The Lantern

09/28/2025

The Creepiest Ghost Town in South Carolina

Down an eerie old road outside of Lockhart sits one of the earliest settlements of South Carolina. Pinckneyville is the real ghost town of this state that will stop your heart and raise the hair on your arms.

The Pinckney District was created in 1791 and comprised Union, Spartanburg, York, and Chester Counties. Three commissioners appointed by the Legislature selected a place in Union County for the new courthouse town. Pinckneyville is one of the earliest settlements in the South Carolina backcountry. It reflects the spread of justice throughout the state in the early years and the beginnings of representative government beyond the border of Charleston. The town had four streets named after Charleston Streets and was considered the life of the party on court days, with dancing in the streets.

Although the town never flourished as its planners had dreamed, it does reflect a significant era of South Carolina history. The National Register property comprises 1.75 acres of the original Pinckneyville site, featuring the ruins of a brick jail and one other brick building, commonly referred to as the old store.

An old grave sits near an old tree in what would have been the center of town. Many believe the burial spot is the home to an Irishman, murdered by a neighbor over a disagreement. His ghost still haunts the area, along with other lifelong residents. The final verdict trapped many souls in a moment in time along the banks of the Pacolet River. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

If you plan to visit, you must get permission. The site is now on private property.

Written By: John G. Clark Jr.

09/27/2025

The Lockhart Canal

Lockhart, South Carolina, is full of history. Not only was Pinckneyville located nearby on the Broad River, which many considered the “Charleston” of the upcountry during the late 1700s and early 1800s, but Lockhart is also home to a famous waterway.

The Lockhart Canal, designed by Robert Mills, was completed in 1823. It was part of an eight-canal system intended to create a navigable water transportation route, making most of the state accessible by water. The canal consisted of seven locks – six lift locks and one guard lock – made of local blue granite. The rise of the railroad system shut down many canals, but the Lockhart Canal lasted longer than most, finally closing in 1849.

When the textile boom arrived in South Carolina towards the end of the nineteenth century, the canal was re-cut, and a dam was built to power a cotton mill that was established between the canal and the Broad River. The Lockhart Mill began operations in 1894, shortly after nearby Union Cotton Mills started producing textiles.

Lockhart Power was incorporated in 1912, utilizing the canal and dam to supply electricity. Lockhart Power provides hydroelectric power to five Upstate counties – Union, Spartanburg, Chester, Cherokee, and York.

Written By: John G. Clark Jr.

09/27/2025

The Lady in White Still Dances

Lockhart, South Carolina, is a small town located in Union County, near the border with Chester County, on the banks of the Broad River. The area is known for the canal that passes under Highway 9. Life in the mill in the late 1800s and 1900s provided many in the region with economic stability. The Lockhart Mill began operations in 1894 and lasted for one hundred years before closing its doors in 1994. Like other rural areas, the closing of textile plants caused a financial strain on many families and communities throughout the state.

The Lantern has been fortunate to share the tale through the years with online articles that promote rural history. One correlation we found in many of these cases is a paranormal link to these old buildings. Some have suggested the old Borden’s facility in Chester also has a resident ghost. The Lockhart Mill site is no different regarding its signature specter – The Lady in White.

The ghostly story dates back to the early 1900s. The legend states that the woman jumped from the water tower to her death below. No one seems to know her identity or what caused her to meet her demise on that fateful night. Some have speculated she was heartbroken over a recent breakup. She still haunts the old mill to this day. Others have seen the mysterious woman, dressed in a white dress with a rose in her mouth, at the site late at night, dancing under the moon. The next time you pass through Lockhart, look toward the old mill, and maybe you will see the Woman in White.

She is known to come out only at midnight to show off her lovely white dress.

Written By John G. Clark Jr.

09/27/2025

Marie Louise Gato Seeks Justice in the Afterlife

The Old City Cemetery, located on East Union Street in Jacksonville, Florida, may be one of the most underrated historic and haunted sites in the state. Established in 1852, the cemetery is home to many early 19th-century settlers of Jacksonville.

