Donate to The Chant
$125
$500
Contributed
Our Goal
Your donation will support the student journalists of North Cobb High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Urban legends from Marietta, Kennesaw, and Roswell explored
October 31, 2014
The Cobb County area is rich with history dating back to the Civil War. With each city’s wartime history comes a vast number of urban legends and ghost stories, truth or myth, that spread throughout the county and create a long-lasting impact.
From a Skeptic’s Point of View: I thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing this article, if not only for the history it opened my eyes to. I don’t often think about the existence of ghosts or anything supernatural, and after this experience I have questions, but I still proclaim myself to be a skeptic. Whether you’re a skeptic as well or a firm believer, the area we live in has a rich and beautiful history that will undoubtedly teach you a haunting lesson about courage and patriotism.
Marietta
Trains remain an integral part of Cobb County’s history. The Marietta train tracks are reportedly haunted by thousands of ghosts: the spirits of the bodies transported out of Marietta during the Civil War. Across the train tracks, the silhouette of the William Root House appears. The house, which now serves as a museum, was built by Marietta’s first pharmacist and is supposedly haunted by a young boy and Hannah Root, William’s wife, who both died on the property.
Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield was the site of major civil war battles.Kennesaw itself is named after the Cherokee word for graveyard of cemetery because of these battles. Reports of Civil War Ghosts, mostly Union soldiers, cannon sounds, ghost deer, and the smell of blood and/or gunpowder exist.
Kennesaw
“The Kolb Creek Farm, near Kennesaw Mountain, is the scene of a June 22, 1864 Civil War battle resulted in an estimated 350 Union and 1,000 Confederates casualties… It is generally not a good idea to build houses on old battlefields since ghosts are more often than not still haunting the place where they died. Nearly every battlefield in the United States has its own ghostly inhabitants, young men who weren’t ready to die and have hung around, sometimes willing to engage the living.” writes Melissa Davis who did her college CAPSTONE project on North Georgia Ghosts.
Roswell
“The Public House here in downtown Roswell is no doubt haunted by two ghosts named Catherine and Michael. The story goes that Catherine, at the age of 17, worked at the commissary and her father owned the business. In July of 1864, she was working the front counter when Michael, a 17-year-old Union soldier from Ohio, and the two fell in love at first sight. Unfortunately their relationship was short lived because Michael was charged with treason, presumably because of the relationship, and was hanged in the square a few weeks after the couple’s initial meeting. Catherine saw the hanging from the upstairs of the building, and hanged herself from one of the large beams attached to the ceiling. I’ve seen bottles move, been locked out on the balcony, and heard ghosts in the bathroom to the point where I not let them know when I’m coming. I truly believe Catherine and Michael are still living out their love life here,” manager of the building David Wood spoke.
More information:
Melissa Davis’ CAPSTONE
Linda Cutts • Nov 11, 2015 at 3:06 PM
Such a tragic love story. Makes Romeo and Juliet pale by comparison. It may be far too late, but RIP Kate and Michael.
Audrey • Nov 24, 2014 at 9:30 PM
This is awesome, Kat
Kayley • Nov 3, 2014 at 4:45 PM
Kat, I’m really proud of you.