Ghostly Legends and Lore Abound in Mississippi

Mississippians are natural-born storytellers, and ghost stories are no exception. Scary legends, eerie occurrences and mysterious reports of the supernatural haunt our state. We’ve gathered a few of Mississippi’s scariest places to help you prep for the spookiest time of the year. Read on to see what frights Mississippi has to offer…… IF YOU DARE.

King’s Tavern | Natchez(link is external)

Featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures, King’s Tavern in Natchez is well known as the city’s oldest standing building. According to local legend, workers were performing a renovation on the tavern’s fireplace in the 1930s when they discovered a space behind the wall holding the remains of three bodies. One of the bodies was said to have been the mistress of the tavern’s original owner. Guests report seeing images in the tavern’s mirrors and hearing a crying baby in the restaurant. The tavern and inn are still operating today.

McRaven | Vicksburg(link is external)

Known as “Mississippi’s Most Haunted House,” the grounds of McRaven served as a Confederate campsite and field hospital. At least five people have died inside McRaven. The remains of 11, likely Confederate soldiers, are buried on the property. Mary Elizabeth Howard, who died during childbirth in the upstairs middle bedroom in 1836, is said to be the most active spirit in the house. Her apparition has reportedly appeared to numerous witnesses. Other former occupants who have made posthumous appearances are John Bobb, murdered by Union soldiers near McRaven in 1864 and William Murray, who died in the home in 1911. The home is open for ghost tours.

Mont Helena | Rolling Fork(link is external)

Mont Helena, a colonial revival home in Rolling Fork, has a long-running reputation as being haunted. Built as the retirement home for Helen and George Harris in 1896, the home sits atop a ceremonial Indian mound in the Delta region. Locals recount sightings of a lady dressed in a white gown peering out of windows or standing in the front yard. The property has been investigated by the Mississippi Paranormal Society, which recorded electronic voice phenomena, observed shadowy figures and captured orbs in photos.

Stuckey’s Bridge | Enterprise(link is external)

Legend has it, a left-behind member of the infamous Dalton gang, a man by the name of Stuckey, frequently robbed and murdered travelers in the southwestern corner of Lauderdale County. In 1850, Stuckey was finally caught and hanged from the bridge. Visitors to the area have reported seeing the ghost of Stuckey roaming the riverbank with a lantern in hand. Others have reported seeing his apparition hanging from the bridge.

Vicksburg National Military Park | Vicksburg(link is external)

Vicksburg National Military Park may still play host to the soldiers of the past. Visitors have reported hearing sounds of battle, cannon fire, horses, orders issued and screams of the wounded over the empty fields. Ghosts of troops have been spotted along the tree line or walking the grounds. There are even reports of the smell of smoke and gunpowder.

Friendship Cemetery | Columbus(link is external)

Established in 1849, Friendship Cemetery is the final resting place of local citizens and soldiers who fell at the Civil War Battle of Shiloh in 1862. A Confederate soldier is said to still walk through the military section of the cemetery. Visitors to the cemetery are also attracted to the weeping angel standing over the grave of the Reverend Thomas Teasdale. Grasp the angel’s hand; some have remarked it feels lifelike.

Witch of Yazoo Grave Site | Yazoo City(link is external)

In the middle of the sprawling, historic Glenwood Cemetery,(link is external) there is a chain link surrounded grave known as, “The Witch’s Grave.” According to local legend (and canonized in Willie Morris’s novel “Good Ole Boy,) the aforementioned “witch” lived on the Yazoo River, luring in fishermen to tease and torture. Law enforcement caught on to her ways and chased her through the swamps where she was half drowned in quicksand. As she sank, she swore her revenge on Yazoo City and the town’s people. “In 20 years, I will return and burn this town to the ground!”  No one thought much of it at the time. Then came May 25, 1904…The Fire of 1904 destroyed more than 200 residences and nearly every business in Yazoo City – 324 buildings in total.

Satartia Bridge | Satartia(link is external)

According to local lore (and featured on a news station’s ghost-hunting series) a visit to Satartia Bridge can bring about quite the paranormal experience. Hang around the bridge long enough and you’ll hear moans from the Yazoo River flowing underneath. Many speculate it’s the lost souls of the Yazoo Indian Tribe, who marched into the river to their deaths because they refused to surrender to the French. Or, maybe it’s a lost crew of one of the 29 boats sunk in the river during the Civil War.

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Melissa Scallan, [email protected](link sends e-mail)
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