Myrtle’s Plantation is one of the most famously haunted places in the world. Located in Francisville, Louisiana, hundreds of individuals have claimed to have their own ghostly experiences there. It is never one isolated event, nor is it only a handful of people who have their own experiences. Instead it involves numerous people who have all experience something paranormal during their stay.
The stories told of Myrtle’s Plantation have led hundreds of amateur and professional ghost hunters to descend on the area. Every time we turn around it seems as if someone else has uncovered proof of the alleged hauntings. It is a place that ghost hunters and those interested in the paranormal have long since dreamed of visiting.
Myrtle’s Plantation has dozens of stories told about the mysterious happenings there, from full boy apparitions to handprints that mysteriously appear in an old mirror. Some claim that it is the most haunted place in the world, and that just might be true if even half the stories have any basis in truth. There are those that claim some of the ghost stories told about the Plantation are exaggerated or outright lies, but all ghost stories have some sort of embellishment added to them. That’s part of what makes ghost stories so interesting; trying to separate the fact from fiction.
One of the more popular ghost stories told of the Myrtles Plantation involves a vengeful spirit named Chloe. According to the legend, former owner Clark Wooddroff began a sexual relationship with one of his slaves. Chloe suffered through the abuse because she feared what would happen if she resisted.
After the man moved onto another slave, she took to listening in on his conversations, hoping to discover what he had planned for her next. After catching her, the man had one of her ears cut off, to stop her from ever listening to his private conversations again. In response, Chloe poisoned a birthday cake she served to the family. Wooddroff’s wife and two children fell ill as the result of ingesting oleander flowers, and all three quickly died.
Once the slaves on the plantation learned what she had done, they hanged her in the yard. Later they threw her body in the river. The man himself had the dining room closed, and refused to ever walk inside the room again.
Chloe was recognizable due to a green turban she wore around her head to hide her missing ear. Her ghost is sometimes spotted wandering through the plantation, and some people have claimed to capture her image on photos they took there. There are also visitors who claim to have woken to find her standing next to their bed.
It is worth noting that all three people Chloe was claimed to have murdered actually died of yellow fever. The epidemic swept through the area in the 1820’s, and historical record shows that all three died of this disease.
Harrison Williams who once owned the Myrtles Plantation and his family, were known to occasionally see a ghost on the property, or claim to have seen a ghost. This ghost was an elderly woman wearing a green bonnet. Some claim that this story was turned into a type of urban legend. The story kept changing over the years until it became the story of Chloe, the vengeful slave. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, this ghost story was so popular that people were coming from all over the world just to stay at the Myrtles.
Chloe and the woman in the green bonnet were not the only ghost stories told about the Myrtles Plantation. Legend claims that at least six people were murdered on the property, though only one has actually been proven. The son of one former owner was rumored to have been murdered by an acquaintance after he refused to pay a debt.
One story told about the Myrtles involves a caretaker who was left in control of the property during the 1920’s when the owners left town. He was in the house by himself one night when robbers burst into the house. During the altercation, he was somehow killed.
There is also a story told that dates back to the Civil War. In this story three men who were in the area as part of the Union troops decided to loot the home. The owners at the time were quite wealthy, and believed to be hiding a large number of valuables in the house. Upon spotting the intruders, the owner reached for his gun and shot all three dead in the parlor. Legend says that a blood stain appeared on the floor that could not be washed away.
Visitors also claim to hear and see strange things on the 17th step of the house. A man named Winter was operating the house when he was shot dead on the front porch. Legend claims that he actually walked back into the house, and started up the stairs. His wife caught his falling body on the 17th step, and he died only seconds later. Some people say they have heard someone walking up the stairs, only to hear the footsteps stop directly on that step.
Then there are the odd stories told of the mirror at the Myrtles Plantation. Some believe the ghosts of those who died haunt this mirror on the property. Handprints are known to appear on the surface of the glass, and pictures taken of the mirror show the same handprints. The glass was replaced, but the phenomenon continued.
People also tell stories of seeing and hearing the ghosts of children. One girl is often seen in the game room, which was once the dining room. Others have seen children playing inside the house, as well as in the yard. When they attempt to investigate, the kids seemingly disappear. Others claim to hear the sounds of children playing and laughing. There is also a piano that plays when no one is around, but turns off when someone enters the room.
While not all of the ghost stories told about the Myrtles Plantation are based in fact, they are definitely interesting. The Plantation offers visitors the chance to stay overnight, and even take part in ghost hunts. There’s no telling what you might see, or experience on a visit there.
Sources:
http://www.myrtlesplantation.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrtles_Plantation
http://www.prairieghosts.com/myrtles.html
