The Hatchie River Bottom  has it’s share of ghosts. As I researched the history of the Hatchie their stories kept floating in and out of my “mind’s eye”. (A great grandmother phrase) For example while I was remembering some of Mr. Charlie’s  and Mr Billy’s stories about Hatchie Station one came to mind.

Now I know not everybody believes in ghost which is fine but the stories connected to the ghosts are interesting to read and hear.

It was a hot summer day in the 1800’s and the water coming off the creek from the turn around was cool.The three girls were walking around the creek when they decided they were far enough away from the landing to go swimming . As girls do they were giggling as they stripped down to swim in the cool water. No one is sure what happened but the next thing the ferry boat pilot saw was the body of one girl floating toward the landing. As soon as the ferry landed and unloaded they got the girl’s body out of the water. Some of the men around the landing started walking toward the turnaround where they found the bodies of the other girls. They designated one man to take the wagon to get the girls mother since they knew their father was working on a barge.
When they laid the girls out and were covering them before the mother arrived they saw that all three girls had head injuries.
Someone sent a note to the Sheriff’s office but they knew it would be the end of the week before he made it to Hatchie Station. Soon they broke the news to the mother and loaded the girls’s bodies in the wagon  so they could to get them home to hold the wake and burial. The word had gotten out, a group of church ladies were on their way to the home place to help the grieving mother. They also sent a messenger to head to Memphis in hopes of finding the father it was a sad time.
Who killed the girls or was it an accident?

It was about three months after the incident that the reports started.On a full moon
night people would here splashing in the creek and giggling. The moon was full so they could see no one was in the water but they heard the giggles. For years there were sightings of the girls and the sounds of  girls talking and laughing.
After the ferry quit running ,the bridge was built and  deserted,on a full moon night the reports of sighting continued. Still do so I am told……

That is just one of the stories of Hatchie Station  concerning one set of spirits. Mr Charlie has passed on but I feel Mr. Charlie is still down at his beloved Hatchie Station watching over “his Hatchie River”.

Back to history tomorrow…