Piedmont Phantoms

By Daniel W. Barefoot

Book Overview

Daniel W. Barefoot's colleagues in the North Carolina General Assembly call him their "resident historian." Now, he's their resident folklorist, too. North Carolina's Haunted Hundred, Barefoot's three-volume series, is a sampler of the diverse supernatural history of the Tar Heel State. One story is drawn from each of the state's hundred counties. You'll find tales of ghosts, witches, demons, spook lights, unidentified flying objects, unexplained phenomena, and more. Many of the stories have never before been widely circulated in print. Piedmont Phantoms offers 40 tales from the state's populous midsection. "Capitol Haunts," the Wake County story, tells of strange doings at the State Capitol-an unoccupied elevator moving from floor to floor, an unseen hand touching a security guard, the sounds of books falling off shelves and barrels rolling down stairs. "Ghostly Legacy of the Swamp Fox," the Robeson County story, introduces the spirits of the traitor who betrayed Revolutionary War general Francis Marion and the Highland Scot girl who made him do it. "The Hunter at the Zoo," the Randolph County story, describes the ghost of the Confederate recruiter who once hunted human prey at what is now North Carolina Zoological Park.

Dan Barefoot was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 18, 1951. He is a 1973 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Barefoot is the author of four travel guides--Touring the Backroads of North Carolina's Upper Coast, Touring the Backroads of North Carolina's Lower Coast, Touring South Carolina's Revolutionary War Sites, and Touring North Carolina's Revolutionary War Sites--as well as a biography of esteemed confederate general Robert Hoke and a trilogy of ghost stories representing all of North Carolina's one hundred counties. Barefoot's most recent books are Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities, Let Us Die Like Brave Men, Hark the Sound of Tar Heel Voices, and Spirits of '76. From 1998 until 2002, Barefoot served three terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 44th district. He has also served on numerous boards and is active in his church and community. Barefoot currently serves as the city attorney for Lincolnton, North Carolina. He is a frequent speaker to cultural, civic, and church groups throughout the Southeast.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895872587
• ISBN13: 9780895872586
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Blair
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Barefoot Ghosts

Daniel W. Barefoot has taken on the task of writing a three-volume set of ghost stories collected from all parts of North Carolina. Volume 1 deals with the coastal area while volume three takes on the mountains of Western North Carolina. This entry, volume 2, provides a glimpse at the ghostly lore of the Piedmont region. The series as a whole is referred to as the "Haunted Hundred" because the author has taken one ghost story from each of the state's one hundred counties. There are a few flaws that I found in this book but the obvious respect that the author holds for his subject matter more than make up for any shortcomings. There are very few recent accounts by witnesses to be found in this book and those accounts always add greatly to this type of work. There are some stories with eyewitness accounts, like the chapter that deals with the old capitol building but unfortunately this is the exception rather than the rule. There are also a few stories that have nothing at all to do with ghosts and they really have no business being in a book like this. For example, the chapter concerning the Moravian Stars is nothing more than the story of a huge meteor shower that could be witnessed over much of the United States, and the story about the so called Doppelganger was just a waste of paper. I guess that some counties don't really have any good ghost stories and that sometimes the author has to reach just a little bit. On the other side of the ledger, the ghost stories that are to be found in this book are generally stories that have not been told in numerous other Carolina ghost books. It is always refreshing to find a book that doesn't spend most of it's time rehashing well worn accounts that one has read time and again. In several chapters the author would mention one of these well worn haunts and then add that there is a very similar but less well-known haunt to be found in County X. This is clearly a man who knows his ghosts. There is also the author's obvious affection for his subject which come through in his writing. This is clearly a subject that is near and dear to the author's heart and his interest in and enjoyment of ghost stories adds a great deal to the feel of this book. If I were not already a great fan of this type of book Barefoot's contagious enthusiasm would probably hook me. In the strictest sense, this is not the best ghost book that I have ever read. It is however, one of the more enjoyable entries in this genre that I have come across. Barefoot's writing style and his love for his topic more than make up for the flaws and I spent a very happy evening with this book. Maybe the next time that I visit the Old North State I will take a drive up Booger Hill or go looking for Dr. Kron's treasure. Or maybe I'll just settle down with another good book by Daniel Barefoot.