Appalachian ghost stories of the eerie terrain have been told for hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation. The mountain range is approximately 1,500 miles, going through 15 states. The mountains are also ancient, as it’s one of the oldest mountains on the planet, dating back 500 to 300 million years ago. The truth of what is haunting Appalachia might be more sinister than a couple of ghosts.
The first ghost story known to be told in Appalachia is the “Brown Mountain Lights.” These lights appeared in Burke County, North Carolina. The lights appear on the ground or above the horizon, most often described as red balls of light. There have been stories told describing the origins of these lights. For example, the Cherokee Nation believed the lights to be the souls of women searching for the men they lost in a war on Brown Mountain. Another legend has it that the lights are the spirit of a woman who was murdered by her husband.
Another haunting story from within Appalachian history is the story of the Bell Witch. The origins of the tale date back to 1817 when the Bell family was reportedly harassed by the spirit of a witch in Adams, Tennessee. The family heard sounds of chains dragging, gnawing and knocking. The people enslaved by the family also claimed to encounter the witch.
Although the haunting stories of Appalachia are alluring, the factual history is just as spine-chilling. Appalachian history is rooted in poverty and exploitation. The region has plenty of natural resources such as coal and timber, but most of the riches from these resources have gone to big corporations, leaving those who live in Appalachia with little money. The region is also isolated from urban areas, making it extremely difficult to relocate to new places.
Coal mining was a huge money maker for big corporations in Appalachia, and the coal miners suffered the repercussions of the taxing job. Not only is mining physically exhausting, it’s also heavily linked to the incurable illness, black lung disease. The mines could be deadly. In 1968, a mine outside of Farmington, West Virginia, exploded, and 78 miners perished in the accident.
In the mid-1700s enslaved workers were among the first to work in America’s commercial coal mines. In Richmond, Virginia, one of the largest coal mining companies used about 150 enslaved Black workers in the 1830s. They were forced to work in shameful conditions, risking their lives to mine coal for a company to profit from their suffering. After emancipation, big coal companies specifically recruited Black workers, having them work in horrible conditions where they were subjected to racism and segregation on top of the dangerous job.
Due to the physically demanding working conditions Appalachians were subjected to, many suffered from chronic pain. In the 1990s, doctors began to treat this pain by prescribing opioids. The doctors prescribing these medications did not monitor their patients well enough, creating easy access to the addictive drugs, thus contributing to the opioid crisis in Appalachia.
The sheer amount of opioids prescribed fostered an environment of addiction. The lack of caution when prescribing these medications resulted in hundreds to thousands of deaths throughout Appalachia. Eventually, in 2010, efforts were made by the government to slow down the rate of prescription opioids, but the damage had already been done. Prescription opioid related deaths may have decreased, but there was a spike in heroin and synthetic opioid overdoses, such as fentanyl.
Appalachia has suffered the consequences of neglect for years. The people here continue to suffer in a cycle of poverty, addiction and generational trauma. In 2022, a study found that overdose-related mortality rates for people ages 25-54 were 64% higher than the rest of the country.
Athens County averaged 24.7 overdose deaths per 100,000 people, and Cabell County, West Virginia, averaged a whopping 189.8 overdose deaths per 100,000 people. These numbers are astonishing and completely preventable with access to the necessary education and medical care.
Appalachia has become an internet spectacle due to its notorious stories of “hauntings,” and while these stories are compelling, the true history of tragedy and immense suffering seems to get lost along the way. While indulging in the fascinating eeriness of Appalachia, it’s important to remember that the history and continuing ache of the region is the true haunting.
Amelia Henson is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Amelia about their column? Email them at ah300723@ohio.edu.
