The BELL WITCH PROJECT
Last updated on: October 8, 2008
Click to Return Home
The events reported to have occurred at Adams Station between 1817 and 1820 are far more dramatic than any comparable haunting.  An entity identified as Kate is said to have freely spoke with numerous people and to have killed John Bell.  US President Andrew Jackson is also reported to have challenged Kate and to have retreated out of fear. 

The Bell Witch, as the phenomenon has become known, has remained relatively obscure, except to residents of Middle Tennessee, until the spectacular success of the recent and horrible movie The Blair Witch Project provided it with a level of notoriety.  However, unlike the totally fictitious video rendition, popularized because its amateur recording with camcorders made it seem real, the events of Adams story are claimed as factual.  The only similarity between the two is its moniker.
People living outside of Middle Tennessee or not being members of an occult organization are not likely to have heard of the Bell Witch.  However, the legend endures in community stage plays, campfire scare stories, the annual Halloween trip by a Nashville TV crew, and other forms of oral tradition.  However, as scary as this story is, if it true, it remains relatively obscure, even with the aid of local entrepreneurs trying to capitalize more on its entertainment potential than on its historical significance.

For those interested in the paranormal, either promoting it or debunking it, the Legend of the Bell Witch is ideal.  Supposedly witnessed by dozens of people, including a president, and having achieved the ultimate in manifestation, the death of a victim, its significance makes research of the phenomenon unquestionable.  But, I find no scholarly analysis, no mention of it in any of the prominent skeptical or quality historical journals, only an enormous amount of noise on the Internet.
Adam's road sign erected by State of Tennessee
My interest is in validating the phenomenon, if that is possible.  My search for REAL facts and corroboration has been a failure, which is a major surprise because my preliminary reading material about the legend told of extensive documentation.  For all the excitement, which the numerous authors wanting to sell Bell Witch books claim, I find that no disinterested "third party" wrote anything down, including those who had the capability, such as Richard Powell, the school teacher of the Bell children; Andrew Jackson; and the Nashville newspapers.  This whole story seems to be based primarily on the documentation of Richard William Bell who is said, at six years of age, to have observed personally the haunting but, not until his mid-thirties, attempted to record those childhood memories.

My opinion (which I consider based on REAL facts) is that no scientific evidence of paranormal phenomenon exists. Nearly all so-called evidence to the contrary is based on hysterical, anecdotal, or self-serving reports and the Bell Witch is no exception.  Most often, the believer presents his or her case and challenge the skeptic to prove them wrong.  That approach is backward.  Since no evidence exists to substantiate claims for the paranormal,  I assume the events in Adams Tennessee have an explanation that does not include ghosts, poltergeists, or demons.

Originally, the purpose of this Web Site was to log my search for Kate. I have failed.  So if your know where the she is hiding, let me know. "Keep those cards and letters coming."
The REAL truth behind the Bell Witch Legend is about to be exposed
Since we have posted this Web Site, we have met several serious researchers who have examined this legend in great detail and found a history that is far richer than the fictitious yarn spun in the thousands of web pages, with some even self-appointing as the "official."  We have asked these historians to let us introduce you to the real Bell Witch.  Soon their work will be public and hopefully eclipse the ton of garbage on the Internet. The product of their research is rightfully "official."
Maybe at last, John Bell and his family can finally rest in peace and several unwelcome intruders will cease trespass on their privacy.