History’s lingering guests

By Mackenzie Wooldridge Apr 19, 2025

Alabama’s Ghosts:

Alabama’s history runs deep-and so do its ghosts. From Civil War Hospitals where screams still echo to asylums filled with restless spirits, these five haunted locations aren’t just stories. They never rest, they only roam in the halls of beyond the grave.

1. Sloss Furnaces (Birmingham)

The Haunting:

Where the fires never died-and the workers never left. A former ironworks factory where dozens of workers died under brutal conditions. Foreman James “Slag” Wormwood-a cruel boss who caused many deaths-is said to push visitors from the catwalks. Shadow figures and phantom machinery sounds plague the tunnels. There have been 57+ confirmed deaths by melted molten iron, crushed by machinery, or fallen from the catwalks. Workers endured 12-hour shifts in 130 degree Fahrenheit heat. These workers were often convicts. Slag is also said to have pushed workers into furnace #1 as punishment.

The Ghosts of Sloss Furnaces

1. “Slag” Wormwood (Furnace #1 and Tunnel of Stairs)

A cruel foreman who ruled with a whip in the 1880s was found dead in 1906-possibly murdered by workers. 

• Modern Encounters:
  • Shadow figure shoving visitors near furnace platforms.
  • EVPs of him yelling “Get back to work!” in the Tunnel of Stairs.
  • Unexplained whip marks appearing on visitors backs.

2. The Melted Men

Workers who fell into molten iron (2000 degrees fahrenheit)

• Activity:
  • Screams echoing from sealed furnace doors.
  • Orbs clustering where bodies were buried under the floor.
  • Visitors report sudden burns that vanish within hours.

3. The Catwalk Phantom (High Railings)

A 16-year old worker who fell 80 feet to his death in 1926.

• Activity:
  • Cold drafts followed by a voice pleading “Don’t let go!”
  • Footsteps running, then a loud *thud* replaying his fall.

4. The Underground Prisoners (Sealed Prisoners)

Convict laborers chained in basement tunnels.

• Activity:
  • Scratching behind locked doors.
  • EVPs whispering “Chains too tight”

How To Investigate:

• Hotspots
  • Furnace #1: Call Slag’s name-some get growled responses.
  • Tunnel of Stairs: IR cameras catch apparitions climbing endlessly.
  • Boiler Room: EMF spikes near the coal chute (suffocation deaths).

Dark History

• 1926 Explosion Cover-Up: 17 deaths blamed on “faulty valves,” but workers claimed sabotage.
• The Lost Graveyard: Unmarked graves beneath Parking Lot B.

WARNINGS:

• DO NOT taunt Slag-visitors report invisible hands choking them.
• DO wear closed-toe shoes-phantom machinery “operates.”

Location:

20 32nd St N, Birmingham, AL 35222

Tours:

• Haunted House (October only).
• Paranormal Lock-Ins (book via Sloss Furnaces).

2. The Drish House (Tuscaloosa)

The Haunting:

Built in 1837, this plantation home’s widow, Sarah Drish, obsessed over her

funeral. Legend says she demanded a tower fire be lit to guide her spirit home-and even today, phantom flames appear in the windows. Witnesses also hear disembodied piano music. Civil War Hospital: Union soldiers died in the attic (bloodstains still seep through paint). 1920s Schoolhouse: A teacher hanged herself in the bell tower. 1950s Junkyard Era: Cars crushed in the yard allegedly woke buried spirits. 

The Ghosts of The Drish House

1. Sarah Drish’s Eternal Flame

After her husband’s death, Sarah demanded a tower fire be lit nightly to guide her soul. When ignored, she cursed the house.

• Modern manifestations:
  • Phantom flames flicker in the tower (visible from Highway 82). Fire departments find no heat source.
  • The scent of embalming fluid (Sarah’s funeral was held in the parlor).
  • EVPs whisper “Light it!” near the staircase.

2. The Tower Girl

An enslaved 12-year-old named Mira fell (or was pushed) from the tower in 1856.

• Activity:
  • Child’s laughter at dusk.
  • Handprints on tower windows-too small for adults.
  • Visitors feel invisible hands tugging their clothes on the stairs.

3. The Choking Shadow (Dining Room)

A Union soldier poisoned by Confederates in 1865.

• Activity:
  • Guests report suffocation and the taste of bitter almonds (cyanide).
  • A black mass pins people to chairs for 30+ seconds.

4. The Bell Tower Suicide

Miss Lula, a 1920s teacher, hanged herself after a scandal.

• Activity:
  • Rope creaking sounds at midnight.
  • A shadowy figure swinging from the rafters.

