It seems like the best way to find out about local legends is to ask, well, the locals. In a conversation about monsters and Indigenous legends, came the topic of superstitions and unnamed creatures. While the unnamed creatures will remain that way out of respect for those cultures, it did also enlighten me to some lesser-known stories.

One such story is of Newport, Tennessee, and the Cocke County Memorial Building, brought to this column’s attention by an ETSU student, Vivian.

According to her, the memorial building is haunted following a plane explosion that happened above it. It has been talked about on a show called “Ghost Brothers,” which is good to look into regarding hauntings in Appalachia in general.

Photo of the “Ghost Brothers” television cover. (Contributed/IMDb)



In season two, episode six, the Ghost Brothers covered the Cocke County Memorial Building, saying that it was haunted following a plane crash in 1964.

In Anthony Justus’ post on a blog called “The Haunted Spots Blog” he discusses more of the details of the building, from its creation in 1931 to be the 41st post of the American Legion. (Anthony Justus, Perspective: A look back on experiences and an old case: The Cocke County Memorial Building, Newport, TN, August 27, 2015)

On July 9, 1964, a plane departed from Pennsylvania and was lost during its flight (with a timestamp of 6:02 for when it went missing). The specific details of the crash are contained within the Aircraft Accident Report including the death of thirty-nine people, which was the entirety of the occupants within the plane. (Jessica Fuller, WJHL, October 29, 2015)

According to multiple sources (which have been priorly mentioned), the most haunted spot in the building is the gym, and investigators have spoken of seeing ghosts inside, with Fuller specifically stating that two investigators spotted a woman in a white dress.

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