Ghosts of the American South Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pig iron

Birmingham, Alabama was known as the "Pittsburgh of the South" as it became a thriving iron and steel city until the 1960s. One of the largest blast furnaces, making pig iron, was called Sloss Furnace. In 1906, as the temperatures inside reached close to 120 degrees, a worker nicknamed "Slag" Wormwood got dizzy and lost his footing.

He fell into the molted ore and melted instantly. His ghost, and others who suffered there, have been seen wandering the deserted facilities. Several television shows and documentaries have highlighted this mysterious factory.

Answer: Joel Chandler Harris

Joel Chandler Harris moved into the Victorian home in Atlanta known as the "Wren's Nest" in the 1880s with his wife and nine children, only six whom survived to adulthood. Here he wrote many of his works, including those around Uncle Remus and his stories.

By the early 1900s there were sightings of two young ghostly boys (assumed to be sons of Harris), the author himself, and a former kitchen worker. In 2019, the Southeastern Institute of Paranormal Research conducted a month-long investigation with positive results.

Answer: Harpe brothers

The old inn, located along the Natchez Trail in Mississippi, was built in the 1700s to service flatboat merchants and explorers. The Harpe brothers, who were actually cousins, made their way through the trails and murdered people as they went. The youngest, Wiley "Little" Harpe, was finally caught and hanged near the tavern and his ghost is seen wandering the area.

In 1930, three skeletons were found behind a fireplace. A baby's cries can be heard in the upstairs floors. And a ghost named Madeline, who was a mistress to a tavern owner, is said to perform paranormal antics.

The Travel Channel series "Ghost Adventures" has featured this site in its shows.

Answer: Hurricane

The Gray Man dates back to 1822 when a young man returned from a sea voyage just ahead of a big storm. Anxious to see his sweetheart, he headed out through the beaches and marshes. Unfortunately, the weather caught up to him and he drowned. Over the last 200 years, people still claim to see him right before an approaching hurricane. Once he is spotted, the locals say it is well advised to pack up and head out of town.

These events have been reported in several newspapers and on-line sources.

Answer: Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh was a crucial success for the Union troops and helped them to begin a campaign to win control of the Mississippi River. Thousands died on each side during the bloody two day battle on the banks of the Tennessee River. Visitors and park rangers at the National Park site claim they still hear distant gunfire, the beating of drums, cannon shots, and screams. Ghostly apparitions have been sighted at the Bloody Pond, the Peach Orchard, and the Old Shiloh Church.

Answer: A playground

Maple Hill Cemetery was founded in 1822 and was the site of many child burials when the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic swept through the area. Years later, a playground was built and soon people began to start reporting mysterious happenings. The area became known as "Dead Children's Playground" where one could, between the hours of 10:00 PM and 3:00 AM, see swings moving by themselves, watch ghostly children, and hear faint laughter.

It is a site seen on programs and often visited by haunted tours of the United States.

Answer: Voodoo

Voodoo is a religion that has its roots in Africa and was a powerful force in the 1800s in New Orleans. The core belief is that one God does not interfere in daily life, but spirits may do so. Marie Laveau was born around 1800, the illegitimate daughter of a Creole man and a black/Chocktaw woman. By 1830 she had learned about voodoo from "Doctor John" and begin to dominate the rituals and ceremonies of the city.

After she died in 1881, she was buried in an above-ground crypt and visitors flocked to the site.

It is said that her ghost can be seen there at certain times and that, if one follows specific rituals (e.g. knocking, offering, etc.), she may grant a wish.

Answer: A cat

The lighthouse has black and white candy-cane stripes and its light spans 20 miles into the ocean, protecting ships traversing the Outer Banks. It is the world's tallest brick lighthouse at 208 feet tall. Around 1920, a black and white cat began appearing near the base of the tower.

It would walk up toward tourists and appear to want to rub against their legs. When a person would reach to pet it, the cat would vanish into air. It is believed the cat belonged to a lighthouse keeper from long ago and that it is still protecting the building.

Answer: St. Augustine

The hospital was originally built as a merchant's home. When the Spanish took the city over in 1784, for the second time, they converted the home into a hospital. From them until 1821, hundreds of sick and injured people were treated at the site. During those years, doctors performed amputations and worked with the victims of the yellow fever epidemics. During renovation of the building, Native American bones were found and it was discovered the hospital was built on a sacred ground. Visitors report seeing ghosts of soldiers, sighting beds moving on their own, and smelling the distinct scent of sulfur.

Answer: Tuberculosis

The weather of Kentucky in the 1900s was a breeding ground for tuberculosis, which was a disease that consumed lung tissue. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built for 50 patients but had to expand to hold 400 beds. Since there was no known cure at the time, people were put outside for "fresh air" even in the coldest winters and sometimes were operated on to collapse lungs. So many people died that a tunnel was made to carry the corpses out so as not be seen by patients and visitors. Television shows, and even a movie, have capitalized on the many sightings of ghostly patients and staff wandering the halls looking for a cure.