In the city of Cleveland,Tennessee is a legendary mausoleum haunted by the spirit of young girl killed in a tragic accident at a railroad crossing. Legend says if you circle the tomb seven times and then approach it's entrance, the metal door will swing open and invite you in. Yet this legend isn’t what made the ornate marble mausoleum the basis of one of the most infamous ghost stories in East Tennessee— it’s that the marble tomb seems to bleed.
Alexandria’s Burning Bride
A “Fatal and Melancholy Affair”
At 107 North Fairfax St. in Alexandra, Virginia is a three-story building that became the location of one of Alexandria’s most enduring tales of love, loss, and hauntings: The Burning Bride.
It was on the evening of June 27, 1868, perhaps the night before the couple was set to marry when 26 year-old Laura Schafer, excited for her upcoming nuptials accidentally spilled burning fuel from a kerosene lamp onto her dress. Within moments she was alight. At 11 in the morning on Sunday June 28, 1868, on what should have been her wedding day, Laura Schafer died of her injuries; her beloved fiancé at her side.
Yet many believe that Laura Schafer remains trapped in the house, forever reliving the horror of her death and unfulfilled life.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Sources:
Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, Va.). “Fatal and Melancholy Affair.” June 29, 1868. Newspapers.com
Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, Va.). “Obituary.” July 11, 1868. Newspapers.com
Anderson, Olivia. “The Legend of the Burning Bride.” Alexandria Times. October 21, 2021. https://alextimes.com/2021/10/the-legend-of-the-burning-bride/.
Caroline and Reilly. “Old Town Alexandria.” Phantastic Phantoms (blog). May 21, 2012. http://phantasticphantoms.blogspot.com/2012/05/old-town-alexandria.html.
Cooney, Ruthie. “The Phantoms of North Fairfax Street.” Boundary Stones (blog). WETA. October 22, 2018. https://boundarystones.weta.org/2018/10/22/phantoms-north-fairfax-street.
“Creepy Tales from Old Alexandria, VA.” DC Ghosts (blog). Accessed September 18, 2022. https://dcghosts.com/creepy-tales-from-old-alexandria-va/.
Pope, Michael Lee. Ghosts of Alexandria. Charleston, SC: Haunted America, 2010.
“The Schafer House Ghosts.” Alexandria Ghosts (blog). Accessed September 18, 2022. https://alexandriaghosts.com/the-schafer-house-ghosts/.
“The True Story of Alexandria's Burning Bride.” DC Ghosts (blog). Accessed September 18, 2022. https://dcghosts.com/the-true-story-of-alexandrias-burning-bride/.
The Ghost of Alice Riley
The First Woman Executed in Georgia
According to local legend, visitors to Savannah’s Historic Wright Square have been known to encounter a young woman dressed in 18th-century style clothing. Some are said to have been approached and begged for their assistance in finding the woman’s lost son. Yet when folks begin to search the area, the girl disappears. Many believe this is the ghost of Alice Riley, the first woman executed in the colony of Georgia.
Alice Riley arrived in the American Colonies in January of 1734 as an indentured servant who would work for about five to seven years to pay back her debt and earn her freedom. To pay back the cost of the voyage she would be sent to work for William Wise, a man of questionable character. It would be a tragic assignment that led to Wise dead and Alice Riley convicted of a murder that some believe she may not have actually committed.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Sources:
“Alice Riley.” Murderpedia. Accessed August 15, 2022. https://murderpedia.org/female.R/r/riley-alice.htm.
Brown, Alan. Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Peach State. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2008.
Byrd, Georgia R. Haunted Savannah. Guilford, CT: Morris Book Publishing, 2011.
Caskey, James. Haunted Savannah: The Official Guide to Savannah Haunted History Tour, 2010. Savannah, GA: Bonaventure Books, 2005.
