William B. Bankhead National Forest, Double Springs
Folklore surrounding the William B. Bankhead National Forest in Double Springs, Alabama, includes stories of Civil War revenge, restless Native American spirits, and a banished witch. Aunt Jenny Brooks Johnson: This local legend revolves around a woman who lived in the forest during the Civil War. Her husband and oldest son were allegedly killed by the Home Guard for feeding deserters or refusing to join the Confederate cause. A ghostly quest for vengeance: The distraught Jenny, along with her five remaining sons, reputedly set out to kill every member of the Home Guard unit responsible. She and her sons successfully tracked down seven of the eight men involved. Haunting in the Kinlock area: Though Jenny passed away in 1924, her spirit is said to haunt the Kinlock trails, still angry over her losses. Hikers have claimed to hear her ghostly voice yelling, "get off my property!" and have reported seeing green orbs and hearing other strange sounds. Some visitors to the forest claim to hear strange, disembodied voices echoing through the trees at night. These whispers are believed by some to be the spirits of Native Americans who once roamed the area or the souls of early settlers who mysteriously vanished.