A Visit To The Devil's Tramping Ground

[Devilwin]

Took a trip yesterday with my brother to Bear Creek, a farming community about ten miles south of Siler City. Bear Creek is home to one of NC's biggest legends, that of the Devil's Tramping Ground, a bare circular patch of ground where Satan is supposed to walk in circles plotting against us.
After finishing Mike's business he had down there, we decided to run by the place and check it out. We both had delivered in the area for Fedex in the past, and had taken lunch there from time to time. If you aren't familiar with the legend, nothing grows in the circle (not so) objects left inside the circle are gone the next day, (maybe Satan likes Coors and Slim Jims) and animals won't go near it. People that spend the night there are driven mad...
We arrived, and walked the fifty feet or so into the woods to the circle. We found it looking pretty much like it was when we were there last.
The only thing that grows there is a species of wire grass, a type I have noticed growing in narrow lines near salt licks in the mountains.
Still, this grass is sparse inside the circle. Of course, party people leave their trash and this time there was a goat skull, resplendent with arching horns.
We decided to pick up the aforementioned snack wrappers and beer cans as Mike had a few trash bags in his vehicle. Altogether there were around forty cans. We placed the skull on a nearby stump just outside the circle.
As we were finishing this chore, the wind suddenly picked up, and a good sized limb broke off of a nearby tree, and landed about ten feet from where we were standing, just inside the circle. I know this sounds like a ghost story, but every word is true!
On why not much grows in the circle, maybe it is a salt lick, and the wire grass is the only thing that can grow there. So, being the inquisitive creature I am, decided to see if there were animal tracks leading to the circle. And, if they would go into it.
The ground being muddy from the recent rains, it did not take long to find deer tracks. Two trails were plainly visible. One, a doe, had come straight down the path then did a hard right just outside the circle. A buck had come from the south, and turned left, also avoiding the circle. Mike found a set of canine tracks, (dog or coyote) that had come in from the north, stopped about ten feet outside the circle, then turned east toward the road, also avoiding the circle.
We found no tracks (including human) inside the circle.
There have been many theories about the place, but nothing concrete has been put forward yet. The salt lick theory does not hunt, because if it were a salt lick, deer tracks would be everywhere..Just weird. Although neither of us are superstitious, the hair on our necks was standing as we trekked out of there..
We left and and took a drive by Frances Bavier's old home, and visited her grave site while we were there. She was Aunt Bea on the Andy Griffith show. We had delivered to her home there many times.
Nice trip with my brother, you ought to go check it out if you are in the area..

[devildeac]

Took a trip yesterday with my brother to Bear Creek, a farming community about ten miles south of Siler City. Bear Creek is home to one of NC's biggest legends, that of the Devil's Tramping Ground, a bare circular patch of ground where Satan is supposed to walk in circles plotting against us.
After finishing Mike's business he had down there, we decided to run by the place and check it out. We both had delivered in the area for Fedex in the past, and had taken lunch there from time to time. If you aren't familiar with the legend, nothing grows in the circle (not so) objects left inside the circle are gone the next day, (maybe Satan likes Coors and Slim Jims) and animals won't go near it. People that spend the night there are driven mad...
We arrived, and walked the fifty feet or so into the woods to the circle. We found it looking pretty much like it was when we were there last.
The only thing that grows there is a species of wire grass, a type I have noticed growing in narrow lines near salt licks in the mountains.
Still, this grass is sparse inside the circle. Of course, party people leave their trash and this time there was a goat skull, resplendent with arching horns.
We decided to pick up the aforementioned snack wrappers and beer cans as Mike had a few trash bags in his vehicle. Altogether there were around forty cans. We placed the skull on a nearby stump just outside the circle.
As we were finishing this chore, the wind suddenly picked up, and a good sized limb broke off of a nearby tree, and landed about ten feet from where we were standing, just inside the circle. I know this sounds like a ghost story, but every word is true!
On why not much grows in the circle, maybe it is a salt lick, and the wire grass is the only thing that can grow there. So, being the inquisitive creature I am, decided to see if there were animal tracks leading to the circle. And, if they would go into it.
The ground being muddy from the recent rains, it did not take long to find deer tracks. Two trails were plainly visible. One, a doe, had come straight down the path then did a hard right just outside the circle. A buck had come from the south, and turned left, also avoiding the circle. Mike found a set of canine tracks, (dog or coyote) that had come in from the north, stopped about ten feet outside the circle, then turned east toward the road, also avoiding the circle.
We found no tracks (including human) inside the circle.
There have been many theories about the place, but nothing concrete has been put forward yet. The salt lick theory does not hunt, because if it were a salt lick, deer tracks would be everywhere..Just weird. Although neither of us are superstitious, the hair on our necks was standing as we trekked out of there..
We left and and took a drive by Frances Bavier's old home, and visited her grave site while we were there. She was Aunt Bea on the Andy Griffith show. We had delivered to her home there many times.
Nice trip with my brother, you ought to go check it out if you are in the area..