Freeman, Robert Michael. “Alice Riley: A Sad Savannah Story.” Freeman’s Rag (blog). April 28, 2018. https://www.freemansrag.com/historical-ruminations/alice-riley-a-sad-savannah-story
“The Ghost of Alice Riley: Savannah’s Most Famous Ghost Story.” Ghost City Tours. Accessed August 15, 2022. https://ghostcitytours.com/savannah/ghost-stories/alice-riley/.
“The ghost of Alice Riley and the legend spanish moss.” Random-Times. July 29, 2020. https://random-times.com/2020/07/29/the-ghost-of-alice-riley-and-the-legend-spanish-moss/
Harris, Michael & Linda Sickler. Historic Haunts of Savannah. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2014.
Harris, Michael. “Murder & lies: The ghost of Savannah’s Wright Square.” Savannah Now | Savannah Morning News. October 30, 2014. https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2014/10/31/murder-lies-ghost-savannahs-wright-square/13526612007/
“History of Savannah.” Visit Savannah. Accessed August 15, 2022. https://www.visitsavannah.com/article/history-savannah.
Michaels, Brenna & T.C. Michaels. Hidden History of Savannah. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2019.
Temple, Sarah Gober & Kenneth Coleman. Georgia Journeys: Being an Account of the Lives of Georgia’s Original Settlers and Many Other Early Settlers. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2010.
McRaven House's Haunted History
The Most Haunted House in Mississippi…
The McRaven House of Vicksburg, Mississippi has earned a national reputation for the amount of paranormal activity said to occur there.
The home was said to be first built in 1797 as the hideout for a notorious highwayman. Over the next 220+ years, McRaven was expanded twice, survived the brutal Siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War, served as a hospital during that same conflict, and been a home to numerous families.
Largely unchanged since the additions were constructed, each section of McRaven House: Pioneer, Empire, and Greek Revival, remain excellent examples of the architecture and lifestyle of the time that they were constructed. This feat is so unique that in 1963 National Geographic Magazine did a feature on the home, calling it a “Time Capsule of the South.” Today open to the public for tours, McRaven House serves as one of the most complete and well-preserved homes in Vicksburg from the antebellum era.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Sources:
“African Americans and the campaign for Vicksburg.” National Park Service. Updated March 15, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/african-americans-and-the-campaign.htm.
Brown, Alan. Ghosts Along the Mississippi River. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2011.
Brown, Alan. Haunted Vicksburg. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
Carter, Josh and Jacob Gallant. “We spent a night inside the most haunted house in Mississippi. Here’s what we saw.” WLBT. September 29, 2021. https://www.wlbt.com/.
Coleman, Christopher Kiernan. Ghosts and Haunts of the Civil War. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1999.
Frazier, Terri Cowart. “Haunted History: Several Spirits Supposedly Reside in Vicksburg Home.” The Vicksburg Post. November 19, 2018.https://www.vicksburgpost.com/.
“McRaven.” McRaven Tour Home. Copyright 2021. https://www.mcraventourhome.com/.
“McRaven House: Vicksburg’s Most Haunted Mansion.” Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. Accessed July 30, 2022. https://visitvicksburg.com/.
Newman, Rich. Ghosts of the Civil War: Exploring the Paranormal History of America’s Deadliest War. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2017.
Parker, Seth. “The Haunted McRaven / Bobb House | Vicksburg, Mississippi.” Parker Studios (blog). July 28, 2019. https://sethparker.net/haunted-mcraven-house-vicksburg-mississippi/.
Roberts, Nancy. Civil War Ghost Stories & Legends. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1992.
Shoemaker, Mary McCahon. “Bobb House.” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, November 6, 1978. https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/27689.pdf.
Sillery, Barbara. The Haunting of Mississippi. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing, 2011.
The Vicksburg Herald. “Are There Ghosts in Vicksburg. A Haunted House.” July 22, 1864. Newspapers.com.
The Old Carrollton Jail hauntings
“Real Ghost Story. The Old Carrollton Jail Said to be Haunted….”
