23 TALES OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA LORE & LEGENDS

One of the best parts of our job is that we regularly get to introduce people to the area and share the stories behind our vibrant, one-of-a-kind communities. This year, we are showcasing a total of 23 Tales of Western North Carolina in our magazine. We hope you enjoy this story-telling series and that by the end of the year everyone feels like a local!

The Devil's Courthouse

We find ourselves coming full circle with this tale from Transylvania County, home to The Devil’s Courthouse. In our January/February issue we learned about Judaculla Rock and how its nomenclature is rooted in the translation of the Cherokee word Tsul`kälû. Tsul`kälû was a giant that had control over wind, rain, thunder, and lighting. According to Cherokee lore, a cave within The Devil’s Courthouse served as Tsul`kälû’s private dancing chamber and dwelling place.

Over time, additional tales of this ominous looking formation took hold in local communities. Some believed the courthouse was created when the Devil stamped his foot in anger and that he still holds court there within one of the caves.

We are kindly reminded by the forest service, however, that despite its name and reputation, Devil's Courthouse is home to rare and delicate high-altitude plants.

The Voices of Roan Mountain

North of Devil’s Courthouse on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, you will find another prominent peak shrouded in mystery, Roan Mountain. For centuries there have been tales of strange noises heard along the mountain’s five-mile-long ridgetop. Early European settlers said that when they stood at the highest points along the ridge, they could hear voices singing in the wind. Unlike the Devil’s Courthouse, however, many attributed the phenomenon to that of a beautiful angelic choir.

Another real and rare phenomenon takes shape in the skyline above Roan Mountain. Over the years, people have reported seeing full circular rainbows in the heavens above. Surface level views of complete rainbows are only made possible from very high altitudes combined with perfect atmospheric conditions. Roan Mountain is one of the few places on earth that offers both on occasion.

Today, Roan Mountain is protected forest land and home to a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Click here to learn more about the unique history of the area and the beautiful flora and Roan

The Phantom Hitchhiker

We now move to a stretch of road in Haywood County where over the decades drivers have reported picking up a hitchhiker who later disappears from the car. Common threads of their reports include driving in the rain on US 70-A and on a sweeping curve a young woman appears in a white dress, frantically flagging them down. For those that stop, she introduces herself as Lydia and explains she needs to return home from a dance. When they arrive at her address, the driver looks back and she has completely vanished.

The driver later learns that Lydia died in a car wreck by that overpass in 1923, and that is why the old underpass near Jamestown is called Lydia's Bridge. Drive by it on a rainy night and you too might just catch a glimpse of Lydia still trying to find her way home. Read More

Decoration Day at Cable Cemetery

In our January/February issue we not only learned about Judaculla Rock, but also The Road to Nowhere. This infamous road was not the only byproduct of the creation of Fontana Lake. When Old Highway 288 was submerged to form the lake, so were the surrounding homes and approximately 28 cemeteries on the north shore.

This takes us to the Cable family. While their original farm now rests well below a hundred feet of water, their old family cemetery rises just above the waterline and is accessible by boat. In a moving show of respect, descendants of the family gather there annually on Decoration Day to place flowers on the graves, sing spirituals and share a meal. Click here to learn more about Cable Cove and the tradition of Decoration Day. Better yet, check out the North Shore Cemetery Decorations Facebook page for information about upcoming Decoration Days scheduled for all 28 cemeteries.