4694d635b3450097a617adea024e4392_640x640.jpg

Now I know the story behind this beer name from Aviator Brewing in Fuquay-Varina. Thanks!

[bedeviled]

nothing grows in the circle (not so) objects left inside the circle are gone the next day, (maybe Satan likes Coors and Slim Jims) and animals won't go near it. People that spend the night there are driven mad...

Friends and I visited on Halloween night. We were as scared of what people might be skulking about as much as we were scared of the devil him/herself. All we found were beer cans, a diaper, and some logs set up for seating around a past campfire. The unknown and dark night made for a worthwhile fright nonetheless. I plead the 5th on the "driven mad" part.

We considered a road trip to see the girl at the bridge ghost in Jamestown, NC but the trip never materialized

[weezie]

On a driving trip through Ireland, we stopped at a pagan altar site north of the Cliffs of Moher. Bright sunny day. Opened the car door and rain appeared in a cloudburst. Closed the door and it stopped and sun broke through. Opened door, walked ten feet and boom, downpour. Back to car, sunshine. Three times it happened. Then I got frustrated and marched through another rain squall to the altar.
Drenched but triumphant Then we stopped at a pub. Take that Boogie-Druids!

[Devilwin]

Friends and I visited on Halloween night. We were as scared of what people might be skulking about as much as we were scared of the devil him/herself. All we found were beer cans, a diaper, and some logs set up for seating around a past campfire. The unknown and dark night made for a worthwhile fright nonetheless. I plead the 5th on the "driven mad" part.

We considered a road trip to see the girl at the bridge ghost in Jamestown, NC but the trip never materialized

The Jamestown ghost, Lydia, is seen at the old bridge in the woods about 90 feet from the current bridge. Have been there a couple of times.

[JStuart]

On a driving trip through Ireland, we stopped at a pagan altar site north of the Cliffs of Moher. Bright sunny day. Opened the car door and rain appeared in a cloudburst. Closed the door and it stopped and sun broke through. Opened door, walked ten feet and boom, downpour. Back to car, sunshine. Three times it happened. Then I got frustrated and marched through another rain squall to the altar.
Drenched but triumphant Then we stopped at a pub. Take that Boogie-Druids!

And that was the only proper thing to do! Right, DevilDeac?

[JStuart]

4694d635b3450097a617adea024e4392_640x640.jpg

Now I know the story behind this beer name from Aviator Brewing in Fuquay-Varina. Thanks!

Yeah, no grass grows on those beer cans...

[YmoBeThere]

I lived in Jamestown for four years and never heard the story of the ghost.

[devildeac]

And that was the only proper thing to do! Right, DevilDeac?

Absolutely!

[Devilwin]

All this reminds me of a song I wrote about ten years ago about the spooky lights on Brown Mountain in Burke County. I wrote it for a friend of my son who is a musician. Here is the lyric


I met an old man that had a tale to tell
About the lights from Brown Mountain
And how he knew them well
He said they were ghosts from the Cherokee tribe
That marched into battle
with garlands untied
They march on unceasing with eyes that have no sight
And dwell in the dark of
Brown mountain lights

Sometimes you'll see them blue, then you'll see them red
They turn into a great white light
And then you'll see them spread
Over on that mountain
They still may hold their rites
And live in the dark of Brown Mountain lights

The old man finished his story
He had no more to tell he got up from the table and I watched his body frail
Walk into the misty fog then turned and waved goodbye
Carried away by Brown Mountain lights

On a clear October evening you may feel the wind grow cold
You'll feel in your body and feel it in your soul
Feel ,it in your heart and you will feel it all your life
You can still see them marching with torches held high
There in the dark of Brown Mountain Lights..

[TruBlu]

Brown Mountain Lights always takes me back to a song about it by Tommy Faile of Arthur Smith and the Cracker Jacks, a musical group that had a tv show in Charlotte in the late 50’s.

Anyone else here old enough to remember? I would link the song, but like most old people, I’m not good at linky thingies.

[Devilwin]

Brown Mountain Lights always takes me back to a song about it by Tommy Faile of Arthur Smith and the Cracker Jacks, a musical group that had a tv show in Charlotte in the late 50’s.

Anyone else here old enough to remember? I would link the song, but like most old people, I’m not good at linky thingies.

I do..Much better than mine too..lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suzXgd5FFXw

[killerleft]

Brown Mountain Lights always takes me back to a song about it by Tommy Faile of Arthur Smith and the Cracker Jacks, a musical group that had a tv show in Charlotte in the late 50’s.

Anyone else here old enough to remember? I would link the song, but like most old people, I’m not good at linky thingies.

Which takes me back to a photo I found at Dad's. It was taken at Tweetsie Railroad, a tourist attraction near Blowing Rock, NC. Sitting on a bench are several of my immediate family members, and smack in the middle of them is Tommy Faile, smiling nicely and looking like family. I think he was there as a tourist, if I am remembering the story correctly. The photo was taken in the early 70s, perhaps while I was away doing my duty as a drafted Army soldier (not in Vietnam, thank goodness).