Pitty Pat Hollow – Tennessee Lore – Legends of America

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Pitty Pat Hollow – Tennessee Lore – Legends of America

Pitty Pat Hollow – Tennessee Lore – Legends of America

Nestled within the rolling hills of Sale Creek, Tennessee, lies a place shrouded in mystery and steeped in local lore: Pitty Pat Hollow. For over a century and a half, this unassuming stretch of land, also known as Shipley Hollow, has been the subject of countless tales, whispered in hushed tones around crackling fireplaces and passed down through generations. While the line between fact and fiction may be blurred, one thing remains undeniable: Pitty Pat Hollow holds a unique place in the collective imagination of the region, a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the human fascination with the unknown.

A Road Less Traveled

Pitty Pat Hollow branches off from Daugherty Ferry Road, a mere mile from the bustling Highway 27. As the road winds its way into the hollow, it eventually reconnects with Providence Road, covering a distance of approximately one and a half miles. The heart of the Pitty Pat stories centers around a specific area: starting about 200 yards from the Mill Dam Bridge, extending along Daugherty Ferry Road to the entrance of the hollow, and then snaking through the hollow itself until it reaches its terminus at Providence Road. Even stretches of Daugherty Ferry Road beyond the fork have been known to play host to unexplained occurrences, further fueling the mystique of the area.

The Pitty Pat: A Shadowy Enigma

At the heart of Pitty Pat Hollow’s lore lies the enigmatic "Pitty Pat" itself – a shadowy creature that has reportedly haunted the area since the late 1860s. This elusive entity has been met with a range of reactions, from ridicule and disbelief to outright fear and fascination. While some dismiss the Pitty Pat as mere folklore, others who claim to have encountered it speak of a profound sense of terror and an unwavering belief in its existence.

The origins of the Pitty Pat legend can be traced back to the aftermath of the Civil War. Early accounts describe unsettling events occurring near the hairpin curve at the McDonald Mill and Dam on Daugherty Ferry Road, then known as Plank Road. One of the earliest and most chilling tales involves a young woman traveling with her baby in a horse-drawn carriage. As the story goes, shortly after navigating the sharp turn and approaching the intersection of Shipley Hollow and Daugherty Ferry Road, the creature emerged, targeting the woman, her child, and the horse.

Sensing imminent danger, the horse panicked and bolted, ultimately causing the carriage to overturn and spill its passengers onto the roadside. In the ensuing chaos, the creature allegedly seized the baby, who was never seen again. This tragic event is often cited as the catalyst for the wave of horror stories that would continue to circulate for the next century and a half.

Tales of Terror and Midnight Encounters

In the late 1890s, steamboat captain Samuel P. Elsea found himself face-to-face with the Pitty Pat while returning to his home in the hollow one night. According to the tale, the shadowy creature pursued him in the same vicinity where the young woman’s baby had been taken. Driven by fear, Samuel spurred his horse onward, racing towards the nearest house. Upon reaching safety, he reportedly implored the homeowner to allow him to stay the night, claiming that a "spook" was hot on his heels. After tending to his horse, Samuel is said to have told the resident, "Scoot over in the bed because I’m staying with you tonight!"

Over time, the original tragedy became the foundation for countless stories about the creature. Local storytellers spun elaborate yarns, entertaining audiences with chilling tales that became a staple of gatherings in candlelit parlors and living rooms. Amidst these fictional accounts, however, stories of genuine encounters with a shadowy figure began to emerge – tales of people witnessing strange creatures and being chased through the darkness of Shipley Hollow.

The Power of Fear and Imagination

The enduring appeal of Pitty Pat Hollow lies, in part, in the human fascination with fear. People are drawn to scary stories, especially around Halloween, and the Pitty Pat legend provides the perfect outlet for this desire. As the author Curtis N. Coulter notes, "I have seen older adults sitting around a dimly lit room telling all kinds of scary stories about the mysterious creature (many of them flat-out lies) to a bunch of unsuspecting kids and scaring them so badly that they had to be led by the hand if they even wanted to go into the next room to the bathroom. But the kids ate it right up and wanted more."

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous supposedly true stories began to circulate throughout Sale Creek, describing strange occurrences in the vicinity of the old mill and dam, extending through the hollow – a distance of over two miles. People reported encountering unsettling sights and sounds in the woods as they walked along the road at night. As Coulter vividly describes, "If you have never walked up through that area right when darkness falls, you cannot imagine how dark it can get without visible outside lights and trees hanging over the road… it wouldn’t be any darker than Pitty Pat Hollow after dark. It gets dark there, and I mean somethin’ another ferocious dark!"

The Sound of Fear: Pitty-Pat, Pitty-Pat, Pitty-Pat

One of the most common elements in the Pitty Pat Hollow stories is the sound of "pitty-pat, pitty-pat, pitty-pat" echoing through the darkened woods. This sound, often described as the barely audible footsteps of a large creature, was enough to send shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls. As Coulter explains, "No one wanted to listen to the sound of something pitty pat pitty pattin’ through the woods at night because it was proof positive that the booger was coming to do someone much bodily harm."

Upon hearing the ominous sound, people would often whirl around, searching for the source, only to find nothing. But then, the pitty-pat sound would return, triggering a primal instinct to flee. "That is when the shout was heard, ‘Run! Run for your life!’" Coulter writes. "And run everyone did. They took off like a shot… those sprinters in Pitty Pat Hollow over 100 years ago shattered the three-minute mile record by a minute and a half because those sprinters were not running for medals or accolades. Those poor sufferers were running for their very lives."

Apparitions and Unexplained Encounters

In addition to the pitty-pat sound, travelers in Pitty Pat Hollow have reported a variety of other unsettling experiences. Some have claimed that objects fell from trees onto the backs of their horses, causing them to stampede uncontrollably. Others have described seeing an apparition moving alongside them in their peripheral vision – often depicted as a young woman in a white dress and veil. Walkers, too, have reported encountering this ghostly figure, only to have it vanish when they turned to look directly at it.

Even respected members of the community, such as Dr. C.E. Downey (1846-1906) and Dr. Vitruvius J. Kennedy (1841-1890), shared their own unsettling stories. Dr. Downey recounted an incident in which something jumped out of a tree onto the back of his horse while he was on his way to visit a patient late one night. The horse bucked and thrashed, eventually throwing off the mysterious entity and bolting up the hollow with the doctor clinging on for dear life. Shaken by the experience, Dr. Downey reportedly stayed with his patient for the remainder of the night, refusing to venture back through the hollow until daylight.

The Enduring Legacy of Pitty Pat Hollow

Whether based on fact or fiction, the stories of Pitty Pat Hollow have become an integral part of the region’s cultural heritage. The sheer volume of accounts, coupled with the convincing narratives of those who claim to have experienced the supernatural, has led many to believe in the existence of some kind of "booger" lurking in the woods.

As Mrs. Elsie Iles, who was interviewed by Curtis N. Coulter in his 1990 book, A Sentimental Journey Down Country Roads, emphasized, "People did feel uneasy walking the roads at night. There was most definitely a fear that something was lurking around out there… People were mindful of the danger and completed their outside work before total darkness set in… People avoided going through the hollow at night…period!"

In conclusion, Pitty Pat Hollow remains a place of mystery and intrigue, a testament to the power of storytelling and the enduring human fascination with the unknown. Whether you believe in the existence of the Pitty Pat or dismiss it as mere folklore, there’s no denying that this unassuming stretch of land holds a unique and captivating place in the heart of Tennessee.

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