By Karen Parr-Moody
ADAMS, Tenn. – Some scoff at ghosts – others celebrate them. The Bell Witch, a ghost said to have haunted a family in Adams, Tennessee, almost 200 years ago is celebrated each fall with the Bell Witch Fall Festival. The festival, which runs through Nov. 1 this year, includes two plays and the viewing of a film in which experts tell tales about the ghost. A schedule can be found at www.bellwitchfallfestival.com.
In 1804, John Bell moved his family to Adams, where they lived peacefully until 1817. Then John Bell claimed to see a strange animal – a dog with the head of a rabbit – in a field and the entire family heard odd noises in their home.
These hauntings culminated in a voice that initially manifested itself by singing faintly, then by calling itself “Kate.” Kate was said to get physical, saving her slaps in particular for Betsy, the youngest Bell daughter, and John. When John Bell died – an event attributed to poisoning by Kate – the ghost was said to sing a naughty song about brandy as mourners left the graveyard.
This oil painting depicts John Bell, who was haunted by a ghost named Kate in the early 1800s in Adams. She was thought to have poisoned him.
Kate’s hauntings were famous throughout the 1800s. Even General Andrew Jackson, who was prompted to investigate firsthand, said that his coach wheels had stopped mysteriously on the way to visit the property, which is now on the National Historical Registry.
Kate’s spirit lives on in Adams, where visitors can see a replica of the cabin in which the Bell family lived. The cabin, along with the Bell Witch Cave, are available for tours during the Bell Witch Fall Festival. There is also an on-site hayride. Information is available at www.bellwitchcave.com or by calling 615-696-3055 to schedule a tour.
During the festival, history buffs can learn about the area’s Tobacco Wars during productions of the play “Smoke: A Ballad of the Night Riders.” These plays occur on Oct. 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. at the Bell School Complex Outdoor Theatre. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students.
On the spooky side, guests can watch a documentary film – “Spirit Tales” – that is available nowhere else. It features the former owner of the Bell
Witch Cave property, Bims Eden, speaking about the mysterious Bell Witch happenings. Former State Representative Gene Davidson’s lecture is also included in the film, in which he discusses his research on the topic. This film occurs on Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. in the Bell School Complex Auditorium and is free of charge.
“Spirit: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch” is a historically-accurate play about the hauntings of the Bell family by the mysterious Kate. It is based on a book written by Martin Ingram and published in 1894. It will be presented on Oct. 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Bell School Complex Outdoor Theatre. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 students (a $5-per-student night occurs on Thursday, Oct. 23, during which teachers who bring three or more students will be admitted for $10).
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.