Eastern Kentucky is steeped in history, folklore and legend, so naturally we have some haunted places. I have heard of, or been to almost all of these, and can I say that every one has given me a feeling of uneasiness. I am a firm believer in the afterlife, I think ghosts or spirits are real, and perhaps these places are where those who are at unrest come to dwell. Who knows? All I know is, when I was young, I used to run around with my rowdy friends and ghost hunt on Halloween. Would I do it now? Um, probably not. But it was fun, and spooky, and all of the things you looks for when you go looking to get the crap scared out of you. Here is a list of some local places to go and get your scare fix, or maybe just to drive by and scare the crap out of your children.
1: Tunnel Hill in Napfor Kentucky. This area is close to Chavies. It was a favorite when I was in high school. I must admit though, I've been through the smaller tunnel one time, in the dark, and had to run out in flip flops because a train was coming. I'm not sure about the whole story, I have heard numerous ones. Ghost trains, someone was murdered there, a worker was killed. There are two cemeteries located directly above the tunnels, which are supposedly even more strange than the tunnels themselves, and very old. I have also heard of a secret chamber located among the man holes. It is hard to find out exactly what the deal is, but beware. Trains still do run through these tunnels. Always keep an ear out, and be careful. I had a friend who went through and had to jump in a man hole to keep from getting hit. It's no joke. Scary.
The smaller tunnel, and one I was chased out of.
2: Johnny "Booger" Young's (Young's Fork) in Lotts Creek. This is a huge local legend. According to what I have heard and read, John Young was able to do super natural things. Making chickens die when he pointed to them, apparating objects, just general spookiness. Many folks on message boards claim they have had relatives who knew him or were friends with him and it is said he had expressed alarm at being able to do these things, and didn't like it, or even know what or how he did them. It is said that he went crazy after he accidentally shot and killed his son, when he thought he was a home invader. He is buried in Young's Fork Cemetery. When I went there years ago, his tombstone was very old and made from (presumably) limestone, and seemed to glow. Spooky place. I have also heard that his family doesn't like people up there in the middle of the night, so go with caution. You don't want to be trespassing on some one's land.
3: The Fan in Hyden, Ky. This one really did give me goosebumps, and I only was the passenger on a four wheeler passing by in the early morning hours. All we did was drive by it, but gosh was it spooky. The Hurricane Creek mining disaster is the sit of the most deadly mining accident in US history. It also lead to stricter policy of the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1968. 38 men lost their lives. There have been many reports of hearing men talking, screams, and being able to see a coal miner walking down the road late at night. I even have a friend who can corroborate that story. It was said they were driving down the road late one night, and when they approached the old mine, they saw what appeared to me an older man with a lunch pail and mining gear on. They said when they went by him, he waved. They were on four wheelers and obviously were pretty shaken up, when they went back, he was gone. Honestly, this one scared the day lights out of me, and I've never been back.
Miner Memorial in Hurricane
4: Cushing Hall, The Hunger Den. and Lily Dorm at Alice Lloyd College. Alice Lloyd College is an old campus, and has a very fabled history. My husband went there, and my mother in law works in the business office. I have often heard of many supernatural, or strange things going on in many different parts of the area, but the places I hear about most are Cushing Hall and the Lily Dorms. My mother went there in early 80's, and always said she had an uneasy feeling walking around campus late at night, in the cafe, or just in her dorm room. Some say, they hear unexplainable noises late at the night, have things moved and misplaced mysteriously, see weird things. With a past like Alice Lloyd, I think it is feasible to say there could be something there. I have also heard that the spirit of Judy Howard, a student there in the 80's, who was very tragically abducted and murdered, still roams the halls of her old dormitory. Could be true, could just be another piece of folklore, again, just repeating what I have always heard.
Cushing Hall Today.
5: The Old Hospital in Airport Gardens. There have been so many people who have spoken about this place, especially the old morgue. The old Miners Memorial Hospital, or the old ARH, was abandoned in the 80's, and eventually was turned into an office building. Many people have reported working there late and seeing unexplainable things, from apparitions to hearing noises. A lot of activity comes from the basement, however, where the old morgue used to be. People who live in the Airport Gardens area have reported seeing and hearing strange things as well. LEX 18 actually did an article about the haunting a few years ago. Here is the link: Old ARH
6: The Old Hazard High school and Memorial Gym. The old high school and Memorial Gym have had a long history of haunting. Strange things seem to always occur late at night, or when people are alone. I have had several people who have been to basketball practice late in Mem, and reported lights coming on, going off, inexplicably. Hearing a basketball bouncing on the court, and looking and seeing nobody. Hearing people cheering, only to find an empty gym.
A vendor in Memorial Gym in the 50's,
Old Hazard High School in the glory days.
The old Hazard High still stands, but was badly burned a few years ago. Strange things still continue to go on there late at night, and when it was made into apartments after the new high-school was built, even stranger things were reported. Both are located in the Backwoods area of Hazard.
7: The Hale Log Home in Ary, Kentucky. Located on the grounds of Homeplace, this log home has scared me since I was a little girl. I am told that it was used the late 40's and early 50's as a boarding home for nurses who worked at the Homeplace hospital. It was also the home of Lula Hale, who was one of the workers and founders of homeplace, and helped run the grounds. They used to do haunted tours, many years ago. I have been inside only once, and was really too small to recall much, except that it gave me the willies. They used to have it programmed to play music when you stepped on the back porch......or now that I look back on it....Was it programmed or something else??
8: Frozen Creek Ky. In 1939 a torrent of rainfall and horrendous thunderstorms caused a 20 foot wall of water to erase most everything in it's path, and taking 53 lives. Some of those including children and workers in an orphanage in Frozen Creek. After rushing down to the storm cellar in refuge from a tornado warning, the basement was flooded and they were all drowned. I went to this campus when I was 15 years old. It was in ruins, people had drawn graffiti all over it, but IT WAS SCARY. I can saw first hand that I walked down the main hall of the male dormitory and got halfway through and had to turn back. Old rusty bathtubs, echos and strange scratching noises. No thank you. I'll never go back. It was a popular ghost hunting place when I was younger, but I have heard that they recently tore it down. I found some pictures, however, and just looking at them makes me have goosebumps.
Whatever you do this Halloween, remember, be careful. Most of these places are publicly known, but are on private property. Some of these folks may not take kindly to you barging onto their land. I listed these because I was dumb enough to visit most of them, in my younger days, but I did not vandalize, or steal, or damage anything. Go visit, and take in history, if anything. If you get scared, then good, you should. But above all, respect our heritage, our tradition, our legends and pass them down so they aren't forgotten with the times! Happy Halloween, and Happy Haunting!
