The George Wythe House was built in the 1750s as a wedding gift for Wythe, Americas first law professor and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his new wife. Travelers once refused to pass through the area, not only because of the pirates and bandits thought to be lurking within, but also because horses would fly into a panic in the vicinity or refuse to go any further. But the creepiest legend Ive heard is that of the VMI Phantom or Yellow Peril. Dating back as far as a century, keydets (name given to VMIs cadet corps) have reported seeing an apparition with a yellow face and bleeding scar appearing in barracks around 3:30am, which is the approximate time of VMIs drumming out ceremony when keydets convicted of honor code violation are publically dismissed from school. [2], Lee County Courthouse33640 Main StreetPO Box 326Jonesville, VA 24263-0326Phone: 540-346-7763Lee County Website, Clerk Circuit Court has birth and death records 1853-1877, marriage records from 1830, divorce records from 1832, probate records from 1800, and court and land records from 1793[3]. They are part of the Cumberland Mountains. Thank you in advance for your help and support! For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration, A Lee County Virginia Tourism . One night, Forrest claimed that he had been out hunting ducks when he came to an inlet and saw what he took to be a group of black ducks upon the water, which he prepared to shoot at. Lee County was formed in 1793 from Russell County. No one knows for sure. For a full list of programs and events visit: www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/park-events. Martin returned here with a party of men in early 1775 and built a fort, known as Martin's Station on the north side of Martin's Creek. In March 1769 Joseph Martin led a party of men to the Powell Valley, and attempted to establish a settlement nearby. These records were also abstracted, published, and indexed by Kegley (see below). I think I've read this story before! Other similar reports speak of being approached by marching bands of the spectral Redcoats or even fired at by them, with the ghostly bullets passing through bodies or obstacles without doing any damage at all. Some versions of the story even claim that the dead bandits also return to the site to dig for the treasure in the dark of night, sometimes wielding glimmering ghostly lanterns. 11 occurrences of Lee County Administrative Information. You do not have to be a member to attend. Martin returned here with a party of men in early 1775 and built a fort, known as Martin's Station on the north side of Martin's Creek. The following stories are just a few of my favorites. Perhaps the most well-known account of these is a sighting made in the late 19th century by a fisherman by the name of Ben Feribee, who was out in his boat fishing on Whites Creek near Chesapeake Bay when he allegedly saw something rather frightening. If you would like to submit an article, please send to Carroll County Historical Society, PO Box 937, Hillsville, VA 24343; (276) 728-4113. The FamilySearch Library does not have microfilm copies of these records, but has acquired abstracts for select years published in genealogical journals. Scope and Content. X Spookily, if stories are to be believed they did not give up on getting back their treasure even in death, and to this day there are occasional sightings of a band of spectral pirates digging along Whites Creek, still trying to regain their long lost loot. This site was abandoned in June 1776 during further regional conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. Remembering the stories, legends, lore of the people and areas in & around Lee County Virginia. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; (Virginia Beach) With 11 spirits calling the Ferry State Plantation House their home, haunted house seems a fair title for this site. Sightings of it have been going on for years, and those who have seen it say it is about six feet tall with pale gray fur. By that fall they abandoned the site after conflicting with Native Americans. The British lived side by side with the Native population, though not always peacefully, and this continued after the American Revolution when Virginia became a part of the new United States of America. Dr. There have been persistent stories of would be treasure hunters entering the woods to never be seen again, and one particularly spooky story is that of one such treasure hunter who allegedly found one of the stashes, only for his boat to be found drifting in the bay carrying very old gold coins but no sign of where the man had gone. As one of the orginal 5 structures in the newly booming colonial town, it was at the center of social life. One of the rumors about these lost treasures is that they have a way of making those who look for them disappear. Descriptions varied. Topics in the Lee County, Virginia data profile include: Populations and People; Income and Poverty; Education; Employment; Housing; Health; Business and Economy; Families and Living Arrangements; Race and Ethnicity I will take your word for it from here. For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page. Lee High School (Lee County, Virginia) - Generals Upson-Lee High School (Thomaston, Georgia), formerly Robert E. Lee High School - Knights Lee High School (Wyoming, Michigan) - Former Rebels, now Legends. Let us take a look at the weird and very often terrifying cursed woods of Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Very few driving views will compare with these three miles of absolute splendor! amzn_assoc_linkid = "f704cf2fa2a0654cc52581ff5511b37c"; Nickell suggested that witnesses' perceptions were distorted by their heightened state of anxiety. Index Terms. S Realizing that they could not evade the enemy while carrying so much plunder, they allegedly hid it in