GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — A little off of the Parkway in Gatlinburg hides a place that is said to be haunted by those unable to cross to the other side.
The sign marking the cemetery reads “White Oak Flats Cemetery, EST 1830.” Ghost skeptics might need to be wary of visiting this cemetery, as it is said that some of the individuals buried there are unable to pass until they are recognized.
Some estimates place the amount of graves say that 1000 of the approximately 4000 graves may be unmarked. Reports claim that in these graves lie the bodies of civil war soldiers and enslaved people prior to 1865.
Others claim that the graves remained unmarked for financial reasons, as even the marked graves have only basic hand etchings, some of which are illegible.
It is suggested that some of the ghosts that wander the cemetery may be the occupants of these unmarked graves, searching for someone to recognize them so they can move on in peace. One ghost’s name, however, is known.
Just a few miles down the road at the Greenbrier Restaurant, a spirit is said to linger.
Her name is Lydia and a bride in the 1930s who thought she was stood up on her wedding day, according to a manager at the restaurant. The legend says that she was so heartbroken, she took her life that night, but a few days later, it was discovered why her fiancé never made it to the altar: he was found to be mauled to death by an animal.
Lydia is said to wander the White Oak Flats Cemetery, as her fiancé is supposedly buried there. To read more about Lydia’s story, click here.
