Adams

The Bell Witch Haunting
The Bell Witch Haunting is one of the strangest and most well-documented hauntings in American history, and for good reason.  It stands out in several areas of paranormal research, and includes many features not ordinarily present in classic haunting activity. As such,  this particular haunting deserves a very close look by anyone serious about seeking out and visiting haunted places. 

The story of the Bell Witch is a rather long one which can be read by doing a search anywhere on the internet, so we will just stick to the basics of why this is such an important haunting for the purposes of this page. During this particular haunting (which lasted for a surprisingly long time), many phenomena were observed that do not fit easily into the standard mold of hauntings or spirit entity behavior.  Anomalies included sightings of strange animals, disembodied voices, personal attacks on people, loud laughing and singing, and actual bodily harm to the residents of the Bell household - culminating in the death of John Bell.  This entity revealed a real intelligence, and vacillated from being compassionate to being quite vicious in rather short periods of time.  Many reputable people of the era witnessed these strange happenings first-hand, including Andrew Jackson.  

Because of the longevity of this particular haunting, the site on which it is located - a very old Indian burial ground - the odd mix of actual supernatural phenomena that occurred there, and the odd things that still happen there today, this is one site that may very well serve as a doorway or "portal" to another dimension.  The actual site of this portal may be at the entrance to the cave pictured above, somewhere inside the cave, or at the Indian burial ground located on a hill above the cave, also pictured here.  The cave itself was not directly implicated in the hauntings, but seems to be a hotbed of paranormal activity, even today, with many reports of cameras breaking, film rewinding, and (for cameras that do survive) pictures with odd figures or lights in them. 

On a personal note, we were in the area recently and had the opportunity to visit the Bell Witch Farm and take some pictures.  We took both the tour of the cabin, and the cave tour.  The cabin tour is a tour of a replica of the homestead that John Bell lived in.  This is somewhat interesting from a historical perspective, but from a paranormal perspective was disappointing because it is not on or very near the site of the original homestead.  You go into this cabin and a bored-looking guide plays tapes in every room that detail the haunting and the reactions of the family.  Overall, kind of hokey, but it does give an idea of what life was like in the era of the haunting.  The cave tour was better.  This is a rather primitive cave tour, so be sure to wear shoes you don't mind getting wet and bring some extra socks for later.  The guide was informed and interesting, and although my camera worked just fine throughout the tour, there were a couple of times I felt that I caught shadows out of the corner of my eye.  I would have liked to go to the Indian burial site at the top of the cliff pictured above (this picture was taken from the mouth of the cave, looking up and away from the cave), but that tour wasn't offered during our time in the area.  Apparently, they have more comprehensive tours on and off, so do call ahead or go to their website to make the most of any planned visit.  Also, watch the weather, as the cave floods after heavy rains and there are no tours until the water clears. 

Adams, Tennessee is located in Robertson County, approximately 30 miles north of Nashville.  The Bell Witch Cave is open from May through October.  For more information call (615) 696-3055.

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