One is Marie Louise Gato, who was 19 years old at the time of her death. Gato was the daughter of local cigar factory owner Gabriel Hidalgo Gato. She was shot five times as she entered her father’s house in North Springfield on April 20, 1897.

On her deathbed, Gato accused her spurned boyfriend, Edward George Pitzer, of the crime. A week later, the police lieutenant, who was investigating the case, was murdered near the corner of Liberty and Phelps Streets.

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During the two-week trial, Pitzer attracted a horde of female admirers. The trial became one of the most sensational murder cases in the history of Jacksonville. Pitzer was found not guilty and walked free, leaving Gato’s murder a cold case that was never solved.

Visitors to the cemetery have reported encountering the sounds of weeping, strange lights, and the ghost of the young lady buried near the back of the cemetery.

Written By John G. Clark Jr.

09/27/2025

Is this Mexican Restaurant Haunted

Who doesn’t love great Mexican food and ghost stories? It seems this restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, has them both.

According to several online reports, the TacoLu Baja Mexicana restaurant, located at 1712 Beach Blvd, is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Alpha Paynter.

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The Jaxson Magazine covered the location on an October 31, 2019, article stating, “Paynter once operated a boarding house in the cabin and is buried behind the building. It is said her apparition has appeared near the huge limestone fireplace in the center of the main dining room and in other parts of the restaurant. Paynter has been seen so much that the building is now listed in The National Directory of Haunted Places.”

News 4 in Jacksonville also covered the story, giving more history of the building, which says, “the building was originally a boarding house built in 1932. It was run by Miss Alpha Paynter.”

Eventually, Paynter converted the boarding house into a restaurant in the late 1940s, named The Homestead, which specialized in serving Southern cuisine. Alpha Paynter died in 1962, and legend says that she never left the premises.

Written By John G. Clark Jr.

09/27/2025

The 1969 Disappearance of Jacqueline “Jackie” Davis in Cherokee, North Carolina The Beyond

The 1969 Disappearance of Jacqueline Davis in Cherokee

On April 12, 1969, 13-year-old Jacqueline “Jackie” Davis was last seen walking to a friend’s house in Cherokee, North Carolina. Unfortunately, her disappearance is now a cold case that remains unsolved to this day.

Even fifty years later, only a few details are available in her case. While her story has been largely forgotten outside of her community, Davis and her family need justice and closure.

Someone knows something.

Jackie was a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Her disappearance or case never received the attention that it deserved.

If you can help bring justice, please call the Bureau of Indian Affairs- District VI in Nashville at 615-564-6600

Age: 13 years old
Race: American Indian
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0"-5'5"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Jackie

09/27/2025

Julia Still Walks this Haunted Road

Many years ago, a young woman in Lady Lake, Florida, fell in love with a man whom she wanted to spend eternity with. The only issue was that her parents forbade the relationship, and they already had another man in mind for their precious daughter. Julia was heartbroken, and one evening, she mustered enough courage to leave her home. Julia wanted to see the man of her dreams, no matter what the expense might have been at the time.

During those days, the tradition was to give animals as part of the marriage package. Unfortunately, her parents chose the husband for Julia to marry, and she had no say in the decision. She quietly left the home on a moonless night, careful not to alert her strict parents. As she walked down the drive, someone stepped out from behind a tree. It was pitch dark, but she could tell that it was her lover by the way he leaned against the post and tilted his head towards her.

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She couldn’t see his eyes or face, nor the gun that he was holding. A loud explosion was heard, and Julia was hit with a fatal shot. She stumbled down the dirt road in immense pain. As she fell to the ground, the man stood over her almost lifeless body and exclaimed, “We’ll be together, my sweet Julia,” as he raised the gun to his head.

Ever since that murderous night, people who have traveled down Rolling Acres Road in Lady Lake, Florida, have seen a woman in white walking, trying to make her way back home.

Another version of the story says that she was killed by a jealous lover, but the people who have actually witnessed the ghostly woman say there is some truth to the legend.

Written By John G Clark Jr.