How To Investigate:

• Hotspots
  • The Tower: Thermal cameras show cold spots where Mira fell.
  • Parlor Mirror: Say “Sarah, show yourself” 3x-some see her reflection.
  • Dining Room: Sprinkle salt on the table-it reveals claw marks.

Dark History:

• The Covered-Up Murder: Family letters hint Mira was pushed by Sarah’s niece.
• Morgue Secrets: In the 1950s, the junkyard owner stored unidentified bodies in the root cellar.

WARNINGS:

• DO NOT mock Sarah’s funeral-visitors report burns in candle-flame shapes.
• DO leave a lit candle in the tower to temporarily appease her.

Location:

2300 17th St, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Tours:

• Private investigations via *Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group*

3. St. James Hotel (Selma)

The Haunting:

Outlaw Jesse James once stayed here, and his spirit allegedly plays poker in room 301. Guests say they have woken up to the sound of poker chips clinking and the smell of bourbon and gunpowder; some claim that the temperature drops when an “invisible player” sits on the edge of the bed. A 2018 paranormal team captured an EVP growling, “Cheatin’ bastard”-possibly Jesse reacting to modern guests. Other ghosts include a weeping woman in a Victorian dress and a little girl who runs down the halls. Guests report cold spots and flickering lights. Violent deaths (shootings, hangings, a Union Soldier’s poisoning). Jesse James’ unfinished business (his last robbery was planned here). The “Hanging Tree” in the courtyard where vigilante executions occurred.

The Ghosts of the St. James Hotel

1. Jesse james (Room 301)

The outlaw stayed here in 1881 under the alias “Mr. Howard.”

• Activity:
  • Poker chips clinking and cigar smoke in Room 301.
  • A shadow figure tilting a chair back at the card table. 
  • EVPs growl “Cheatin’ bastard” when guests touch his favorite chair.

2. The Weeping Bride (Grand Staircase)

Eleanor, a Civil War bride, hanged herself after her fiancé died at Vicksburg.

• Activity:
  • Sobs echoing near the chandelier.
  • A Victorian woman’s reflection in mirrors-no body attached.
  • Psychics hear “Find my locket” (it’s buried in the courtyard).

3. The Hanging Tree Ghosts

At least 12 men lynched here during Reconstruction.

• Activity:
  • Rope fibers appearing on guests’ clothing. 
  • Kicking sounds at 3:17 AM (time of a Union spy’s hanging).
  • Thermal cameras show noose-shaped cold spots in the branches.

4. The Playful Child (Hallways)

Abigail, a 7-year-old guest who drowned in the Alabama River in 1892.

• Activity;
  • Giggles and running footsteps at night.
  • Toys left for her move to the river-facing windows.

How To Investigate:

• Hotspots
  • Room 301: Ask Jesse about his “last job”-some hear- “Northfield…” (where he was later killed).
  • Courtyard Tree: Leave a coin at the base-vanishes by dawn.
  • Dining Room: Order the “Poisoned Port” cocktail-linked to the Union soldier’s death. 

Dark History:

• The 1865 Poisoning: A Union officer was served strychnine-laced wine by a Confederate sympathizer.
• Jesse’s Lost Gold: Rumor says he hid loot in the walls-workers report knocking when renovations start.

WARNINGS:

• DO NOT mock the hanging tree-visitors feel invisible nooses brush their necks.
• DO sign the “Ghost Register” at check-in-previous entries include “J. James, 1881” in period handwriting.

Location:

1200 Water Ave, Selma, AL 36701

Tours:

• Selma Ghost Walk includes hotel stories.
• Overnight investigations allowed (book Room 315 for bride activity).

4. Fort Morgan (Gulf Shores)

The Haunting:

This Civil War fort saw brutal battles, and soldiers’ ghosts still march the ramparts. Visitors hear phantom cannon fire and see apparitions in uniform. The “Lady in Black” wanders the tunnels, mourning her lost love. It was the last US fort to surrender in the Civil War (April 1865).

The Ghosts of Fort Morgan

1. The Lady in Black

She was a widow who searched for her husband’s body after the Battle of Mobile Bay. She died of grief in the fort’s hospital. She is believed to be Serena Chandler, wife of Confederate Lt. James Chandler, the Lady in Black searched the battlefield for three days after the 1864 siege, and she died of exposure in the fort’s hospital.

• Activity:
  • Appears at sunset on Bastion #5 (where she last saw her husband)
  • Leaves wet footprints (from searching the shoreline)
  • 2022 thermal imaging showed a human-shaped cold spot moving along the ramparts.

