nearby bridge.
No matter the story, one thing remains the same. May locals have reported sightings of this terrifying woman, creeping down the long stretch of Nash Road. She isn’t too fond of visitors, and it is frequently said that she chases passing cars, beating on their hoods when given the chance. A strange woman chasing you down a dark road is terrifying enough, but the rotting third leg she haphazardly sewed onto her own body may be just a little too much to handle.
4. Georgia’s Lake Lanier Curse
Who knew there was a Bermuda triangle so close to home? Okay, so Lake Lanier north of Atlanta may not be as high capacity as Bermuda, but it is similarly famous for a series of tragic events, like unexplained disappearances and a multitude of boat accidents and fatal drownings. The fatality rate is much higher than similar lakes in the area, which has raised quite a stir for Georgians and travelers alike. Locals report seeing a mysterious figure advancing across the lake. Generally
The lake’s curse isn’t all fairy tale. It’s based on the discovery of a woman’s skeleton trapped inside her car at the bottom of the lake. It is said that she went missing, apparently by driving off into the manmade lake, in 1958, but her remains weren’t discovered until 30 years after the tragedy. Some point to other historical evidence when trying to explain these paranormal acts, like the displacement of families, businesses and hundreds of gravesites when the construction of the lake took place.
5. The Louisiana Rougarou
The legend of the rougarou predates Louisiana voodoo history. A Rougarou is known as a tall, ghoulish creature that resembles the modern images of a werewolf, but it’s origins are stamped somewhere in Europe. Apparently one of the beastly creatures has made quite the journey, because hundreds of people have reported sightings over the region of French Louisiana. In these parts, he is more commonly known as the “loup-garou.”
Legend has it that he treks the sugar cane fields and swampy regions of the state in search of human blood. The southern origin of the Loup-garou is controversial. Some say it was inspired by Catholic tales about turning into a werewolf when you misbehave, while others like to think the tall beast is the creation of a local witch who cast spells on commoners to curse them with lycanthropy. Either way, you may want to steer clear of the swamp, especially during a full moon.
If these bone chilling locations aren’t in your plans this Halloween season, grab a couple of haunted house tickets to the scariest haunted house in Texas. But hold onto your hats, because Cutting Edge will give you the thrill of your lifetime.
