They scream in the night. They watch through the window. And sometimes they chase you right out of the woods. They are the Upstate's ghosts, and there are more of them than you think. While South Carolina's Lowcountry has a long and well-documented history with its spectral residents, the Upstate's phantoms have led quieter lives, or afterlives. But no more. In Ghosts of Upstate South Carolina, John Boyanoski, a reporter for the Greenville Journal, tells the true stories of the region's many haunted places. From Spartanburg to Union, from Anderson to Newberry, from Powdersville to Pickens, the South Carolina Upstate is haunted. Numerous ghosts and spirits haunt the Old Poinsett Bridge, and in Gaffney cries for help can still be heard from the victims of the Gaffney Strangler. Near Highway 11 there is a haunted tree. Even the squirrels won't go near it. In Greenville, a lynching victim still seeks vengeance, while wayward rocking chairs, a haunted balcony, and walled-off stairs to nowhere are just the start in Abbeville. In other towns there are ladies in white, a menacing hound, crying babies, spectral voices, a devil on a tombstone, floating lights, phantom brides, glowing red eyes, ghostly children who make the living want to hop and skip, and at least one specter who likes to play catch. Ghosts haunt the Upstate's roads and railroads, its hotels and theaters, its colleges and churches. (Youll be hard-pressed to find an Upstate college that isn't home to at least one.) And of course they haunt its homes. The ten ghosts at the Merridun Inn even throw their own Christmas party! And then theres the zombie.

A psychic and paranormalist takes readers on a ghostly tour of the historic city filled with southern charm—and southern spirits. Rumor has it that water—still or flowing—is a medium for paranormal activity. Residents of Greenville, South Carolina, have gathered at Falls Park on the river for generations, so it is no coincidence that this upstate city is teeming with spirits whose stories have yet to be told. From the aggressive spirits trapped in the 1920s grandeur of the Westin Poinsett Hotel to the moans of the wrongly accused Willie Earle, these ghosts have unfinished business. Watch as phantoms of children drift through the rows of Springwood Cemetery and discover what lurks behind the Tiffany stained-glass hallways of the Gassaway Mansion, as paranormalist and owner of Greenville Ghost Tours, Jason Profit, guides readers through the chilling past of this historic city with an entertaining collection of tales.

With a history that stretches back to the earliest years of America, it comes as little surprise that the Upstate region of South Carolina is home to many ghosts and to hundreds of intriguing legends. In Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry, librarian and folklorist Tally Johnson introduces us to some of the area's most colorful specters, from Major Ferguson, a British officer in the Revolutionary War who still haunts the grounds of his last battle at Kings Mountain, to the Hound of Goshen, a demon dog who has been chasing passersby in Union and Newberry Counties since the mid-nineteenth century. Among these stories Johnson weaves the local lore and history of thirteen upstate counties, drawing upon sources as varied as historic records, newspapers and personal interviews.

Nancy Roberts has often been described to as the "First Lady of American Folklore" and the title is well deserved. Throughout her decades-long career, Roberts documented supernatural experiences and interviewed hundreds of people about their recollections of encounters with the supernatural. This nationally renowned writer began her undertaking in this ghostly realm as a freelance writer for the Charlotte Observer. Encouraged by Carl Sandburg, who enjoyed her stories and articles, Roberts wrote her first book in 1958. Aptly called a "custodian of the twilight zone" by Southern Living magazine, Roberts based her suspenseful stories on interviews and her rich knowledge of American folklore. Her stories were always rooted in history, which earned her a certificate of commendation from the American Association of State and Local History for her books on the Carolinas and Appalachia.

During the day, residents and visitors alike enjoy the quiet beauty of the peaceful coasts and Lowcountry of South Carolina. But in a state where soldiers fell, slaves died without knowing freedom, and the practice of voodoo is still an open secret, the night is bound to be a bit more exciting. Whether you are an amateur ghost-hunter, a South Carolina buff, or just love a good scare, you will enjoy these tales of ghostly encounters and supernatural happenings. From the bustling streets of Charleston and the graceful old plantations, to the foreboding coastal forts and the darkest heart of the swamps, spirits and creatures seem to lurk in every corner.

In this volume, Tally Johnson, noted folklorist and librarian, casts a light on ghost stories from one of the most pivotal periods in both American and South Carolina history: The Civil War. From Fort Sumter to the Burning of Columbia and from the Gray Man of Pawleys Island to the lesser-known tale of Florena Budwin, all sections of the state are covered in his unique style. A brief overview of both events leading to the War and of events in South Carolina during the War are also included. A lengthy bibliography is also included, covering both the ghosts and history of the period in South Carolina for further reading. Contents - Brief Overview of the Civil War in South Carolina The Upcountry Region - Springwood Cemetery: Greenville's City of the Dead - Three Bridges Road, near Powdersville - Moonville Cemetery - Wofford College - Rose Apartments (former Rose Hotel), York - Rose Hill - Newberry College: A ghost for every building (almost) - Cry Baby Bridge-over the Enoree - Andy Johnson; Didn't Stay Long, But Long Enough - Bethabara Cemetery - Glowing Stones - Sleepy Hollow - Without Ichabod Crane - Burrell Hemphill The Midlands Region - Battle of Aiken: Robert E. Less Wasn't There Then, But Now? - Oak Grove Plantation - Rivers Bridge: Things Pop Up All the Time - Is the "Queen of the Confederacy" Really Gone? - Badwell Cemetery: History, "Haunts," and a Troll - Blanding Street, Columbia - University of South Carolina - The Statehouse and Grounds Took a Licking - Hampton-Preston House, Columbia - South Carolina State Museum, Columbia - A Diary from Dixie: Courtesy of Mary Boykin Chestnut - The Bonham Family: Heroism and Service - Longstreet at the Piedmont Hotel, Gainesville, GA The PeeDee Region - Enfield, Chesterfield County - Florena Budwin and the Florence National Cemetery - Mulberry Plantation - Rectory Square Park - Woodlawn Plantation, Marion County - The Church of Holy Cross - Oakland Plantation, Sumter County - Battle of Dinkin's Mill or What the Wife Saw - Loch Dhu Plantation The Coastal Region - General Beauregard Prowls Charleston's City Hall - Battery Carriage House Inn - Folly Island and Morris Island: Cool, but Creepy - Forts Moultrie and Sumter - Mount Pleasant - Sentry on the Bohicket - Sword Gate or Mme Talvande Still Watches Over Her Girls - Trapman Street Tales - The Grey Host - Will the REAL Grey Man PLEASE Stand Up - Hagley Landing - The USS Harvest Moon in Winyah Bay - Haunts in Georgetown: The Heriot and Morgan Houses - The Battle of Honey Hill - Still Rages On - The Land's End Light - The Lucas Bay Light - Otter Island: Fort Drayton