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Native American Legends: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends Thanksgiving Edition
Welcome to the Tennessee Ghosts and Legends Podcast. My name is Lyle Russell. I am your host, and I love a good ghost story. On today’s Thanksgiving holiday episode, we’ll explore some Tennessee Native American legends about spurned love, why black bears do not have tails, a strange creature said to eat the livers of kidnapped children, and two trees that grew from an act of great betrayal and from great love. Join me for the stories of the Black Bear and the Fox, Reelfoot Lake, a shapeshifter known as Spearfinger, and the Legend of Nocatula.
The Buckner Witch of Standing Stone: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
Welcome to the Tennessee Ghosts and Legends Podcast. My name is Lyle Russell. I am your host, and I love a good ghost story. Today, we’ll discuss a local legend from Putnam County, Tennessee about the ghost of a jealous woman dressed in all black that haunted Margaret Buckner until the day she died. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Polly Brewington, the Buckner Witch of Standing Stone.
The Orpheum Theater: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
Today’s episode takes us once again to the home of the Delta Blues and a famous theater site haunted by no less than a reported seven spirits. The most mischievous one has her very own seat that is forever reserved as a place for her to watch performances despite becoming a ghost over 100 years ago. Welcome to Memphis’s Orpheum Theater.
Trees in the News: Andrew Jackson’s Magnolias and the D.C. Cherry Blossoms!
Ironic that Jackson and his magnolia trees both took direct hits, one in 1806 and the others in 1994, and still remained standing tall. However, now, in 2025, it would seem the trees have to come down.
The Flintville Monster: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
In this episode, we’ll visit the rural town of Flintville, Tennessee and the surrounding area in Lincoln County. But hiding somewhere in the surrounding hills and forests of the area is supposedly an elusive, mysterious, and aggressive beast, said to stand around eight feet tall and have a terrible skunk-like odor, along with a propensity for violent encounters with the local residents. Today, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the legend of the Flintville Monster.
The Snake Charmer of Fiddler’s Rock: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
This episode is part legend and part ghost story. In the Appalachians just east of Mountain City, Tennessee stands the Stone Mountains. Legend has it that on calm nights, the sound of a ghostly fiddle as well as painful screams can be heard coming from a formation there known as Fiddler’s Rock. There are multiple local tales about this remote site and the melancholy ghost who haunts it. Join me as we explore the ghostly legend of the Snake Charmer of Fiddler’s Rock.
The Tennessee State Prison: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
In this episode, we’ll explore the history and some of the terrifying stories centered around one of Tennessee’s most famous and recognizable abandoned landmarks. It began as one of the most modern and humane prison compounds in the country but ended as a maximum security nightmare for the inmates within. Welcome to the haunted halls of the Tennessee State Prison.
Tennessee UFO Encounters: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
Today, we’re going to shift genres from the supernatural to the extra-terrestrial. Tennessee has its fair share of UFO sightings and alien interactions, so many in fact that there was a proposal to build a UFO landing pad in Nashville. In this episode, we’ll explore some of those reported encounters throughout the state, as well as an extraordinary historical UFO event in 1853. Today, Tennessee Ghosts and Legends will boldly go where no man has gone before. Engage!
How Many Joules is an Eagle’s Life Worth?
I am not against clean energy renewables, but there is one part I cannot abide, and that is wind farms and the damage they do to bird of prey populations, particularly the Bald and Golden Eagle species.
Writing and Blogging in the World of A.I.
Where do you stand on using AI in writing? Is it fair to have a bot write your content and then claim it as your own work? I say it is cheating the reader.
My Personal Paranormal Experiences: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
In this episode, I’ll share with you my own personal experiences with the paranormal, both as a child in Florida, and as an adult in Tennessee. These are the true stories of my experiences that made me a believer in the world beyond.
The Legend of the Tennessee Pygmies: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
In this episode, we’ll explore a folk tale that has endured in Tennessee history since the early 1800s, where farmers in White County discovered hundreds of graves under their crop fields. Allow me to introduce you to the archeological mystery of the Tennessee Pygmy tribe.
The Bleeding Mausoleum: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
We begin season two with a strange urban legend. In this episode, you’ll be introduced to the tragic story of Little Nina Craigmiles, and the unexplained mystery of Cleveland’s Bleeding Mausoleum.
The Seafaring World of Arctic Artist William Bradford
Join me on a visit to the Cheekwood Mansion’s Morning Room, where next to a large marble fireplace and mirror hangs the realistic landscape painting titled Sunset in the Arctic, painted by American artist William Bradford in the early 1870s.
Stonehenge: Archeological Myths and Truths
Stonehenge is on my bucket list to visit one day. Until then, I had the opportunity to dig in to some of its history for my anthropology class research paper. I received an A, so here it is in all its APA glory. Enjoy!
A Case for Birds of Prey and the Importance of Raptor Conservation
Just as dogs are considered man’s best friend, hawks and owls could be considered a farmer’s best friend. A farmer who sells their bushels of grain to market should thank raptors for their pest control services.
Digital Jekylls and Hydes: The Two Faces of Humans on the Internet
I wrote this paper for a college English class and thought it would make a thought-provoking blog post. I am a tremendous supporter of free speech, but words matter. Choose carefully. You are free to speak your mind but not always free of the consequences that your words create.
The Bell Witch of Robertson County: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
In the early 1800's John Bell and his family were tormented by a witch that took up residence at their cabin in Red River, Tennessee. Why did the witch hate John Bell so much? And what about his young daughter, Betsy? Join me for a jaunt through Tennessee's most famous haunting, The Bell Witch.
