"Thar's Ghosts in Them Thar Hills."

Dahlonega gold rush.
Click image for image source.

Actually the saying goes "Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills."  Them Thar hills as in Dahlonega, Georgia which has a history-packed with gold, literally!

Background for Dahlonega.

The name Dahlonega comes from the Cherokee Indian word talonega which means yellow or gold. It is because of this talonega that the Cherokee Indians and the Creek Indians were forced to leave because the white miners and settlers wanted that thar gold. They were forced out of the Cherokee Nation and onto the infamous Trail of Tears in 1838.

Image Dahlonega
Gold rush days.

Dahlonega, Georgia is the site of the first US gold rush which occurred 20 years before the California gold rush which took place in 1849.

So what does Dahlonega have to do with what I am posting?  It is because I think my new obsession for finding out if the places we go are haunted has gotten the better of me. I start with a small topic and it just spirals out of control on me and I cannot stop looking up info.

For example, we just went to a play at the Holly Theater a few weekends ago, we have been there a million times before, my kids have taken classes there, been in plays there, we have supported many friends in their plays over the years so we are very familiar with the Holly Theater but I did a little research on the Holly Theater which in turn, opened a big can of worms about Dahlonega, and yielded some pretty fascinating facts and stories.

Turns out, you guessed it, the Holly theater is haunted and why wouldn't it be?  The theater has been around since early 1948.  It was restored to its current state in 1990s.  Apparently, there are ghosts in the basement, on the balcony, and on the stage.  It seems that the ghost here are on the friendlier side as they like to turn on music randomly, play with the lights, and just mingle around in the auditorium. There have been reports of shadowy figures, the curtain falling mysteriously, and a sink in the bathroom overflowing with water while no one visible was in the bathroom.

Another presumed haunting is by Edwin Booth.  Edwin Booth was a successful Shakespearean actor back in the 1880s.  He was also the brother of President Lincoln killer John Wilkes Booth.  The ghost of Mr. Booth likes to play tricks while rehearsals are going on.

Besides The Holly Theater, Dahlonega is also known to have a rich history in hauntings, all things ghostly, and things that go bump in the night.  There are detailed reports, eye witness accounts, and pictures that document the proof.

Another famous, fabulous Dahlonega haunt is The Mount Hope Cemetery  which dates back to pre-Civil War times.

Mount Hope is the resting place of Confederate Officer William Pierce Price formerly US States Congressman and State Legislator.

There are over 1000 people buried at Mount Hope including several RevolutionaryWar Veterans, other politicians, a former slave who also served in the Union Army, and Civil War soldiers.  It is rumored that a few of these Civil War Veterans are playing cards and roaming around at night in the cemetery.

The Ghost of Dr. Nicholas Howard, a former Confederate surgeon is also buried at Mount Hope.  Dr. Howard's grave site is unique in that it is covered by a massive mound of bricks.

Dr. Nicholas Howard.
Click the pic for image
source.

It is suggested that the bricks were to protect the grave from wild animals digging up his remains since his grave was on the shallow side but another theory suggests it is to keep the good doctor from coming back.

Obviously the bricks did not do the trick as Dr. Howard is a frequent roamer of the cemetery.  Some say he is still practicing his medical specialty.  We may never know but it is pretty interesting in my opinion.

There is not a lot of sources to extract information about Dr. Howard but here is a great one.

Slot and tab grave
markers in North Georgia.

Another interesting piece of info to file away in your Georgia history bank is that in The Mount Hope Cemetery is home to many slot and tab grave markers which are only found in this part of the country.  We will have to stop off and check these out.

This photo was taken by Madelyn Anthony
in 1953.  She captured what is said to be
the ghost of a woman in a long white dress with
an antique bicycle and a boy hiding behind
a tree.  This is considered at least one
of the most famous photos taken of ghosts in Dalonega.

This is Betsy.
She died in 1884 at the age of 8.

These ghost lore and tales are just a few of the many haunted delights that Dahlonega has to offer.  There are several haunted tours and walks you can take part in.  We will definitely be checking out the Ghost Tours this Halloween.  Read more about those here.  The walking ghost tour also looks fabulous.  You can find that here.  Another fun thing to do is the gold mines.  We have been in the mines several times over the years, and I am completely freaked out by them.  I certainly do not want to be in an underground mine with a ghost friendly or not.

If you are interested in seeing mysteriously missing chess pieces from outdoor chess boards, girls in long, white dresses playing in rooms, ghosts that bang pots and pans throughout the restaurants on the square, or see the peek-a-boo boy in store windows, pull up a chair in the square and chat with the locals, that is if you can find a chair.  It is said that these playful ghost will even move the chairs.

The Historic Holly Theater in Dahlonega Georgia.
More about Mount Hope Cemetery.
Georgia On My Mind.
Haunted places in Georgia.Here is a list of the Veterans buried at Mount Hope Cemetery.