Alabama Ghost Story

The best Alabama ghost story is usually a true one. True stories are often much scarier than those that are made up. Read on to learn about true ghost stories that have taken place in the state of Alabama, and why they have scared residents for decades.

In 1876, the Carrollton courthouse was burned down for a second time. The first time was during the Civil War. Since the town had just rebuilt the building, the local residents were understandably upset, and were looking for someone to blame right away. The blame promptly fell on a local troublemaker, Henry Wells. He was charged with arson, burglary, assault with intent to murder and carrying a concealed weapon. After he was convicted of these crimes, a mob formed outside of the courthouse demanding that Mr. Wells be handed over to them. During this time, a storm was brewing and lightning approached. While Mr. Wells was looking out of one of the upstairs windows at his would be attackers, lightning struck, killing him at the window where he stood. This story might have faded into the annals of history if it weren't for the bizarre image of Mr. Wells that was etched into the window on that evening. The image of his face can still be seen in the glass today, just as clearly as it was over 100 years ago. No amount of cleaning can erase this incredible image.

In Huntsville there is an old mansion that is reportedly haunted by the ghost of 15-year old Sally Carter. In 1823 Stephen Ewing built the mansion. Sally was visiting her sister, Mary Ewing, when she was struck down with a fatal illness. She died several weeks shy of her 16th birthday, on November 28, 1837. Sightings of Sally's ghost started in 1919, when a teenage boy who was staying at the mansion had a dream about her. In the dream, Sally came to him and told him to fix her tombstone, which had been toppled over during the previous night's storm. Sure enough, when he went to visit her tombstone the next morning, it had been toppled over. Over the years, many witnesses report seeing Sally's ghost, both in the house and near her grave. Due to numerous cases of vandalism of the gravesite while it was located on the premises of the mansion, the graves were exhumed and moved to an undisclosed location.

The Drish mansion, in Tuscaloosa, has as much reason to be haunted as any home in the old south. Several tragedies befell the Drish family including suicide, murder and insanity, all within two generations. The first tragedy within the family was that of daughter Katherine. Katherine was considered a beautiful woman that was unhappily married to a man of her father's choosing. She had not been allowed to marry the man that she truly loved. After her marriage, she fell into a deep melancholy. Her husband, unable to handle his wife in this condition, returned her and their two young boys to the mansion. He divorced her soon thereafter. Katherine could never function properly afterward, and had to be locked in her room at night and followed about during the day to ensure that she didn't hurt herself.

The next tragedy was that of Mr. Drish. He had a penchant for drinking and gambling, and soon drove his family to the brink of ruin. One evening, as he was suffering from a delirium, he ran from his bed and headed towards the staircase. He fell halfway down the stairs and died. Yet another tragedy that befell the family was that of a beloved niece, Helen Whiting. Her husband was jealous of her beauty and her many friends. One morning, he attacked her in the bathroom and slit her throat. He spent several years in a mental institution before he was released. After his release, he became a wealthy railroad tycoon. The workers in the Drish mansion refused to touch any of the things that Helen had left behind, believing that they were haunted.

One of the most interesting stories about the old mansion is that of the ghost fires. A custom, at the time, was to place candles about the room where a body was laid to rest. This ceremony was done for Mr. Drish, but was forgotten for Mrs. Drish. One evening, after her death, the slaves on the grounds noticed that the tower was on fire and called for the fire crew. When the crew arrived, the tower was no longer on fire, nor did it have the appearance of ever having been on fire. Once the fires disappeared, so did the ghost of Mrs. Drish.

The Jemison Van de Graaff home is located in Tuscaloosa. It was one of the first houses of its time to have running water and a coal heating system. Robert Jemison Van de Graff Jr. built the home in 1859. He was a state senator and the inventor of the Van de Graaff generator.

It is believed that Mr. Van de Graaff's daughter, Priscilla Cherokee and her husband, Andrew Coleman Hargrove, haunt the house. Mr. Hargrove suffered for years from an incurable headache caused by a bullet wound to the head. Eventually, he could no longer take the pain and shot himself in the home's library. Priscilla was distraught over her husband's suicide and fell into a deep depression and wild hysteria. After eight years of such suffering, she died.

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