On Saturday, October 21, 1899 the New Orleans Times-Democrat ran an article under the headline: “Real Ghost Story. The Old Carrollton Jail Said to be Haunted.” Through the use of the exact words of the police officers, the article chronicles the eerie occurrences at the local jail.
Built when the town of Carrollton took over as the new seat of Jefferson Parish in 1852. It was a bland brick and stucco building, two-stories tall with large doorways and heavily barred windows. Quite simply, it was bleak and hideous. Within a year of its completion it was already begining to resemble an “old ruin” with “evident signs of decay.”
While many of the police officers who served at the Carrollton Jail stated that they didn’t believe in ghosts, most agreed that the strange things happening there seemed to defy rational explanation. And over time everyone stationed there experienced something unusual in some way shape or form; from footsteps and noises, furniture moving on its own, lights turning on and off, and objects moving without cause.
It is unsurprising that the haunting of the Carrollton Jail has become a part of the deep folklore of New Orleans — a ghost story that can pinpoint its origin to a exceedingly specific event, an October 21, 1899 article in the New Orleans newspaper, The Times-Democrat.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Sources:
deLavigne, Jeanne. Ghost Stories of Old New Orleans. New York: Rinehart & Company, 1946.
Democker, Michael. “Haunted NOLA: The Old Carrollton Jail & The Ghostly Prisoners That Can’t Escape.” Very Local. April 21, 2020. https://www.verylocal.com/haunted-nola-the-old-carrollton-jail-the-ghostly-prisoners-that-cant-escape/9056/.
“The Haunted Old Carrollton Jail.” Ghost City Tours. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans/haunted-places/old-carrollton-jail/.
Horning, Katrina. “Favorite Building Friday - Carrollton Courthouse.” New Orleans Architecture Tours (blog). November 17, 2017. https://nolatours.com/carrollton-courthouse/.
The New Orleans Crescent. “The Killing in Carrollton.” October 24, 1868. Newspapers.com.
New Orleans Republican. “Paragraphs.” October 30, 1868. Newspapers.com
Powell, Lewis, IV. “‘A theatre of mental travail’ - New Orleans.” Southern Spirit Guide (blog). Accessed June 6, 2022. https://www.southernspiritguide.org/a-theatre-of-mental-travail-new-orleans/.
Saxon, Lyle, et al. Gumbo Ya-Ya: Folk Tales of Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Library Commission, 1945.
Stuart, Bonnye E. Haunted New Orleans: Southern Spirits, Garden District Ghosts, and Vampire Venues. Guilford, CT: Morris Book Publishing, 2012.
Taylor, Troy. Haunted New Orleans: History & Hauntings of the Crescent City. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, La.) “By The By!.” October 23, 1899. Newspapers.com.
The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, La.) “Lynch Law in Carrollton.” October 24, 1868. Newspapers.com
The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, La.) “Real Ghost Story.” October 21, 1899. Newspapers.com.
The Restless Spirits of Rotherwood
One Home, Two Very different Spirits…
On the west side of Kingsport, Tennessee is Rotherwood, an old antebellum mansion overlooking the spot where the two forks of the Holston river come together. Today this red brick structure is privately owned, but according to local lore, it is home to more than just the living.
For the last half a century, stories have placed at least two spirits on the ground of Rotherwood Mansion. First is the beautiful “Lady in White,” Rowena Ross who is forever searching for her lost love who died before they had a chance to marry. Second is the notorious Joshua Phipps who is said to have delighted in the torture of his enslaved workforce and ultimately died a horrifying death. But what is the truth behind the legends of Rotherwood, we may never know.
Sources:
Barton, Steve. “Cold Spots: Rotherwood Mansion.”Dread Central. July 15, 2019. https://www.dreadcentral.com/cold-spots/12474/cold-spots-rotherwood-mansion/.
Brown, Alan. Haunted Tennessee: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Volunteer State. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2009.
Dickey, Colin. Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places. New York: Viking, 2016.
