Haunted Graveyards of the Ozarks
✍️ Harkins, David EA regional guide to historical burial grounds, funerary customs, and ghost lore across the Ozarks.
Dave Harkins documents local history and supernatural legends attached to cemeteries in Missouri and Arkansas. The work combines general historical context on Ozark funeral traditions with specific investigations into individual burial sites. Harkins addresses Civil War history at Greenbrier and Fayetteville, while investigating local tales at places like Peace Church, Goat Man's Grave, and Lonesome Hill. By detailing individual graveyards from urban plots to isolated family grounds, the text highlights how regional history shapes local cemetery folklore.
This work sits within the regional history and supernatural folklore of the Ozark Mountains. It covers traditional funeral customs, local superstitions, and historic burial grounds across Missouri and Arkansas, with specific focus on Civil War locations and regional resting places.
📝 Description: Haunted Graveyards of the Ozarks
📑 What's inside
- Dedication and Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- A Brief History of the Ozarks
- Funeral Customs and Superstitions of the Ozark Mountains
- Part I. Missouri Ozarks
- The Witches Foundation-Lebanon
- Church of God Faith of Abraham Cemetery-Morse Mill
- Wilson's Cemetery-Richland
- Lonesome Hill Cemetery-Phillipsburg
- Pine Hill Cemetery and Goat Man's Grave-St. James
- Snelson-Brinker Cabin and Graveyard-St. James
- Oak Ridge Cemetery-Doniphan
- Old Salem Church and Cemetery-Farmington
- Greenbrier Cemetery and the Old Spring;-Marble Hill
- Mayfield Cemetery and the Mystery of Eliza Jane Laycocks-Devil's Elbow
- Hrbitov Sv Vaclava Catholic Cemetery-Karlin
- Old Carney Cemetery-Jenkins
- Slagle Cemetery-Chillicothe
- Springfield National Cemetery-Springfield
- Spanish Fort Cemetery-Mount Vernon
- Peace Church Cemetery-Joplin
- Part II. Arkansas Ozarks
- Confederate Cemetery-Fayetteville
- Fort Smith National Cemetery-Fort Smith
- Possum Walk Cemetery-Coal Hill
- Mount Holly Cemetery-Little Rock
- White County Fairgrounds, Poor Farm Cemetery-Searcy
- Cousins Cemetery, Mystery Girl's Grave-Judsonia
- Shady Grove Cemetery-Bald Knob
- Robinson Cemetery, Red Eye Cemetery-Jacksonport
- Auman Church and Cemetery-Harrison
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- About the Author
💎 Expert review
📖 Why choose it
Why this book is worth reading
Readers with a deep fascination for the intersection of regional history and supernatural folklore will find this book particularly rewarding. It serves as an essential guide for those who enjoy exploring how specific landscapes, from municipal cemeteries to forgotten wilderness plots, accumulate eerie reputations over time. The narrative appeals to individuals seeking chilling realities grounded in historical whispers rather than pure fiction. By detailing specific accounts of restless specters and malevolent presences tied to notable figures like Civil War combatants or mass murderers, the book offers a compelling blend of education and unease. It is perfect for enthusiasts of spiritualism who appreciate meticulous chronicles of burial sites that have become synonymous with paranormal activity in the Ozark region.
⭐ Reader reviews
Reader rating
This volume delivers a meticulously researched tour through the haunted burial grounds of the Ozarks, offering a unique blend of regional history and paranormal folklore. Harkins effectively bridges the gap between factual local records and chilling supernatural accounts, creating an unsettling yet engaging experience for the right audience. However, readers seeking rigorous academic historiography or those who prefer purely fictional horror novels will likely find the content lacking in depth or narrative structure. It is not suited for skeptics demanding empirical proof, nor for those averse to descriptions of malevolent presences and restless specters. The book excels as a curated collection of local legends rather than a scholarly treatise on spiritualism.
❓ Frequently asked questions
📖 Who should read this
If you're captivated by local legends, the paranormal, or simply enjoy a good chilling tale rooted in history, this book is for you. It's perfect for those who appreciate exploring the darker, more mysterious corners of regional folklore.
🎯 Key themes and symbolism
Ozark Ghostlore
This book meticulously documents the unique supernatural tales and apparitions specific to the Ozark region's burial sites. It explores how local legends, passed down through generations, contribute to the unsettling atmosphere surrounding these 'cities of the dead,' revealing the distinct character of Ozarkian hauntings.
Historical Echoes
Harkins skillfully intertwines historical events with paranormal phenomena, demonstrating how past tragedies, particularly the Civil War, continue to manifest as restless spirits. Readers gain insight into how the violent and often forgotten histories of these lands contribute directly to the spectral activity reported within their boundaries.
Sacred Spaces, Unquiet Souls
The text examines graveyards not merely as final resting places, but as potent sites where the veil between worlds thins. It explores the inherent power and mystery of these consecrated grounds, where the departed may not always find peace, making them focal points for unexplained encounters and lingering presences.
📜 Historical context
📚 Glossary
- Necropolis
- Folklore
- Apparition
📔 Questions to reflect on
- Consider a local historical site near you. What stories or legends might be tied to its past, and how might they manifest today?
- How do you think significant historical events, like wars or tragedies, might contribute to the lingering presence of spirits in a place?
- If you were to visit one of the graveyards described, which one would you choose and what do you hope (or fear) to experience?
📖 Read on the blog
✍️ More books by this author Harkins, David E
All books by this author →
🏛 Books from this publisher History Press Library Editions
All books from this publisher →
You might also like
See more →
Have a question about this item?
Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.