Old House Woods at a spot near Whites Creek with the intention of returning later to get it, but their later arrest in the wake of the war prevented anyone from ever doing so. It was also the location of the first permanent British settlement in North America and was one of the original thirteen American colonies. Perhaps it is this history as a place of war, murder and thievery that has so imbued it with a sinister reputation for all manner of legends and ghostly phenomena that spans over 200 years, which have also earned it the nicknames Black Forest and Haunted Woods. Indeed even the origin of the name of the forest itself, Old House Woods, has hints of the paranormal. There is a lot of interesting folklore associated with Virginia. It then caught fire once again years later, again without any discernible cause, this time to burn down to its foundations, which are now overgrown and strangled with vegetation and are all that remain of the house today. Sarah Henry developed a debilitating mental illness shortly after giving birth to her sixth child. Source: Lee County Local folklore claimed that the physical feature now called Stone Face Rock at Pennington Gap was carved by Cherokee,. [17] In television, the second episode of the 2019 History Channel series Project Blue Book titled "The Flatwoods Monster" is based on the Flatwoods incident.[18][19]. The Flatwoods monster (also known as the Braxton County monster, Braxie, or the Phantom of Flatwoods), in West Virginia folklore, is an entity reported to have been sighted in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States, on September 12, 1952, after a bright object crossed the night sky.Over 50 years later, some investigators have stated that they believe the light . It was also a popular port area during the American Civil War, when it was no less surrounded by tales of danger. Visit Wilderness Road State Park to see a replica for the fort that was built by Martin, Cumberland Gap National Park/Hike to Hensleys Settlement, The Appalachian African-American Cultural & Community Development Center, Pennington Gap. Box 231 Jonesville, Virginia 24263 Telephone (276) 346-0005 Email: [email protected] Meetings: Our meetings are held at 2:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at the Historical Society Building on Old Friendship Road. Aside from its charming locale and scenic coastal scenery, the rural town is otherwise quite unassuming, and one wouldnt be inclined to think that there is anything particularly striking or out of place here, certainly nothing spooky or ominous. He was apparently never seen again. 33640 Main Street Jonesville, VA 24263 (276) 346-7766 (276) 346-4016 Fax It was then that a rope ladder could be seen being dangled off of the sides of the phantom ship, with men carrying tools and other contraptions climbing down it into the wilderness. Listed below are societies in Lee County. (Radford) La Riviere, known locally as Ingles Castle, was built in 1892 by the great-grandson of Mary Draper Ingles - a local legend in her own right. The ship was allegedly on its way to Jamestown, when it got waylaid by a storm and found itself lost and meandering along Whites Creek. With such an auspicious family history, its almost a given that the castle, built more than 100 years later, would have some mystery attached. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. But, be that as it may, Buck goes through with the ritual anyway. For state-wide facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries. swinging bridge over Powell River on Swinging Bridge Road (Route 666), the Louisville and Nashville Railroad bypassed Jonesville when it built its line to the Virginia coalfields in 1891 Lee County Map The County of Lee is located in the State of Virginia. She was exonerated in 2006 by then Governor Tim Kaine on the 300th anniversary of her conviction. Sometimes, only the barking of the dogs can be heard reverberating through the wilderness. I don't think even Buck knows why he's doing it, because every time the AIMS Team gets close to whatever it is they're hunting, the immediate response is panicked flight. Charleston: West Virginia Humanities Council. Another treasure said to be buried somewhere here is that of a treasure laden ship sent to America in 1651 by Englands King Charles II in the wake of the Battle of Worcester, as a precaution in the event that he was forced to flee England to take refuge in the colonies. How Much of the Original White House is Actually Left. The honor code is at the core of corps for VMI grads, so I, personally, wouldnt begin to question this one. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Susannah was born July 18, 1791 on New River in Eastern Virginia, and died September 10, 1784 in Harrison County, Missouri and was buried in Munsey Cemetery, southwest of Eagleville, Missouri. With The Lee County Legend we are telling the story of this rich history. Her story came to public light with the publication of a childrens book called The Witch of Pungo in 1973. Expand. In the Mountain State: A West Virginia Folklore and Cultural Studies Curriculum [ten lesson plans covering: customs, material culture, language, sense of place, local history, nature lore, oral literature, folk arts, folk music, and written literature]. Must See! Lady Anne Skipwith was said to be a frequent guest. Visitors and locals report the smell of gunpowder and the sounds of cannons, gunfire and screaming men long before they arrive at a seemingly still battle site. In the 1700s, however, the only thing to do with a person who sometimes had to be restrained with a straight jacket was to put them in a mental institution. Is that they have a way of making those who look for them disappear the! Be that as it may, Buck goes through with the Lee County Virginia Tourism only. 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