The Shelby Forest Pig Man: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
What is haunting the bridge on Shakerag Road to the west of Millington, Tennessee? An old munitions factory from World War II my hold the answer to the bizarre tale of the Shelby Forest Pigman.
Pink Lizzie and the Mystery Jar: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
On today’s episode, we’ll travel to the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock-n-Roll to explore a peculiar, haunted tale that includes a startling apparition, seances, an untimely robbery, and an old musty jar full of treasure. The event took the entire city by storm, giving everyone "ghost fever" as the odd circumstances unfolded. Allow me to introduce you to one of Memphis’s most famous ghost stories, Pink Lizzie and the Mystery Jar.
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
Take a stroll through the haunted, sordid, and violent history of Tennessee's long-time maximum security prison, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary! Learn about the strange happenings and recorded paranormal encounters in one of Tennessee's most haunted sites.
The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
Listen in as we explore the bizarre circumstances surrounding one half of the most famous American exploration duo in history, Meriwether Lewis. What happened to him at Grinder's Stand on the Natchez Trace? Did he commit suicide, as the popular theories say? Was it an illness or overdose? Or was Governor Lewis murdered? Listen in and decide what you think happened.
The Beast of the Land Between the Lakes: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
What is hiding within the 276 square miles of The Land Between the Lakes National Park? Many cryptid investigators believe that beautiful wilderness is home to a Bigfoot or werewolf type creature with a murderous appetite. Join me as we explore three supposed eyewitness accounts of the terrifying creature known as the Beast of the Land Between the Lakes.
Haunted Battlefields – Shiloh and Chickamauga’s ‘Old Green Eyes’: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
In this episode, we'll explore two of the hardest-fought battles in the southern theater of the American Civil War: Shiloh, with it's random wandering spirits, and the entity that haunts Chickamauga known to the locals as, 'Old Green Eyes'.
The White Bluff Screamer and Werewolf Springs: Tennessee Ghosts and Legends
Just what are people seeing and hearing in the woods around Montgomery Bell State Park near White Bluff? Eyewitness accounts have reported seeing and hearing the eerie wailing of the White Bluff Screamer. Join me as we discuss the legends from Dickson County.
The Headless Signalman and the Chapel Hill Ghost Light: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
Chapel Hill, Tennessee is home to one of the most haunted tales in the state. The strange lights that haunt the train tracks have been seen by hundreds of people, but where do they come from? Listen in on this episode to hear the story of the Headless Signalman and the Chapel Hill Ghost Light.
The Legend of Sadie Baker: Tennessee Ghosts & Legends
This unique Coffee County, Tennessee legend features the sad tale of a young girl accused of witchcraft, and becomes a local story that is still told, and feared, over 150 years later. Allow me introduce you to the strange legend of Sadie Baker.
How to be S.M.A.R.T. and Lead Your Team
Is your team struggling to hit its stride? Interpersonal conflict interfering with your productivity? Check out this article on how you can recognize your team's weaknesses and find ways to turn your ship around.
Communication Barriers and How to Overcome Them
This is my first article in a series I'm calling Be a Better Leader. Each month in 2022, I will share with you some useful tips and tricks on leadership that I've learned through the years. For this month, we dive into the murk of communication!
The Call of the Sea: An Essay
The oceans and the age of sail is a fascinating time that captured my young imagination on the first pages of Stevenson's Treasure Island, and the first time I read Melville's opening words, "Call me Ishmael."
Lifeboat: A Star Wars Fan Fiction, Part VI
Rejoin the Imperial refugees aboard Emperor Palpatine's shuttle for Part Six as they fend off a bounty hunter and prepare to attack the Stargazer!
The Day I Became a “Rocket Boy”
The universe is smart. It knows things and has an uncanny sense of timing. It knew I needed a kick in the pants, and delivered it wrapped in twenty-seven typed words from a good friend.
What Happens When You Run Up Against a “Box-Checker”?
I'm going to brag on myself for a moment and say that I am pretty damn good at my day job. But now, let me tell you why that makes no difference.
The Top Ten List of My Favorite Rock and Roll Songs of All Time
While doing my Sunday morning workout and listening to my rock playlist (which consists of 316 songs), It occurred to me there are really only about ten of those tracks that really get me moving. There are many lists out there, but this one is mine. Get ready to rock!
Writing with Fitz
Cat-owner problems are expounded when you're a writer. Meet Fitz.
Would You Want to Know When it’s Your Time to Die?
If you could know the appointed date and time of your demise, would you want to? And if you knew it for a loved one, would you tell them?
San Jacinto
I've always loved Peter Gabriel's song, San Jacinto. The lyrics rolled around in my head long enough to create a short story based on the Apache ceremony he refers to in the song. This is in no way accurate to any Apache ceremony. It's just my interpretation of what the lyrics conjured up for me. Enjoy!
What Rush’s Song, Cygnus X-1, Can Teach Us About The Current Political Climate in America
Political commentary is a dangerous minefield these days, but art does imitate life. This song is no different and was a prophecy before its time.
Chewbacca: The Best Friend We All Wish We Had
This is an article I wrote for That Hashtag Show, originally published in August 2019. I felt it relevant to bring back into the light during the troubled and divisive times we find ourselves in today. Keep in mind, this was written before the release of Episode IX.
Reverend Wrinkle
The beginning of a supernatural short story based on the lyrics of "Reverend Wrinkle" by Black Stone Cherry. Enjoy!
Lyle S. Russell 