Halloween is a time for things that go bump in the night. According to various sources, it is a pagan holiday reserved for communing with the dead. In some circles, reverence is attached to the practice. In other circles, it’s more of a gimmick attached to kids’ parties, costumes and trick-or-treating. Nonetheless, some strong enduring claims suggest that the veil which separates the spirit world from our own is at its thinnest around Halloween, and contact with the other side is much more likely.
A number of people make it a habit, whether by choice or otherwise, to have contact with the other side with much more frequency. A Middle Tennessee gentleman by the name of Allen Sircy has documented various local hauntings in his recently released book Southern Ghost Stories: Murfreesboro, Spirits of Stones River.
While the book contains numerous editing mishaps, it’s extremely rich in its historical content and ghost-sighting documentation. Sircy has done extensive historical research, unearthing local archives in a lovely compilation of storytelling and fact-stating that ties both together in an entertaining way. I was initially a bit taken aback by the size of the book, which is 400 pages in length. However, in addition to the book’s plethora of photographs, the type font is modestly large and it’s an easy read. I knocked it out in three days. I couldn’t have done this unless it was interesting. I’ve been known to abandon ship for much less.
What intrigued me about this book was the significant amount of local history it offers, dating back as far as the 1800s in Murfreesboro. The author mentions everything from local lynch mobs and hangings to stories of Al Capone’s frequent visits to our city and stories of then-President James K. Polk’s wife (who was originally from Murfreesboro). Then, without the slightest hesitation, he transitions into local ghost stories and hauntings which have also been well researched and documented. While some of the stories are somewhat mundane and offer little insight, others left me hanging on the edge of my seat. One such instance made reference to multiple members of a family having exposure to the same ghost from different vantage points, all while the sister simultaneously had a dream about the encounter.
Sircy said the main source of information for the historical content of the piece was local newspaper archives, which made the read even more fascinating for me. It was like I was being transported in and out of time as I read the book, first learning the historical foundation of an area and then being catapulted into our current timeline to watch how the events still linger in today’s world.
The Murfreesboro Public Square has plenty of ghost stories. Store clerks, government employees, lawyers and judges have had their own frightful encounters. The book also goes into detail on some of the previous businesses that have occupied the buildings on the Square where newer businesses operate today.
Furthermore, Sircy makes mention of the tunnels that run underneath the Square. Most of them seemed to have originated underneath old banking institutions and have since been boarded up or bricked over. However, Sircy gained admittance into some of the tunnels and he found very strange things, including children’s toys. Eerily, he didn’t only find old children’s toys, he actually found more modern ones, too, like a Dora the Explorer doll. For tunnels that have supposedly been sealed off for decades and are supposed to be structurally unsound, it seems very strange that such modern-day relics should litter the underground passageways.
Another interesting facet of the book is the number of recognizable stores and homes—old and new—it cases. Since the land that these newer residences and businesses are established on far predates the structures themselves, they’re all fair game for hauntings too.
All in all, as much as I am not necessarily a fan of visiting with the undead, the combined elements of Southern Ghost Stories: Murfreesboro, Spirits of Stones River have exceeded my expectations. I would recommend the read if you’re interested in local history, storytelling, ghost stories or documentaries.
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Paranormal Event
Sircy has organized a paranormal investigation gathering slated for Friday, Oct. 23, from 7–9 p.m. at Nonie’s Bakery on the Murfreesboro Square. The bakery is located in a 100-year-old building that has had some previous spirit activity. Experienced ghost hunters Mark Walsh and Eric Freeman will be there, along with Sircy, with ghost-detecting equipment set up in the basement and on the main floor. All proceeds from the event will go to the Rutherford County Center for the Arts. Find tickets to the Nonie’s Bakery Paranormal Investigation and more information on Eventbrite.
Organizers will hold a similar event on Halloween evening at the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts. For more information, call 615-904-2787.