Dugan, Nick. “Haunted Tri-Cities: Tales from Kingsport’s Rotherwood Mansion.” WJHL News. October 29, 2021. https://www.wjhl.com/haunted-tri-cities/haunted-tri-cities-tales-from-kingsports-rotherwood-mansion/
Dykes, Pete. Haunted Kingsport: Ghosts of Tri-City Tennessee. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing Inc., 2008.
Hendricks, Nancy. Haunted Histories in America: True Stories Behind the Nations Most Feared Places. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2020.
Leonard, Austin. “The Legends of Rotherwood Mansion.” The Kayseean. March 11, 2021. https://thekayseean.com/life-and-culture/the-legends-of-rotherwood-mansion/.
Ross, Rev. Frederick Augustus. The Story of Rotherwood from the Autobiography of Rev. Frederick A. Ross., D.D. Edited by Charles C. Ross. Knoxville, TN: Bean, Warters & Co., 1923. Google Books. https://books.google.com
Rotary Club of Kingsport, Tennessee. Kingsport: The Planned Industrial City. Kingsport, TN: Kingsport Press, Inc. 1946. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/kingsportplanned00rotarich/.
Scoggins, Katherine. “History on display at Rotherwood’s bicentennial celebration.” Kingsport Times News. September 16, 2018. Updated July 6, 2020. https://www.timesnews.net/.
Simmons, Shane. A. Legends and Lore of East Tennessee. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing Inc., 2016.
“Will of Joshua Phipps.” Hawkins County Genealogy & History. Updated March 10, 2014. https://tngenweb.org/hawkins/phipps-joshua-will/
Frank the Library Ghost
Now Entering Frank’s Study
Although the Red Lady may be Huntingdon College’s most well known ghost, she is certainly not the only one!
It’s believed the Huntingdon College's Houghton Memorial Library is home to a mysterious, and mischievous spirit named Frank. Perhaps most unsurprising for a library ghost, is Frank’s has a particular fondness for playing with books.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
Sources:
Brown, Alan. Haunted Alabama. Haunted America. New Orleans, LA: Pelican Publishing, 2021.
Huntingdon College. Library: Ghosts. Houghton Memorial Library. Accessed January 14, 2022. https://libguides.huntingdon.edu/website/ghosts
Mitchell Bennett Houghton (1844-1925). Find a Grave. Accessed January 14, 2022. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65121276/mitchell-bennett-houghton
Rankin, M. (2020, October 30). Hauntings at Huntingdon: Frank, the Library Ghost. CBS 42 Birmingham. Accessed January 14, 2022. https://www.cbs42.com/news/hauntings-at-huntingdon-frank-the-library-ghost/
Serafin, Faith. Haunted Montgomery, Alabama. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.
Swancer, Brent. “The Mysterious Lady in Red and Other Hauntings at Huntingdon College.” Journal Online, March 22, 2021. https://journal.com.ph/the-mysterious-lady-in-red-and-other-hauntings-at-huntingdon-college/.
Walking tour. Huntingdon College. Accessed January 14, 2022. https://www.huntingdon.edu/admission-aid/learn-more/walking-tour/
The Red Lady of Huntingdon College
One of the most Iconic College Hauntings in America
Huntingdon College of Montgomery, Alabama regularly makes the lists of ‘most haunted’ universities in America as generations of students have claimed the ghost of a young woman haunts the fourth floor of Pratt Hall--an apparition that has become known as the Red Lady. Legend claims that this young woman named Martha left behind her home in New York to attend the institution, but upon her arrival, she was overcome by homesickness and the loneliness of being misunderstood by the other girls in her dormitory. As a result, Martha did something drastic that students continue to whisper about to this day.
But did Martha actually exist or is this just another tall tale to frighten freshmen? We will explore this question and more on this week’s episode of Southern Gothic….
Sources:
Barefoot, Daniel W. Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities. Winston-Salem, NC: J.F. Blair, 2004.
