Local oddities, legends, and lore

[George]

The entire reason for this thread is so that I can share this link with all of you. The title seemed like the most logical direction our conversations might go after that. Saw quite a bit of the stuff from those album covers in my Nannie and Pap's house growing up. So, check out the link, but share any stories you might also have.

[Blue Heaven]

Just the style of the day. Still trying to figure out what's up with all the puppets? They sorta creep me out anyways. I remember when the Anthony Hopkins movie "Magic" came out when I was about 8 or 9. That movie scared the crap out of me.

[Joneslab]

I can only guess the ventriloquist's dummies were a fad in the '60s and '70s as youth leaders were trying to find a way to get kids to learn about Christianity.

I went to a Pentecostal church once with a friend. Saw people speaking in tongues. Was totally shocking and sort of amazing to watch. One of the most amazing things was the service went on for almost three hours. We left about an hour and a half in, drove by the church later and saw an ambulance outside. A man had gotten up on the back of the pews and tried to run across when he fell and injured himself.

Before this service a lot of people--some of them elderly--would sit on the outside pews and lace up tennis shoes. They'd wear Sunday dress shoes in but then would promptly change into Nikes. This was so they could sprint around the church as the service was going on. I saw people in their 70s running full bore around the church during the service.

[George]

I can only guess the ventriloquist's dummies were a fad in the '60s and '70s as youth leaders were trying to find a way to get kids to learn about Christianity.

I went to a Pentecostal church once with a friend. Saw people speaking in tongues. Was totally shocking and sort of amazing to watch. One of the most amazing things was the service went on for almost three hours. We left about an hour and a half in, drove by the church later and saw an ambulance outside. A man had gotten up on the back of the pews and tried to run across when he fell and injured himself.

Before this service a lot of people--some of them elderly--would sit on the outside pews and lace up tennis shoes. They'd wear Sunday dress shoes in but then would promptly change into Nikes. This was so they could sprint around the church as the service was going on. I saw people in their 70s running full bore around the church during the service.

I've witnessed this stuff, too. Went with a friend to a Pentecostal church on more than one occasion. Didn't see an ambulance situation, but I did watch people run/jump along the backs of pews. The church I grew up in, it was a weird day if someone didn't shriek at the top of their lungs during the sermon and leap up from the pews. Lots of hands in the air and some movement in the aisle, but no tongues or jumping across pews.

I own a small tent rental business on the side and we do an annual job for a small church deep in the hollows of Hyden. We set up a 20'x40' for their tent revival; drive in, put it up, leave it for a week, then go get it. I've never visited for the service but I was once told that it's a snake-handling revival.

[Joneslab]

You might be interested in Salvation on Sand Mountain, Downes.

Interesting book. I saw the author speak once at Cumberland College. It's a memoir about his time in a snake-handling church. He was a reporter who went down (can't exactly remember where this was; North Carolina maybe) to cover the death of a preacher at a church due to a snake bite, and ends up becoming a snake-handler himself. He has some interesting stuff in there about radical religion, comparing it at one point to the alcoholism he'd suffered.

I notice in my community when people join these kinds of churches a lot of times they're athletes or former popular kids. There's something aggressive about going to a church where you can be the center of attention if you want it.

My grandfather grew up Pentecostal but they had a notice outside their church reading, "No speaking in tongues." I also heard a story once about a church that had a photograph in the foyer of its pastor running up the walls. The congregants claimed that it was a photo of the night their preacher had flown.

[Uncle Dave]

I grew up an ultra conservative Roman Catholic(enter priest joke here), and my folks never kept religious albums around the house. But, just to play along:

1. Will, your story about the tennis shoes was hysterical.
2. Did these people have mirrors, or did they just refuse to use them?
3. As you scroll through the pics, check out The Faith Tones towards the end. See the person on the far right?? A dead ringer for Buddy Holly wearing a wig.

As far as screaming during Mass, we all believed God would smite us down with lightning if we did something like that lol.

[George]

Here's one for you from Bell County...

