The Haunted Bell Witch Cave

Bell Home



"I am a Spirit from everywhere, Heaven, Hell the Earth; am in the air, in houses, any place at any time, have been created millions of years; that is all I will tell you "
'The Bell Witch' (Quoted in H. Carrington & N. Fodor The Story of the Poltergeist Down the Centuries, 1953)
The Bell Witch Cave is rumored to be on of the most haunted locations in all of America. In the year of 1804, a distinguished farmer by the name of John Bell moved his family from North Carolina to Tennessee. The home that they relocated to was perfect for Bell’s career in farming. The land was especially beneficial. It rested along the infamous Red River and it consisted of three hundred and twenty acres of land that was full of rich, moist soil. The family established their place in the community that they lived in, and actually became quite prosperous based on the massive crops that they produced. All went well from the family, until the 13th year that they lived on the land.

In the year of 1817, several unexplained events started to take place in and around the home. One of the first things that were documented were unusual animals being seen lurking among the crops of the Bell property. This seemed innocent enough, despite the fact that they were still perplexed by the sights of the unusual creatures. Within a small amount of time, unusual noises started to be heard by the family. A sound that reflected knocking and even taps and bangs on the outside of the home were heard. Naturally, this frightened the family. These sounds were even more frightening considering when they were investigated; there was no indication of anything causing them.

Eventually, whatever it was knocking on the outside of the home seemed to invade the inside of the home. There seemed to be gnawing sounds on the wooden furniture in the home, such as bedposts and legs of chairs. Then, it seemed as if chains were literally being dragged along the floors of the home. It also appeared that stones or heavy items were being dropped on the floor of the home, yet there was no physical indication that anything had dropped. Perhaps the scariest of all sounds was that which sounded like someone gulping and even choking to an extent. Naturally, none of these sounds can be explained at all.

The family lived in terror for a whole year. It was at this time, they started sharing their experiences with friends and neighbors. These individuals spent time in the home, sometimes even whole nights, and were able to witness the strange events that took place. Eventually, this unseen spirit began to speak. Naturally, the Bell family tried to identify the spirit, but the spirit was often ambiguous and would provide different names. Over time, this spirit would come to be known as “Kate” as it stated the name “Kate Batts” at one point. This is when this spirit gained the name of the “Bell’s Witch”. Kate Batts was a neighbor in which John Bell had several unpleasant accounts with that was believed to be involved in the occult. It seemed that this spirit was the one that was out to do the neighbor’s bidding toward the family.

An artist's drawing of Betsy Bell, done around 1894.The spirit that took on the identity as Kate quickly displayed a high level of intelligence. She had two main intentions for the hauntings that she apparently caused. The first was to ensure that John Bell died quickly. The daughter of John Bell was named Betsy. She wanted to ensure that this young girl did not fulfill the engagement and marry a young man in the neighborhood by the name of Joshua Gardner. While all members of the family were tortured and frightened in several ways, the infamous “Bell Witch” seemed to give John and his daughter the worst of it – especially in physical attacks.


The family and several witnesses apparently conversed with the spirit of Kate on a regular basis. She knew and understood the Bible, as well as many details of the past and the present. In the year of 1820, on the 20th day of December, Kate was successfully in ensuring the death of John Bell. Just three short months after the death of her father, Betsy elected to call of the marriage that she had committed to. It was then that the Bell Witch stated she would return in seven years.

When she returned, exactly seven years later, it is said that she made many revelations to the son of John Bell, John Bell Jr., and it was at this time she revealed that there was purpose and intent to the death of his father. Once her stay was over, it is said that she would return to the area in a time frame of one hundred and seven years, which was the year of 1935. There is a cave on the farm where John Bell lived with his family. It is believed that the Bell Witch stemmed from this location. This is why, to this day, it is called the “Bell Witch Cave” by locals and those abroad.

This particular cave has been said to be a tunnel from the spiritual world to the physical world. It is believed to be haunted as several types of unexplained occurrences occur in and around the area. If you would like to visit the Bell Witch Cave Farm, you can do so by visiting the city of Adams in Tennessee. It is on Keysburg Road, and the physical address is 430. Is the story of the Bell Witch real? Several documents throughout history suggest that it is. As a matter of fact, the schools in the area even teach about it in their curriculum. Will you be the next to experience the strange phenomenon of the Bell Witch?

Have you been to the Bell Witch Cave? If so, we would LOVE to hear your stories! Simply click on the “Ghost Stories” tab on the navigational menu and share them with us!


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