Brown, Alan. Haunted Alabama. Haunted America. New Orleans, LA: Pelican Publishing, 2021.
Brown, Alan. The Haunting of Alabama. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company, 2017.
Crider, Beverly. “Strange Alabama: The Red Lady of Huntingdon.” AL.com. Advance Local Media LLC, April 17, 2012. https://www.al.com/strange-alabama/2012/04/the_red_lady_of_huntingdon.html.
Ferri, Jessica. “A Crimson Vision: The Red Lady of Huntingdon College.” The Lineup. Open Road Media, August 17, 2016. https://the-line-up.com/the-red-lady.
Hauck, Dennis William. Haunted Places: The National Directory. London: Penguin, 1997.
Huntingdon College. Accessed January 6, 2022. https://www.huntingdon.edu/.
Huntingdon College's Red Lady. YouTube. Dr. Poppy Moon, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsinhmsF4gA&t=48s.
Kazek, Kelly. “Let's Look at the Real Sites From '13 Alabama Ghosts'.” AL.com. Advance Local Media LLC, October 26, 2018. https://www.al.com/life-and-culture/erry-2018/10/4e9023658d7208/lets-look-at-the-real-sites-fr.html.
“Lady in Red (Ghost).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 25, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_in_Red_(ghost).
Schexnayder, Brandon, Alicia King-Marshall, hosts. “Wolfgang Poe of the Birmingham Historic Touring Company” Ghost Tour (podcast), September 10, 2021, accessed January 5, 2022, https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/blog/gt001
Serafin, Faith. Haunted Montgomery, Alabama. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.
Swancer, Brent. “The Mysterious Lady in Red and Other Hauntings at Huntingdon College.” Journal Online, March 22, 2021. https://journal.com.ph/the-mysterious-lady-in-red-and-other-hauntings-at-huntingdon-college/.
“White Lady.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, January 5, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lady.
Windham, Kathryn Tucker and Margaret Gillis Figh. 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 2016.
Hilton Head Island's Haunted Lighthouse
The Blue Lady of Palmetto Dunes…
Hilton Head Island’s Leamington Lighthouse was erected in 1880 to help guide ships away from the island and safely into Port Royal Sound; but according to local lore, the now decommissioned structure is home to the apparition of a young women in a blue dress.
Legends say that the woman is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper who tragically met his fate during a massive hurricane. As a result, she purportedly returns to warn of pending storms.
The Eliza Battle's Final Voyage
ALABAMA’S PHANTOM STEAMSHIP
The Eliza Battle was once one of the most luxurious steamboats on Alabama’s waters, but her untimely demise by fire has left many to believe that she can still be seen on the Tombigbee River’s water– an omen of death.
Hotel Brunswick's Phantom Harpist
Historic Southport, North Carolina
Southport, North Carolina began as a small settlement of river pilots who made their money guiding ships through the dangerous waters of Cape Fear River, but the town’s beautiful environs quickly positioned it as the summer destination for wealthy Wilmington families. As can be expected from a coastal town, legends of men lost at sea are common; however, Southport boasts a truly unique North Carolina ghost story.
On August 23, 1882 Italian harpist Antonio "Tony" Caselletta drowned in a sailing accident on the Cape Fear river, leaving behind a wife and child. His body was then buried in the Old Smithville Cemetery; however, many claim that his spirit continues to play his beloved instrument in the beautiful seaside mansion that once served as the Hotel Brunswick in historic Southport, North Carolina.
This episode of Southern Gothic features music written and performed by the Americana duo Harp & Plow.
The Sad Statue of Corinne Lawton
One of Bonaventure Cemetery’s Most Infamous Graves
After Corinne Elliott Lawton died in 1877, her parents commissioned a famous Italian sculptor to design the statue at her grave. The result still stands today in the historic Bonaventure Cemetery of Savannah, Georgia where the melancholy depiction of this beloved daughter has inspired a local legend about her death.
