by Betty B. Chandler
March 22, 2006
Stacey Allen McGee of Unicoi is going around literally looking for ghosts. He is the founder of Alternate Realities Center and Tour Director of Appalachian GhostWalks, which provides walking tours of historic haunted sites in the area. These groups are members of the Northeast Tour Association and the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce.
During the past few weeks while doing genealogy work for the historical part of their walking tours, McGee discovered that his 5th great grandfather was Major Jonathan Tipton and his brother, Col. John Tipton of Tipton-Haynes Historic Site was his 6th great uncle. Major Jonathan Tipton marched with other local men to the fort at Sycamore Shoals in what is now Elizabethton and then down to Kings Mountain where he served in the Revolutionary War against the British. Col. John Tipton worked with Thomas Jefferson at Maryland and signed the Virginia Commission before coming to Northeast Tennessee and building his cabin at the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, McGee said. ?On our Jonesborough Ghostwalk,? we talk about the first fight that my 6th great uncle, Col. John Tipton was involved in with John Sevier concerning opposing political views regarding separation of North Carolina from the region destined to become Tennessee,? McGee said.
?On the Haunted Historic Erwin GhostWalk, participants will find out about the nearly forgotten Civil War battle that occurred on the banks of the Nolichucky River at the South end of town,? McGee said, quoting from a book written by Christine Tipton entitled, ?Civil War in the Mountains.? This battle involved approximately 4,000 men and left its mark on the area in the way of documented hauntings in and around the battle site.
McGee first became actively interested in paranormal research some 12 years ago. ?At first, we were interested in speaking with people in the area concerning alien abduction experiences. We used hypnotherapy to try and determine whether or not individuals who came to us had actually experienced alien contacts. These were people of diverse backgrounds and from different parts of the area,? McGee said.
His next interest was Cryptozoology, or a study on sightings of fabled creatures. We got reports from across the area of ?Big Foot? sightings. While doing research, we were able to get a plaster footprint 16? to 17? long. We never found any that were any smaller,? he said.
His next endeavor was an investigation into rumor that Cherokee lands in the region had been cursed, as the Native Americans had their hunting grounds desecrated by white settlers moving into the area. McGee said each tribe had a shaman or medicine man who according to legend, was capable of taking on an animalistic appearance. He would be a very physical person with one of his special powers being that of invisibility. While we never found any bones or other indications of this phenomenon, a representative of the TWRA said it was like nothing he had ever seen before.
McGee added that typically, the creature weighs between 700 ? 1200 pounds. Footprints indicate that the creature walks upright and stands between 6 ? 8 feet tall.
On a personal note, McGee had seen something on a local mountain at close range. He said he spoke to it, that it didn?t turn around but kept on walking. Although there had been a drought and it was fall making everything dry and brittle, there was no sound as the apparition moved. Others began to see the same thing. ?We continued our investigations that initially started in the Spring of 1995. The creature or image was seen around Mountain City where some people began to think of it as a pet. We also heard of unusual sightings in the Flag Pond vicinity,? McGee said.
McGee has taken courses and classes concerning the paranormal, and he also hopes to promote tours in the downtown area of some of the region?s most historic towns. He has done scientific research at the Toney Library and a building which houses a local antique shop.
McGee plans to do more in Erwin. He and his business partner have acquired new equipment and they would like to revisit some locations where they have already done work at some point.
?As tour director of Appalachian GhostWalks, and as I am in the process of writing a book, I am interested in talking with people who have a unique knowledge of the folklore and history of Unicoi County, McGee said. He added that those who participate in his tours will learn about some long forgotten local history, the latest theories in quantum mechanics applied to searching for and finding ghosts, some of his ghost hunter techniques, as well as a bit of local folklore and legend. Most of all, McGee said, they will have fun.
According to McGee, ghost walks can last anywhere from 2-3 hours, depending on the number of questions and interested presented during the tour. ?We try to take our time with our tour groups so that they get the most out of each and every tour,? he said. ■
For more information, visit www.AppalachianGostWalks.com, or call (423) 743-9255.
Source: http://www.vbbeacon.com/vnews/display.v ... 1a6b80157d
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