| by the book |
Books for
HALLOWEEN
“Ghosts of Athens” by local author
Tracy Adkins blends the historical
with the haunted for more than 30
locations throughout Athens. Publisher
CreateSpace Independent says
of her book, “First, the history of each
location is described, then details
are revealed of scary events that
occurred there, including historical
folklore and tales passed down from
one generation to the next. From humorous to
heartwarming to hard-to-believe, these spooky
tales are more than just Halloween fun.”
“Lula’s Brew” by Georgia Author
of the Year, Elizabeth Dewlemba,
offers a perfect children’s book
for Halloween. Xist Publishing
describes the book this way, “Lula’s
aunties want her to be a witch
like them. But young Lula would
rather study cookbooks than spell
books and become a famous chef.
In desperation, the Aunties insist she try to make
one last potion. Lula secretly adds her cooking
flair and creates a brew that bewitches the entire
town, including her Aunties!”
“Ghosts and Legends of Charleston”
is a literary smorgasbord
of “haunts” for this historic city.
Cumming, Ga., author Denise
Roffe, founder of the Southeastern
Institute for Paranormal Research,
used her deep experience to craft
a compelling book. Publisher
Schiffer Publishing says, “From
the ghost of infamous pirate Stede
Bonnet, who sailed with Blackbeard, to the ghost
of Edgar Allan Poe on the beaches of Sullivan’s
Island, enjoy countless stories of spine-tingling
paranormal events showcasing a link between the
past and modern-day ghostly experiences.”
Panola Hall in Eatonton, Early Hill Plantation in
Greensboro, and the Tate House in Milledgeville
are reportedly some of the most haunted spots in
Georgia’s Lake Country.
out. On Saturday, Oct. 23, we will investigate
haunted locations in Eatonton. For more details
and to join us on the investigation, register at
www.georgiawritersmuseum.org. This might just
give you the material you need to write your own
ghost story.
The Lake Country cities – Eatonton, Greensboro,
Madison, Milledgeville – were all founded in the
early 1800s. Eatonton’s most famous apparitional
resident is Sylvia. She allegedly roams the rooms
and stairs of Panola Hall, a stately mansion on N.
Madison Ave. In 1891, Dr. Benjamin Hunt purchased
Panola Hall, after marrying Louise Prudden.
The Hunts believed “Sylvia” was a daughter
of Panola Hall’s first owners. Rumors around town
suggest she fell down the stairs or jumped to her
death from her upper story window upon hearing
of her fiancé’s untimely death.
In Greensboro, just off Highway 15, Early Hill
Plantation was constructed by Mayor John Brown
in the 1700s. At night, there have been many
sightings of a girl on a tree swing, her mother
brushing her hair in the bedroom mirror, and a
woman rocking on the front porch. As the story
goes, the family’s young daughter was killed when
a large limb broke off a tree in the front yard and
fell on her. The house was a Bed and Breakfast
for a while but is no longer in business. Maybe
because it is a place of unrest, who knows?
At Heritage Hall on Main Street in downtown
Madison, Virginia Nisbet died in the master
26 LAKE OCONEE LIVING | FALL 2021
/www.georgiawritersmuseum.org