Snowshoe Thompson

Born in 1827, John Albert Thompson was a Norwegian-American considered to be the father of California skiing. Between 1856 and 1876, he delivered mail between Placerville, California, and Genoa, Nevada.

Despite his nickname, Thompson did not use snowshoes but rather the method of cross country skiing from his homeland.

The delivery trips usually took around 3 days. He carried no blanket and no weapons and claimed to have never lost his way in a blizzard.

His preferred route was known as "Johnson's Cutoff,"which today is known as U.S. Route 55 from Placerville, California to South Lake Tahoe.

Thompson Peak is a 9,340-ft summit in the Sierra Nevada that is named for him.

*"Amongst the Pennsylvania Germans, Belsnickel is the character who visits homes prior to Christmas to check up on the behavior of the children. The traditional Belsnickel showed up at houses 1–2 weeks before Christmas and often created fright because he always knew exactly which of the children misbehaved.

He would rap on the door or window with his stick and often the children would have to answer a question for him or sing some type of song. In exchange he would toss candies onto the floor. If the children jumped too quick for the treats, they may end up getting struck with Belsnickel's switch."* (source)

Alabama

The Ghost of Cedarhurst

"My flesh shall slumber in the ground
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound
Then burst the chains with sweet surprise
And in my savior's image rise."

These are the words inscribed on the headstone of Sally Carter.

Sally died in 1837, falling ill while visiting her sister at their family mansion, known as Cedarhurst.

She was buried in the family cemetery on the grounds upon which the estate stood in Huntsville.

The legend of Sally's ghost began in 1919. The estate had been turned into a hotel. A young boy was lodging there with his family. One morning he revealed to his family that he Sally Carter had appeared to him in a dream. She told him that her headstone had been toppled over during the previous night's storm, and would he please go to her grave and set it upright again.

The boy's family played along, believing this revelation to be merely that of childhood whimsy, but they decided it best to humor him.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the grave of Sally Carter, her headstone lay flat on the ground.

Ever since that day, people have claimed to see Sally's spirit wandering the grounds or even inside the mansion. Some say she watches over children as they sleep.
These stores brought an overwhelming amount of attention to the estate and Sally's grave, eventually resulting in multiple vandalizations of her resting place.

In 1982, the grave was exumed and she was reburied in an undisclosed location on the property.

Cedarhurst Mansion

Along the banks of the Susquehanna River there are tales told of a 3 to 5 foot tall, ape-like creature.
The "Albatwitch," a name thought to be a variation of apple-snitch, are believed to have an insatiable love for apples.
Since the early 1800's, people have told stories of these beings stealing apples from picnickers along the river, near Chickies Rock, where the Albatwitch are said to live.
The creatures would carry their favorite fruit up into the trees, and when they were finished, the cores were thrown back at the people below.

I'll be honest, yall.
Most of these stories I already had typed up on an old Instagram account during a period in my life when I had much more free time. We Recently moved to a new location, and it has been the most challenging and yet rewarding experience, as I have never moved far from home until now.
I haven't had much time to sit still and collect new stories.
Hoping soon to get back to it.
Thank you to those of you who have stuck around.

The Grave of Chang and Eng Bunker can be found in Mount Airy at the White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery.