Books on the Bell Witch

mtskeptics.homestead.com/BellWitch1.html

Before I go on too much about the Bell Witch, let me recommend that you check out the link above. This is a great link to The Middle Tennessee Skeptics site concerning the Bell Witch. These guys have done a great job researching the facts!

Personally, I love a good, weird, scary story! I especially love the story of the Bell Witch. However, the MTS does a very thorough job with their research. Even if you are not one with skeptical leanings, check out their site, as they mention some good resources, and have a nice, easy to understand timeline of events.

The skeptic group also makes a very good point concerning books on the Bell Witch. There really isn't a lot of source material on the story. For anyone interested in the Bell Witch, copies of the old books are the ones to read. They specifically name the original, "Authenticated History of the Bell Witch."

Also, if you enjoy collecting unique books, the Bell Witch Cave gift shop offers some printings made exclusively for them. I think thats pretty cool!

After you check out the old books, there are a few more recent ones that deserve some attention. I found a 1971 Ripley's Believe It Or Not comic with an 8 page adaptation of the story. The creepy vintage art work alone makes this book worth hunting down.

"Echoes of the Bell With in the 20th Century" is an interesting read, as it gives mostly ghost stories from the former owner of the Bell Witch Cave.

Tim Henson has an interesting book on the genealogy of the Bell family. He has put a lot of research in to making the book, and trying to figure out where some of the family members fit in to the story.

Concerning the older books, the one by Charles Bailey Bell is interesting. Oddly, towards the end of the book, the ghost gets a bit preachy talking at length about religion. Most accounts of the ghost do note that she had a knowledge of the Bible. As a side note, most accounts also describe that the Bell Witch was quit the racist.