The Singing River
Mississippi’s Most Legendary River
It is said that on warm summer and autumn nights, those standing on the banks of the Pascagoula river may hear the sound of a melodic humming emanating from beneath the river’s dark waters. The origin of the sound is unknown, but numerous legends have been told to explain the mystery of this Mississippi waterway.
Sources:
Barnwell, Marion, ed. A Place Called Mississippi. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1997.
Cox, Dale. “Mississippi’s Singing River - The Mysterious Song of the Pascagoula.” March 17, 2014. Southern History. http://southernhistory.blogspot.com/2014/03/mississippis-singing-rivermysterious.html.
Cox, Dale. “The Pascagoula - Mississippi’s Singing River: A Mermaid in Mississippi?” March 16, 2014. ExploreSouthernHistory.com. https://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pascagoula2.html.
Gayarré, Charles. History of Louisiana: The French Domination. New York: Redfield, 1854. https://books.google.com.
Norman, Michae and Beth Scottl. Historic Haunted America. New York: Tor Books, 2007.
Skinner, Charles M. Myths and Legends of Our Own Land: Lights and Shadows of the South. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott, 1856.
Steed, Bud. Haunted Mississippi Gulf Coast. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2012.
Legend of the Female Stranger
Old Town Alexandria’s Most Infamous Mystery
In 1816 a mysterious couple arrived in Alexandria, Virginia and isolated themselves in a room at Gadsby’s Tavern. Unfortunately, the young woman was deathly ill and in spite of receiving assistance from a local doctor, she passed away. After burying his supposed wife, the man then disappeared. Speculation on their identities continues to this day, fueled by the eerie inscription in her tombstone: “To the memory of the Female Stranger…”
Ghost Hound of Goshen
One of South Carolina’s Most Wicked Spirits
Legend says that on Old Bumcombe Road in South Carolina, a man was hanged in the mid 19th century for a crime he did not commit. As a result, the spirit of his loyal canine companion is believed to continue to seek vengeance for his death-- a spirit now known as the Ghost Hound of Goshen.
The Kennesaw House
The Kennesaw House of Marietta, Georgia was built beside the Western & Atlantic Railroad line in the 1840's; but over the course of this beautiful brick building's long life, it has seen numerous tragedies that has left many to believe that the building is haunted by spirits from the past.
The Witch of Yazoo City
On May 25, 1904, a fire broke out in the business district of Yazoo City, Mississippi. By day's end, the fire had consumed much of the community, leaving nothing but ashes. Historians believe the fire started accidentally at the home of Herman Wise, but according to legend the cause was much more sinister-- revenge from the infamous Witch of Yazoo.
Watch Brandon tell the story of the "Witch of Yazoo City" live at the Palace Theatre in Gallatin, TN.
The Franklin Masonic Hall
One of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place in the small town of Franklin, Tennessee. However, the rich history of this southern community is far deeper than what occurred on November 30, 1865, and no structure in this historic town exemplifies that past more than the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall-- a three story brick building that has stood for almost two centuries.
Stay tuned after this episode for a brief interview with Rachael Finch, the Executive Director of the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall Foundation.
Ghost of Fiddler's Rock
On a precipice near the top of Stone Mountain in Johnson County, Tennessee is a flat outcropping of sandstone called Fiddler's Rock. The mysterious landmark is covered in carvings of images, names and dates; however, what makes Fiddler's Rock so infamous are the purported sounds of a ghostly fiddle playing in the distance.
The Devil's Tramping Ground
Just fifty miles south of Greensboro, North Carolina, amidst lush pine forests and rolling hills is a large patch of barren nothingness known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground. This empty spot is circular in shape, roughly 40 feet across, and for as long as anyone can remember it has been completely devoid of all plant life. As a result, some legends claim this eerie location is where the devil himself comes to Earth each night to plan his wicked deeds, others that is of a unique Native American origin.