2. Phantom Artillery Crew

43 Union soldiers died manning the water battery on August 5, 1864.

• Activity:
  • Cannons recoil with no physical explanation
  • EMF spikes at exact locations of original gun crews
  • 2019 reenactors reported invisible hands helping them load blanks

3. The Suicide Officer

Identified as Captain Elias Winslow through archival records and shot himself in the guardhouse after surrendering the fort.

• Activity:
  • Shadow figure paces the officer’s quarters
  • Muffled gunshot sounds at 2:17 AM (time of death)
  • 2023 EVP: “The shame…the shame…”

4. The Cursed Barracks

A WWII-era explosion killed 27 soldiers in 1944. Their ghosts still linger.

• Activity:
  • Disembodied coughing (from smoke inhalation)
  • Footsteps running toward the sealed underground tunnel (where some bodies were stored).
  • Cold spots so intense, they trigger modern smoke alarms

How To Investigate:

• Hotspots:
  • Water Battery: Apparitions seen loading nonexistent ammunition.
  • Officer’s Row: Full-body apparitions in period uniforms
  • Tunnel to Bastion #3: Reports of being “brushed past” by unseen entities
  • August is the best time to visit due to the battle anniversary or between 3-5 AM for peak activity.

Lost History:

• Diary of sergeant Thomas Pryor confirmed at least 12 soldiers were buried alive during construction.
• Medical records proving the Lady in Black was real (died August 8, 1864).
• Blueprints showing secret tunnels that now collapsed (but still emitting sounds).

WARNINGS:

• DO NOT take artifacts-every stolen item has been returned with hauntings attached.
• DO NOT mock the dead- multiple reports of invisible shoves near the moat.
• DO NOT say “Damn the torpedoes”-triggers explosive paranormal activity.

• DO respect the “Eyes Front” rule-many see figures only in peripheral vision.
• DO carry salt and iron-known to calm the more aggressive spirits.
• DO visit at low tide-some report seeing phantom ships in the fog.

Location:

51 AL-180, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Tours:

• Open daily

  5. Sweetwater Mansion (Florence)

The Haunting:

A Confederate soldier haunts the staircase, and a murdered servant girl’s spirit lingers in the attic. Doors slam, chandeliers swing, and visitors report being touched by invisible hands. Paranormal investigators call it a “hotspot.”

The Ghosts of Sweetwater Mansion

1. The Bloody Staircase (Confederate Lieutenant’s Death)

Lt. James Calloway, 23rd Alabama Infantry, shot for desertion on the grand staircase on March 15, 1863. The firing squad included his own brother-in-law.

• Activity:
  • Blood stains reappear on the 5th stair (forensic match to type O blood)
  • Phantom gunpowder smell at 3:15 PM (time of execution)
  • 2022 EVP: *Tell Martha I…” (cut off by gunshot sound)

2. Eliza-The Murdered Servant (Attic Horror)

Church records identify her as Eliza Carter, age 14. She was killed by mistress Sarah Brahan for “stealing” sugar on Christmas Eve 1858 and was buried beneath the attic floorboards.

• Activity:
  • Scraping sounds (her body being dragged) every December 24th.
  • Child’s voice singing “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” (last song she heard).
  • 2023 incident: A contractor found human finger bones in attic insulation.

3. The Crying Room (Master Bedroom)

Eleanor Brahan lost 3 children to scarlet fever in 1842. She went insane, turning the room into a shrine.

• Activity:
  • Wet patches appear on the bed where she wept
  • Antique rocking chair moves with measured 42 rocks per minute (her habit)
  • Digital thermometers show exact 103 degree fahrenheit readings (fever temperature)

4. The Basement Prisoners

Union POWs were starved in the cellar during the 1864 occupation and at least 8 died chained to the walls.

• Activity:
  • Rusting chains heard behind the walls
  • Apparitions in tattered blue uniforms begging for water
  • Visitors experience sudden thirst and dizziness

How To Investigate:

• Hotspots
  • Attic: Objects thrown, children’s laughter
  • Dining Room: Phantom dinner parties heard
  • Back Staircase: Apparitions of enslaved servants

Lost History:

• General Brahan’s secret diary detailing Eliza’s murder
• 1864 Union soldier’s letter describing “screams from below”
• Blueprints showing hidden compartments still unexplored

WARNINGS:

• DO NOT say “show yourself” in the attic (triggers violent poltergeist activity)
• DO NOT touch the mirror in the parlor (many report seeing Eliza behind them) 
• DO NOT take anything from the property (curses follow stolen items)

Location:

607 Sweetwater Ave, Florence, AL 35630

Tours:

• Private ghost hunts available (book in advance)