09/26/2025

Season of the Witch

The Shinnville Witch is a local legend in Shinnville, North Carolina, an area in Iredell County, associated with the 200-year-old Mills Family Cemetery near St. James Episcopal Church.

Legend states that a woman accused and killed for being a witch is allegedly buried there outside the cemetery walls, and sits a small headstone without a name.

Some claim her soul still lurks there.

We are in the Halloween season. Please visit our website.

Written By John G. Clark Jr.

09/26/2025

The Unsolved Homicide of Bruce Gaines Marett in Oconee County

The Unsolved Homicide of Bruce Gaines Marett in Oconee County

On June 28, 2022, Bruce Gaines Maret was brutally beaten and bludgeoned to death inside his mobile home at 271 N Retreat Road in Westminster, South Carolina. Marett was 50 years old at the time of death. Some have even considered the homicide as one of Oconee County’s most brutal murders.

According to Oconee Law, “Investigators believe that Marett knew his assailants, probably more than one person, and feel that robbery was the motive. In fact, investigators believe that Marett probably let those who eventually attacked him inside his residence. There was also an unsuccessful attempt to set the mobile home on fire, as investigators found some material just inside the front door that never did ignite. The mobile home is no longer there, according to investigators, and the land is now just a vacant lot.”

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Reportedly, the Sheriff’s Office had identified some persons of interest in the case, but did not have sufficient evidence to charge or prosecute those individuals at the time. It is also believed that Mr. Marett knew his assailant, who was responsible for his death. Oconee Law website stated, “We believe that there is someone who knows the identity of the person responsible for this crime,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “Now is the time for them to come forward and clear their conscience.”

If you have any information regarding this case, please call the Oconee County Sheriff’s office at 864-638-4111 to speak to an investigator or to leave an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 1-844-71CRIME (1-888-712-7463), or click “submit a tip”.

09/26/2025

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09/26/2025

The 1958 Mars Bluff Atomic Bomb Accident

On March 11, 1958, the lives of a family and a community changed forever early that afternoon. A rare occasion occurred over Mars Bluff, just outside Florence, South Carolina, when a nuclear weapon fell from the sky into the woods behind the Gregg family home.

According to The State, the highly destructive weapon was dropped due to human error when an indicator light in the cockpit had come on, approximately 1,500 feet above. One man on the plane went into the bomb bay, a small place on the plane, and accidentally grabbed an emergency release cable.

The U.S. Air Force B-47 did not have its nuclear core installed during training exercises.

The impacted family was picked up by a passing car on Highway 301 that had seen the explosion and taken to a nearby facility for treatment.

Written By: John G. Clark Jr.

09/25/2025

The Ghosts of River’s Bridge

It is said that since the Battle of Rivers Bridge of 1865, every February from the 2nd to the 4th, you will experience continuous rain at the battleground site. Between these three days, there is a single night where the battle will start again, as if in a ghostly time loop. Nineteen different witnesses heard screaming, gunfire, and cannons firing on this mysterious night around 10:00 PM.

One would think Civil War reenactors are wrapping up some scenes late. However, this is not the case. Many of the witnesses include reenactors who hear the battle happening without them. The sounds of the ghostly fighting last for approximately ninety minutes. And then it stops just as fast as a shot in the dark.

The Historic Site is at 325 State Park Road in Ehrhardt, South Carolina. The battle was bloody, resulting in fifty-one casualties from both sides. Out of the fifty-one, only eight Confederate soldiers died during the fight, with the Union army losing forty-three, and many others were wounded.

With so many Union casualties, it was far from a debacle. The Illinois and the 32nd Wisconsin Infantry soldiers overwhelmed the Confederacy, causing them to retreat earlier in the fight. They gave up sixteen bridges across the Salkehatchie River, which destroyed any chance of victory for the Southern troops.

The battleground site has memorial grounds for the Confederate soldiers killed here, with a yearly memorial service for them since 1876.

Today, the battle for the valuable real estate wages on into the afterlife. Who knows? If you visit, you may come face-to-face with a blast from the past.