Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of human remains and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, call Counseling and Psychological Services at 828-262-3180 or the suicide hotline at 988.
Urban legends are an integral part of Appalachian culture, an aspect that is often dismissed due to their limited validity. While they might seem pointless, legends are ingrained in culture as they spark tradition and build history and community. As the month of October progresses, it’s only fitting to dive into the world of such legends. Here are a few chilling folktales from the Boone area.
The Phantom Hiker of Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain, a state park located around Blowing Rock, has had its fair share of ghost sightings. One specific sighting is a recurring one, known as the “phantom hiker.” For several decades, people have reportedly seen the ghost of this lost hiker — an older, bearded man dressed in clothing from the midtwentieth century wearing an army backpack and carrying a walking stick. He’s said to appear along one of the park’s trails as evening approaches. He never says anything and doesn’t acknowledge any greeting, simply walking ahead of anyone he encounters before vanishing.
Some believe he was a hiker who became lost in the woods and injured himself, unable to find his way out. Others believe he’s the spirit of a man who loved the mountain so much he never wanted to leave, even after he died. Like all visitors, he’s there to enjoy the beauty and wonder of Grandfather Mountain.
East Hall was a dormitory built in 1952 at App State that is rumored to be inhabited by ghosts. This legend begins in 1977, when a student took their own life in the bathroom of the dormitory’s basement.
Since then, students have recalled countless paranormal activities in East Hall and other bizarre or inexplicable happenings. From hearing whispering voices in the empty halls to being pushed over by unseen forces, it is thought there might have been a ghostly presence on more than one occasion.
Now a retrofit art building, students have also reported unusual cold spots in the basement as well as a glowing blue mist. It has become tradition for students to share the urban legend with incoming freshmen, even referring to the residential building as the “Dorm of Doom” and as a Halloween attraction.
With a legend that separates App State from other universities and a reason to look further into traditions, students have something to look forward to — especially around Halloween.
In the 1860s, human remains were found in the woods near St. John’s Episcopal Church and cemetery. Believed to be victims of an apparent animal attack, the church’s minister told its members that Satan “had taken the form of an animal” and “killed the unrepentant.”
It is thought that the beast lurks in the cemetery at night, which two young men reported seeing in the late 1980s. On the night of a full moon, they drove past the church when a shadow leaped out from behind one of the graves into the road ahead. The shadow was a dog — not an ordinary dog, but the size of a full-grown man with eyes glowing bright red.
As the driver sped away, he could see the dog following them in the rearview mirror. Just before the beast could catch up, the car jumped over the bridge below the stream, and the dog stopped following them. The pair watched the eerie creature fade into the night and wondered what caused the animal to be restricted by the bounds of water.
Folklore is an important aspect of any culture, passing stories from generation to generation and providing insight into daily life hundreds of years ago. While urban legends aren’t the first to come to mind when discussing folklore, they are certainly in the category.
Urban legends seem silly, but they have cultural and historical significance to our beloved Appalachia. Whether you believe these tales or not, you can’t deny the impact these stories have had on the shaping of Appalachian culture. History thrives off of tradition.
Don’t discredit myths simply because there isn’t any validity to them. Legends don’t need to necessarily ring true or be proven as fact. Instead, they are meant to spark conversation, build community, uphold tradition and pique one’s interest in the history of the world around them.
It never hurts to wonder about the mysteries life has to offer. Next time you visit Grandfather Mountain, look out for the phantom hiker. If you drive by St. John’s Episcopal Church, beware of mythical creatures. And always be weary when stepping foot into East Hall.