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The Battletown Witch Festival w/ Annie Hamilton Emond Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

If you enjoyed our last full-length episode Legacy of the Battletown Witch and want to hear more about this year's Battletown Witch Festival, join Brandon as he sits down for a brief conversation with the festival's co-founder and chair Annie Hamilton Emond of Meade County Tourism.

Make Plans to attend the Battletown Witch Festival today!

When: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Where: YMCA Camp Piomingo in Otter Creek Park of Brandenburg, Kentucky
Cost: Free! VIP tickets are available at BattletownWitch.com
Connect with the festival on social media for updates and more!

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Legacy of the Battletown Witch Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

On Saturday, October 26th, Meade County, Kentucky, hosts its third annual Battletown Witch Festival, a family-friendly celebration inspired by one of the region’s most infamous local legends. This tale, passed down through generations of Battletown families, claims that a young woman buried in the old Elizabeth Daily Cemetery continues to haunt the hills and hollers after being unjustly killed for being a witch. Her name was Leah Smock, and while the lore may not be well-known outside of the state, this likely innocent woman has the dubious legacy of being the only witch to have been burned alive in the United States. Yet, the mystery of what truly happened to Leah Smock lingers to this day, as legend asserts that her spirit still roams the woods near her grave. As the folks from the Battletown Witch Festival say, “Even though she has a scary name, the true horror is what happened to her.”

Make Plans to attend the Battletown Witch Festival today!

When: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Where: YMCA Camp Piomingo in Otter Creek Park of Brandenburg, Kentucky
Cost: Free! VIP tickets are available at BattletownWitch.com
Connect with the festival on social media for updates and more!

Topics Explored in this episode of Southern Gothic:

History of Battletown, Kentucky: Battletown isa small rural community nestled in the rolling hills of Meade County on the Ohio River, located just 35 miles away as the crow flies. Historically it is an agricultural hub enriched by limestone deposits crucial for farming, Battletown evolved from an 18th-century hunting ground to a community known for its coopers– craftsmen who built barrels for the lime industry.
Elizabeth Daily Cemetery: The place where Leah Smock is buried is currently on private property and off limits to legend trippers; however, for years this site has been believed to be haunted by the spirit of Leah Smock. Generations of Battletown residents have taken their kids to the cemetery to tell them stories of the Battletown Witch
Life of Leah Smock: Born in 1818 to John Smock and Margaret Ann Scott, Leah was raised in a devout Christian household. Described as intelligent, beautiful, and deeply connected to nature, Leah spent her time in the woods, gathering herbs and showing an unusual bond with animals, which led to rumors. Her friendship with a Native American man, known as "Indian Joe," fueled further speculation, as some believed he shared mystical knowledge with her. By age twelve, Leah’s purported ability to predict the future and forecast events sparked fear in her community, eventually leading to accusations of witchcraft.
Accusations of Witchcraft: Leah was blamed for a series of misfortunes in her community—from the deaths of babies and horses to crop failures—leading to widespread fear and accusations of witchcraft. Stories of her unsettling demeanor and mysterious powers grew, culminating in a tragic climax when the locals, driven by fear and suspicion, decided to burn her alive, believing she had cursed their livelihoods and brought evil upon their community.
History of Witchcraft Hysteria: Historically, witchcraft has been met with severe punishment, often influenced by Heinrich Kramer's "Malleus Maleficarum," which ignited widespread witch hunts and executions across Europe. Leah Smock's fate, burned alive in 1840 without a trial, is an anomaly in the U.S., where such accusations more commonly led to hangings, as seen in the Salem witch trials.
Leah’s Brutal Murder: On August 21, 1840 Leah Smock was killed at her home in Battletown, Kentucky. She was locked in a smokehouse and burned alive.
The Paranormal Legacy: Almost immediately following Leah’s death, some began to claim that her apparition had appeared to them, and others that her spirit was making an impact on the community in a number of different ways, leaving a long legacy of ghost stories.

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The Thing in the White House Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

On July 26, 1911, Major Archibald Butt, the military aide to President William Howard Taft, wrote to his sister-in-law about something rather odd that had been happening inside the walls of the White House for months: “My dear Clara, It seems that the White House is haunted."

The Major then continues on to describe some of the interesting and eerie claims made members of the White House staff, folks who claim to have come into contact with an entity that has since become known simply as "The Thing."

