There have been some strange occurrences in the local watershed in Norris over the years, and I'm trying to get them into writing. These are all stories
I've heard from others and many times the story comes from more than one source. I've never felt or saw anything myself in the watershed, but it's
hard to overlook so many different stories from so many sources.
Part 1: The man so mean the church wouldn't bury him in their cemetery.
There used to be a church inside the boundaries of what's now the Norris Watershed, called Red Hill Baptist Church. Like all small rural churches, it had it's own cemetery on the church grounds. Once the Watershed area was formed, the church was moved to another location, out of the Watershed. Some of the dead were possibly moved with the church, I'm still researching this The original cemetery remains though, alongside one of the trails that passes through the watershed.
So the story goes, there used to be a very mean man who lived in the community. He always wore a black hat. This man was so mean, so cruel, that supposedly when he died, the people of the church refused to bury him inside the cemetery. He was buried at a spot several hundred yards up the trail from the cemetery. A small marker is on the grave, but it's not easy to see from the trail.
Now like most rural places, ghost stories tend to form over time, and the Watershed is no exception. I've heard many tales from 4x4 drivers, to bike riders who have had the misfortune of being caught in the watershed after dark. Stories from a small "Yoda" like creature, to lightning bugs that glow blue, to an orange glow or a dark cloud that follows a 4x4 truck, but stops at the sign marking the end of the trail. *expanded stories of these to follow*
One night while some friends of mine where driving through the watershed, they decided to park next to Red Hill Cemetery and get out for a bit. One of them decided to get out of the truck and lay down on top of the grave of the "man to mean to bury". After a while they got back in the truck and drove off. Clint, who had laid on the mans grave was driving, and the only one in the cab of the truck. Everyone else decided to ride in the bed of the truck for the trip out. A few moments after they started driving, Clint slammed on the brakes, then began swerving all over the trail, and started screaming "Get out, get out, get the f**k out of my truck!" Those riding in the bed said it looked like Clint was fighting with someone in the cab of the truck.
When they finally got stopped, Clint swore up and down that a "man in a black hat" had suddenly appeared right in front of the truck. Clint was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the man, but instead of a collision, the man vanished, and then appeared in the cab of the truck, next to Clint.
I wasn't there that night so I don't know if it really happened, but I do know that I can't get anyone who was in that truck that night to go back to the watershed after dark now. Whatever has happened in those woods has had a pretty profound effect on a lot of people I know.
I have heard some others acknowledge the story of the man in the black hat. And his grave is quite a distance from the cemetery and up a rather rugged hill. I can't imagine someone requesting to be buried that far from the cemetery and can't really figure any other reason for his burial in that spot, so maybe there is some truth to the story.
Part 1: The man so mean the church wouldn't bury him in their cemetery.
There used to be a church inside the boundaries of what's now the Norris Watershed, called Red Hill Baptist Church. Like all small rural churches, it had it's own cemetery on the church grounds. Once the Watershed area was formed, the church was moved to another location, out of the Watershed. Some of the dead were possibly moved with the church, I'm still researching this The original cemetery remains though, alongside one of the trails that passes through the watershed.
So the story goes, there used to be a very mean man who lived in the community. He always wore a black hat. This man was so mean, so cruel, that supposedly when he died, the people of the church refused to bury him inside the cemetery. He was buried at a spot several hundred yards up the trail from the cemetery. A small marker is on the grave, but it's not easy to see from the trail.
Now like most rural places, ghost stories tend to form over time, and the Watershed is no exception. I've heard many tales from 4x4 drivers, to bike riders who have had the misfortune of being caught in the watershed after dark. Stories from a small "Yoda" like creature, to lightning bugs that glow blue, to an orange glow or a dark cloud that follows a 4x4 truck, but stops at the sign marking the end of the trail. *expanded stories of these to follow*
One night while some friends of mine where driving through the watershed, they decided to park next to Red Hill Cemetery and get out for a bit. One of them decided to get out of the truck and lay down on top of the grave of the "man to mean to bury". After a while they got back in the truck and drove off. Clint, who had laid on the mans grave was driving, and the only one in the cab of the truck. Everyone else decided to ride in the bed of the truck for the trip out. A few moments after they started driving, Clint slammed on the brakes, then began swerving all over the trail, and started screaming "Get out, get out, get the f**k out of my truck!" Those riding in the bed said it looked like Clint was fighting with someone in the cab of the truck.
When they finally got stopped, Clint swore up and down that a "man in a black hat" had suddenly appeared right in front of the truck. Clint was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the man, but instead of a collision, the man vanished, and then appeared in the cab of the truck, next to Clint.
I wasn't there that night so I don't know if it really happened, but I do know that I can't get anyone who was in that truck that night to go back to the watershed after dark now. Whatever has happened in those woods has had a pretty profound effect on a lot of people I know.
I have heard some others acknowledge the story of the man in the black hat. And his grave is quite a distance from the cemetery and up a rather rugged hill. I can't imagine someone requesting to be buried that far from the cemetery and can't really figure any other reason for his burial in that spot, so maybe there is some truth to the story.
