HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Jeffers Bend Environmental Center invited in the community on Saturday night to hear the Bell Witch Legend by local historian William Turner and educator Wayne Goolsby.

In its twelfth year, the Torchlight Tales event has brought youth and families out to enjoy spooky supernatural stories, participate in an 1800s period costume contest, and enjoy hot chocolate, all around a fire to keep warm on a crisp autumnal night.

Hosted annually by the Pennyrile RC&D Steering Committee, the event has seen a growing turnout throughout the years, with more and more families making the story time an established tradition. For the first time, two more storytellers joined the tradition: Ann Roseberry and Scott Mayes, both telling other superstitious legends.

Throughout the telling of legends, individuals dressed in 1800s attire were seen interacting with the crowd, adding to the eerie setting. Turner, who has told the Bell Witch story since the late 1960s, said that the community enjoys this story because of how close the story took place to Christian County.

“We have many of the same people every year come and listen to this story,” he said. “Telling the story at Jeffers Bend adds tremendous atmosphere.”

For information on upcoming events at Jeffers Bend, follow them on Facebook or call 270-885-5600.

Legend of the Bell Witch

As reported by news affiliate Clarksville Now, starting in 1817, the small town of Adams, just east of nearby Clarksville, Tennessee was the site of one of the most well-known hauntings in American history. At the time, it caught the attention – and then the involvement – of a future president of the United States, Andrew Jackson.

Known as the Bell Witch, the strange and often violent poltergeist provoked fear and curiosity.

Details vary from version to version. But the prevailing account is that it was the spirit of, or a spirit conjured by, Kate Batts, a neighbor of farmer John Bell. She believed she was cheated by him in a land purchase, and, on her deathbed, she swore she would haunt Bell and his descendants. The torment of the Bell house continued for years, culminating in the ghost’s ultimate act of vengeance: She took responsibility for John Bell’s death.

Today, the Bell Witch property, including the Bell Witch Cave, is open for tours. For details and reservations, go to the Bell Witch Cave website, call 615-696-3055 or email bellwitchcave@gmail.com.

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