More Kentucky Ghost Stories

“Probably no section of the country can rightly claim more mystifying, more intriguing, or more enduring ghost stories and unexplained phenomena than Kentucky.” With this statement, based on years of personal research and investigation, the author presents his second collection of such tales from the Bluegrass State.

This is the first book of Kentucky ghost stories by acclaimed author Michael Paul Henson. He tells the bewildering tale of the tragedy at Devil’s Hollow in Kentucky. Henson has added a selection of other ghost stories and unexplained phenomena. The narratives contained in this volume are relatively unknown for two principal reasons—first, no one has previously taken the time to collect and compile them; second, these are stories generally limited to certain localities and have seldom been told outside the area of occurrence. While many stories may have been transmuted through the years of telling, the essence remains the same and the fascination and intrigue provoked by these tales of wonderment has not been diminished.

“This wonderful collection of Kentucky ghost stories” is a treasure trove of history, heritage, and commentary on the oral tradition of storytelling (Elizabeth Tucker, author of Haunted Halls). In Kentucky Hauntings, beloved storytellers Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie E. Brown present a thrilling collection of paranormal tales that will appeal to anyone looking for a friendly scare. Weaving together factual accounts of unexplained events, peculiar headlines, and local legends passed down from a time when most homes lacked electricity, Kentucky Hauntings combines spooky stories with commentary on historic customs. From "telling the bees" about a death in the family, to a friendly "fool's errand" practical joke gone horribly wrong, and from terrifying haunted houses to the lifesaving "Bathtub Ghost," readers are transported to a world of age-old superstitions and paranormal experiences. Whether shared around the fire on a crisp autumn night or whispered in a huddle of close friends at a summer sleepover, these eerie stories will thrill and excite anyone who loves a good scare.

“Vividly re-creates the context of storytelling in Kentucky in times past.” —Margaret Read MacDonald, author of Ten Traditional Tellers A good ghost story can make your hair stand on end, your palms sweat, and your heart race. The bone-chilling collection Tales of Kentucky Ghosts presents more than 250 stories that do just that. William Lynwood Montell has assembled an entertaining and diverse array of tales from across the commonwealth that will keep you checking under the bed every night. The first-person accounts in this collection showcase folklore that Montell has drawn from archives, family stories, and oral traditions throughout Kentucky. The stories include that of the ghost bride of Laurel County, who appears each year on the anniversary of her wedding day; the tale of the murdered worker who haunts the Simpson County home of his killer and former employer; the account of the lost mandolin that plays itself in a house in Graves County, and many more. Tales of Kentucky Ghosts brings together a variety of terrifying narratives that not only entertain and frighten but also serve as a unique record of Kentucky’s rich heritage of storytelling. “Lynwood Montell is truly an icon in the field of Kentucky folklore.” —James McCormick and Macy A. Wyatt, authors of Ghosts of the Bluegrass “Lynwood Montell successfully reports on family stories, bizarre creatures, urban legends, classic country ghost tales, strange glowing lights, talking cats and so much more.” —Thomas Freese, author of Ghosts, Spirits, and Angels: True Tales from Kentucky and Beyond “Sure to both entertain and chill its readers while also allowing them to consider their own supernatural heritage.” —Manchester Enterprise

If tree branches scratching at your window on a stormy April night or the hot, sticky oppression of a stifling summer's day puts fear into your heart. Or rustling November leaves, and the chill that sneaks into your bones during the darkened days of winter makes you quiver with anxiety, then reading spooky thrillers shouldn't wait until October. From masterful storytelling duo Roberta and Lonnie Brown comes Spookiest Stories Ever: Four Seasons of Kentucky Ghosts, a creepy collection of tales from their home state. Featuring familiar Kentucky landmarks such as the Palace Theater and the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, these accounts from across the commonwealth are sure to put a tingle in the reader's spine. These notable stories, including tales of the "chime child" who can see and talk to ghosts, graveside appearances, and the Spurlington Witch of Taylor County, occur in all four seasons and come from every corner of Kentucky. An essential part of the American storytelling tradition, these ghost stories will delight readers who love getting goose bumps all year long.

Kentucky's beauty is offset by a violent past of Indian wars, Civil War battles, and the tragic spirits from these conflicts.

A Kentucky native and folk studies scholar presents a collection of haunting legends and stories of spirits from across the Bluegrass State. William Lynwood Montell has spent years documenting Kentucky’s rich legacy of ghostly visitations. Many of the stories were collected from elders by younger generations and are recounted here exactly as they were gathered. This volume introduces spirits such as the Tan Man of Pike County, who trudges invisibly through a house accompanied by the smell of roses, and the famed Gray Lady of Liberty Hall in Frankfort, a houseguest who never left. Montell tells the story of the ghost of Daniel Boone calling upon the statesman Henry Clay shortly before his death. He also recounts the tale of ghouls that haunt the rehearsal house of the band The Kentucky Headhunters. Readers will find accounts of haunted libraries, mansions, log cabins, bathrooms, furniture, hotels, and distilleries, as well as reports of eerie visitations from passed-on grandmothers, husbands, daughters, uncles, cousins, babies, slaves, Civil War soldiers, dogs, sheep, and even wildcats. Almost every county in Kentucky is represented. Though the book emphasizes the stories themselves, Montell offers an introduction discussing how local history, and local character, are communicated across the generations in these colorful stories.

More than evoking chills down the spine and cautious glances over one's shoulder, spooky stories create lasting bonds and memories between friends and family. The tradition of storytelling ties generations together with exciting new tales and familiar folklore that has sparked superstitions and legends. In Kentucky Hauntings: Homespun Ghost Stories and Unexplained History, beloved storytellers Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie E. Brown present a thrilling collection of paranormal tales that will appeal to anyone looking for a friendly scare. Weaving together factual accounts of unexplained events, peculiar headlines, and local legends passed down from a time when most homes lacked electricity, Kentucky Hauntings combines stories with commentary on historic customs. From "telling the bees" about a death in the family, to a friendly "fool's errand" practical joke gone horribly wrong, and from terrifying haunted houses to the lifesaving "Bathtub Ghost," readers are transported to a world of age-old superstitions and paranormal experiences. Whether shared around the fire on a crisp autumn night or whispered in a huddle of close friends at a summer sleepover, these eerie stories will thrill and excite anyone who loves a good scare.