In Asheville, North Carolina, situated between Lexington and Park Avenues, is a narrow passageway known as Chicken Alley, connecting Carolina Lane and Woodfin Street. The alley got its name because back a hundred years or so ago, flocks of chickens just naturally seemed to congregate there. Chicken Alley is easy to find today, because a huge, colorful mural of chickens painted by a local artist decorates the entrance to Woodfin Street.
The lore of Chicken Alley is not just concerned with flocks of poultry from the past; There is a famous ghost that is said to walk there today. The story goes, that over a hundred years ago, a good doctor used to have his home on Chicken Alley, one Dr. Jamie Smith. Dr. Smith was a tall, imposing figure who always wore a long, black duster coat, a black, wide-brimmed Fedora hat and carried a cane with a silver handle. Of course, he never went anywhere without his black doctor’s bag as well.
It was said that when he was not on duty, Dr. Smith enjoyed the town’s night life. He often frequented the bars and brothels of his time. He could be found standing at the bar, shoulder to shoulder with rough men from the logging camps and other trades that would descend on the town on weekends looking for a good time. It is also said that much of the good doctor’s revenue came from treating patients who had contracted social diseases from frequenting the aforementioned establishments. One night, while Dr. Smith was imbibing at his favorite watering hole, the Broadway Tavern, a bar room brawl broke out. He tried to stop it and was rewarded with a knife through the heart. Dr. Smith died instantly. No one was ever arrested for the crime, and a year later the Broadway Tavern burned to the ground.
It appears the good doctor is still making his rounds from the other side. The shadowy form of a man, dressed in a long coat with a wide brimmed hat, carrying a cane and a doctor’s bag has been seen on many occasions walking down Chicken Alley. Perhaps the good doctor is trying to get back to his office, or maybe he is just looking for a saloon where he can enjoy some spirits of the liquid kind, as he used to when he was alive. You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or
interesting stories for the world to read and respond to Click hereScroll all the way down to read replies.Show all stories by Author:  10798 ( Click here )
Halloween is Right around the corner.. .
|
