Haunted America: Interstate 65 in Evergreen, Alabama

Perhaps one of the more bizarre and scariest occurrences out there are those things that we cannot see at all, yet we still know without a doubt that they exist. The proof of these unexplained images and events are dead and buried, but they have managed to some how remain with us. They cause chaos when you least expect it, and you just know that they will never let anyone forget how they were once treated and they will forever serve to remind us of that fact each and every day. Of these strange things, sacred burial grounds are nothing to take lightly, nor are they something to play with, destroy or second guess. Unfortunately that is exactly what took place when a group of engineers unearthed an entire section of the Creek Indian Burial Grounds in Evergreen, Alabama so that Interstate 65 could be given new life for the thousands of motorists depending on a faster route that would run between Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama.

Evergreen is located in Conecuh County, Alabama and the surrounding hills that encompasses the city are believed to be extremely spiritual and haunted by the people who were once at peace there, but are no longer resting in tranquility. It was once the land where the Creek Indians were at home, and they admired as well as attached themselves to nature's blessings, and everything that the area offered, so much so that when the tribe of 15,000 Creek Indians was forced to leave the only home that they knew during the 1830's a strong sensation in the air of bad blood and future horrific events to those parties that dared to destroy their beautiful grounds would be unavoidable in the very least. This became an even deeper threat as 3,000 Indians died during their travels from the home that they loved and into the unknown area of the Oklahoma reservation that they knew very little about.

White settlers quickly took over the unpopulated region at the start of the nineteenth century, and the remaining Creek Indians became increasingly hostile over their land being filled up by strangers almost overnight. They had no desire to adopt the ways of the white people and felt that government agencies were out of control. The new Indian policy established by President George Washington would teach the Indians how to blacksmith, grow cotton, plow, weave, spin, raise animals, and build furniture and sound buildings. Unfortunately the Indians did not adapt well at being told what to do or by having their beloved land pulled from them and trampled on by people who wished to disturb the ground by building as fast as they could get their hands on the lumber to do so. Horse trails became prominent through the area, which eventually became larger and more defined as they were turned into roads, and later highways.

Forty miles of Interstate 65 is considered among the top ranking haunted roads in the world. This is largely due to the fact that engineers gave very little thought to the fact that they were unearthing sacred Indian burial grounds in their efforts to make driving easier for travelers and commuting motorists. Much of the hills surrounding Evergreen are sacred, and a large section of Interstate 65 runs a direct path through the very heart of it. The high rate of accidents that occurred after the major thoroughfare was completed were hard to ignore, and between 1984 and 1990 there were 519 fender benders, 208 injuries, and 23 fatalities that occurred on the 40 mile stretch of highway that runs north and south of Evergreen. Perhaps the freakiest part of the whole accident issue is that the interstate is free from sharp curves and other obstacles that could cause these strange incidences. In fact the road is well maintained, yet the rate of accidents is far above the average.

Some of the survivors of these horrendous accidents have stated that someone or something ran across the road to which police later found no evidence of anyone or thing being seen by other drivers. These ghost people have forced the driver to swerve into another vehicle while driving on the interstate in an effort to avoid hitting the vanishing human. Other more detailed and bizarre reports have listed everything from disappearing hitchhikers to objects and debris being the cause of the accident. One driver claims that a tire was in the middle of the interstate, but after further investigation no tire could be located for miles.

Bright lights coming from the side of the road and from up in the sky, blinding drivers, has been another problematic source for accidents among travelers, yet no proof of their existence has ever been found when searching for them on foot. The authorities are left scratching their heads over the incident reports, and everyone else is wondering why there are so many accident occurring on a mere 40 miles of interstate that in total runs approximately 887 miles.

Evergreen, Alabama Facts & Catastrophes

1882: A tornado destroyed every building in Evergreen except for the Episcopal Church.

1895: On November 7, a fire destroyed every business and house located on the east side of the railroad.

1895: On December 12, another fire destroyed every business and house on the west side.

The courthouse had its share of fires. In fact the Conecuh County Courthouse has survived four of them. The first one took place in 1868, then again in 1875. Ten years later another fire broke out in 1885, and again in 1895.

1982: Barbara Rainey, the first female pilot in the U. S. Navy crashed and died near Evergreen.

2010: Sinkholes as large as 6-feet wide become a huge problem for drivers traveling on interstate 65. Buddy Cox, a geologist with ALDOT claims that groundwater has flushed out dirt and other material in the holes of the limestone, affecting the stability of the rock, causing the collapse in the road.

Evergreen is fondly known as "the Emerald City". In fact Reverend Alexander Travis dubbed the town by its present name of Evergreen for the noticeably abundant green foliage, plants, and ferns. Later, President Grover Cleveland brought national recognition to the town in 1885 when the foliage from the lush area located in and around the town was used to decorate the inauguration of the President.

A portion of Interstate 65 in Alabama is named the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway which serves to remind people of the legacy of freedom President Reagan left us and the entire world.

Evergreen is widely known for the Conecuh Sausage Company, Inc., which has produced hickory smoked sausage and ham since 1947. The town even has an annual Sausage Day Festival which runs this year on October 22, 2011. http://www.alabama.travel/events/the_evergreen_sausage_festival_-_web_submission_ev.html

Sources:

http://www.squidoo.com/haunted_highways

http://amog.com/offbeat/101468-17-haunted-roads/

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213680/ghosts.htm

http://www.chacha.com/question/how-many-miles-long-is-the-i-65-interstate-in-the-united-states

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/07/aldot_evaluating_repair_of_sin.html

http://www.poarchcreekindians.org/xhtml/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_65_(Alabama)

http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=28248

http://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/creekwar/creek.html