The old road from Middlesboro to Pineville - the main road before 25E was finished - is called Old Pineville Pike. If you're coming from Pineville along that road, there's a straightaway that's immediately followed by a bend in the road, with a hump and railroad tracks running through the center. Legend has it that if you listen to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" and hit the straightaway doing 80mph, a white ghost hearse will materialize right next to you. At that point, you've found yourself in a race to the tracks, and if you lose, you are doomed to wreck and die.

True story.

[DA#23]

Legend has it that if you listen to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" and hit the straightaway doing 80mph, a white ghost hearse will materialize right next to you. At that point, you've found yourself in a race to the tracks, and if you lose, you are doomed to wreck and die.

True story.

Have you not tested this legend?

[George]

I grew up an ultra conservative Roman Catholic(enter priest joke here), and my folks never kept religious albums around the house. But, just to play along:

1. Will, your story about the tennis shoes was hysterical.
2. Did these people have mirrors, or did they just refuse to use them?
3. As you scroll through the pics, check out The Faith Tones towards the end. See the person on the far right?? A dead ringer for Buddy Holly wearing a wig.

As far as screaming during Mass, we all believed God would smite us down with lightning if we did something like that lol.

The worst (best?) is the boy with "He Touched Me" above his head.

[George]

Have you not tested this legend?

I have, and I'm still here. Had my Ralph Macchio from Crossroads moment and lived to tell the tale. I'll send you an autograph if you'd like.

It really is a wonder that I'm alive. I tried that one night in high school in a '97 2wd Ford Ranger. Caught a little air when I hit the tracks. So many people have jumped those tracks, and by some miracle, few have actually managed to harm themselves.

[Blue Heaven]

There is Goatboy who supposed to inhabit the train tressels off of Pope Lick Road.
Hot Rod Haven off of St. Andrews Church Road in Louisville has a local legend as well. If you go to the Cemetary there, there is a statue of Mary with her hands cut off. It supposed to be hot to the touch. Mill around in there, there is a supposed camaro with one headlight tha chases you out of there. I remember riding through there with a girl I briefly dated right out of High School. Next thing you know, a car with one headlight gets behind us. We were freaking out a bit. Right before we make it to 3rd Street, the car pulls off and gets out and raises his headlight up by hand. A little too coincidental for me at the time, but it really was.
I was fishing in a pond one time, and this big ole Loch Ness looking monster came out of the water. He marches up to me and I says,"What do you want from me you big 'ole Monsta?" He looks at me and says, "I'm gonna need about tree fiddy."

[Uncle Dave]

There is Goatboy who supposed to inhabit the train tressels off of Pope Lick Road.
Hot Rod Haven off of St. Andrews Church Road in Louisville has a local legend as well. If you go to the Cemetary there, there is a statue of Mary with her hands cut off. It supposed to be hot to the touch. Mill around in there, there is a supposed camaro with one headlight tha chases you out of there. I remember riding through there with a girl I briefly dated right out of High School. Next thing you know, a car with one headlight gets behind us. We were freaking out a bit. Right before we make it to 3rd Street, the car pulls off and gets out and raises his headlight up by hand. A little too coincidental for me at the time, but it really was.
I was fishing in a pond one time, and this big ole Loch Ness looking monster came out of the water. He marches up to me and I says,"What do you want from me you big 'ole Monsta?" He looks at me and says, "I'm gonna need about tree fiddy."

How bout this???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly_Hills_Sanatorium

[Blue Heaven]

Forgot about that one Uncle Dave. My neighbor has went and spent the night there before. They supposedly have these tours now where you can do that. I think I'll pass

[Joneslab]

There is Goatboy who supposed to inhabit the train tressels off of Pope Lick Road

I've heard of this but never put it together where Pope Lick Rd. might be.

Is that trestle right off Taylorsville Rd. near the new park? If so we're over there quite a bit. Family and I have walked under the trestle many times. No goat boys that I could see.

[Blue Heaven]

That's it Will.