Alabama: a state rich in history with an abundance of water resources. It may not come as a surprise to many of you to Alabama has its fair share of ghost stories, many of which involved or center around bodies of water, bridges, wells, and so on. Here’s some of favorites from the AWW Program Staff:
Haunted Highway & Murder Creek Bridge
Conecuh County
Local writer and historian Lee Peacock claims the 40-mile stretch of Interstate 65 between Evergreen and Greenville is known as “The Haunted Highway.” Dennis William Hauck’s book, “Haunted Places: The National Directory” claims this section of highway is haunted by the spirits of displaced Creek Indians resulting in an “accident rate that is well above average.” Murder Creek Bridge is found along this stretch. Peacock says it’s the “site of numerous unusual accidents over the years, including several that have resulted in fatalities and catastrophic fires. One truck driver said that he struck the bridge after a ghostly horse-drawn carriage crossed the interstate in front of him. Others have reported seeing large, panther-like cats cross the highway in this area.”
The Devil’s Bowl
Monroe County
This geological oddity is a pool approximately 30 feet in diameter. Also known as “The Devil’s Soup Bowl,” no surface stream feeds this freshwater pool of deep, dark water, which is said to be one of “Monroe County’s strangest sights.” Locals claim that this pool is bottomless. Possible explanations for its existence vary from an ancient meteor impact to the idea that it’s the shaft left behind by dead volcano.
USS Alabama
Mobile County
People have reported hearing eerie footsteps echoing on the decks of the War World II-era battleship USS Alabama late at night. When they turn to look, nothing is there…at least, nothing human. A shadow, a moan, or a creak led visitors to ponder if the five crew members who died in a 1944 onboard explosion are still on duty, refusing end their watch, even in death. For decades before the ship’s arrival in Mobile Bay in 1965, when she was established as a tourist attraction, folks reported hearing strange noises and seeing shadowy figures below deck.
Bear Creek Swamp , Prattville
Autauga County
Many spooky tales surround Bear Creek Swamp in Prattville, Alabama. Some say it is haunted by a mother in search of her long-lost child. Legend says if someone says, “We have your baby,” she will attack. Others claim to have seen phantom cars, strange balls of light and the apparition of a small figure, about 4 feet tall. In 2014, the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office recovered 21 dolls from Break Creek Swamp, which they believed were placed in the swamp as a Halloween prank. Generations of local teenagers have perpetuated a rite of passage where they enter the swamp at night in search of “haints” and creatures.
Old Covered Bridge, Livingston
Sumter County
People have claimed to see a ghostly face in the windows of this historic covered bridge, known as the Livingston Covered Bridge and the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge. The bridge was built in 1861 as an access route for Confederate forces to Mississippi. It is one of the oldest covered bridges still in existence in Alabama. Rural Southwest Alabama says, “It was constructed using hand-hewn yellow pine timbers joined together with large wooden pegs.” It has been moved twice and now rests across Duck Pond at the University of West Alabama.