This episode was done in collaboration with Howard Dorre of the chart-topping history podcast Plodding Through the Presidents.

Join Brandon in Nashville for a LIVE storytelling event on October 17, 2024: Tickets are available now!

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The Ghost of Alice Riley Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

According to local legend, visitors to Savannah’s Historic Wright Square have been known to encounter a young woman dressed in 18th-century style clothing. Some are said to have been approached and begged for their assistance in finding the woman’s lost son. Yet when folks begin to search the area, the girl disappears. Many believe this is the ghost of Alice Riley, the first woman executed in the colony of Georgia.

Alice Riley arrived in the American Colonies in January of 1734 as an indentured servant who would work for about five to seven years to pay back her debt and earn her freedom. To pay back the cost of the voyage she would be sent to work for William Wise, a man of questionable character. It would be a tragic assignment that led to Wise dead and Alice Riley convicted of a murder that some believe she may not have actually committed.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/GOTHIC and get on your way to being your best self!
Purchase a copy of Vanessa's book Hanging Alice (Lore & Legend Book 3): https://a.co/d/dxleML8
Join Brandon in Nashville for a LIVE storytelling event on October 17, 2024: Tickets are available now!

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Join Us Live in Nashville: October 17, 2024 Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

Y'all we're going live with a little good old-fashioned storytelling on Thursday, October 17th in Nashville, Tennessee!

Prepare for an unforgettable night as Brandon Schexnayder, the voice behind the popular podcast Southern Gothic, takes the stage to weave eerie ghost stories from the haunted South. This is not just a show—it's an intimate, spine-tingling journey into the darkest corners of Southern history.

With limited seating to create a truly personal and immersive experience, Brandon will be joined on stage by the mesmerizing guitar work of Alexandra Mann, providing a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. Sit back, relax, have a cocktail and get spooked!

Book your tickets now before they vanish!

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Ghost Ship of the Outer Banks Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

On the morning of January 31, 1921, Surfman C.P. Brady of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Cape Hatteras Station No. 183 stood watch over the treacherous waters of the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." His early morning shift, had been uneventful until the mist began to lift around 6:30. What appeared before him was chilling: a massive, five-masted schooner, sails still raised, had run aground on the Outer Diamond Shoals. Its name was the Carroll A. Deering. But if this sight wasn't strange enough, when the Coast Guard finally made their way out to the shipwrecked vessel, it was discovered that the crew was nowhere to be found-- a maritime mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

Join Brandon in Nashville for a LIVE storytelling event on October 17, 2024: Tickets are available now!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/GOTHIC and get on your way to being your best self!

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Spirits of Sloss Furnaces Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

Southern Gothic: Live in Nashville is happening on October 17, 2024... be sure to get your tickets now!!

Built in 1881, Sloss Furnaces was the first of many blast furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama to manufacture pig iron. The furnaces aided in catalyzing an Industrial Revolution in the postwar south. It was in Alabama, that the iron industry took off, providing the rest of the country with the material necessary to build everything from country bridges to the first skyscrapers.

But this lucrative new economy came at a high cost to the men who toiled to keep the furnace fed. A majority of furnaces workers were formerly enslaved men, willing to take any work away from the fields they were once forced to labor in. With extreme and hazardous working conditions at the best of times, it is no surprise that accidents resulting in injury or death occurred

Today, many believe that echoes of the tragedy experienced by past workers still reverberate through the tunnels and catwalks of this icon of American industry.

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Return of the Red Lady Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

There's been some pretty big changes to a classic story! Join us as we explore a classic Alabama ghost story that claims an old dormitory on the campus of Huntingdon College is haunted by the spirit of a former student.

...but that ain't all! We also had a chance to chat with Dr. Anthony Leigh, the current president of Huntingdon College. Dr. Leigh discusses a little bit of the college's history, the legacy of storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham, and of course the Red Lady herself.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/GOTHIC and get on your way to being your best self!

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The Witch of Mansfield: Phebe Wise w/ Mark S. Jordan | Most Notorious! Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical accuracy.

Follow Most Notorious! on your favorite podcasting app today!

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Pensacola's Haunted Lighthouse Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

For almost two centuries, the Pensacola lighthouse has stood overlooking the entrance to Pensacola Bay guiding generations of mariners safely through the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Mexico; but over the last few decades, this historic maritime landmark has become notorious for the purported spirits believed to call it home.

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