Devil's Tramping Ground

reply to post by multichild

Doncha kno cow pat is used as fuel here!!!! Sorry.... had to throw that in!!!!
It is possible you are right about it being trampled by visitors.
Truth is... I have not visited the place in many years and I live here. There is lot of fokelore.. but how true that is ..is any ones guess. The best way I suppose is to experience the place yourself.
That would mean studying it for awhile. I don't know if anyone has done that over a period of time.

There are a few different places like this in North Carolina. From what Ive heard is that many years ago it was pretty cool, but it was pretty trashed when I went about two years ago, and we were really just passing through so we didnt stay for long.

I have seen the brown mountain lights and it is pretty freaky.

Now, I have done alot of land surveying out of Winston Salem, and around there the big paranormal thing is payne road. Its where teens go at night to be scarred. its got the generic bridge to turn your car off on, and some old logging roads that are said to lead to moonshine stills and its fairly close to where all this happened;

Charlie lawson mass murder

In 1929, shortly before Christmas, Charlie Lawson took his family (37-year-old wife Fannie and their children: Marie, 17; Arthur, 16; Carrie, 12; Maybell; 7, James, 4; Raymond, 2; and Mary Lou, 4 months) into town to buy new clothes and to have a family portrait taken. Since they were far from wealthy, this seemed unusual. The new clothes ultimately became burial outfits. On that day he began the slaughter with his daughters, Carrie and Maybell, who were setting out to their uncle and aunt's house. Lawson waited for them by the tobacco barn; when they were in range, he shot them with a shotgun, then ensured that they were dead by bludgeoning them. He then placed the bodies in the tobacco barn. Afterwards, he returned to the house and shot Fannie, who was on the porch. As soon as the gun was fired, Marie, who was inside, screamed, while the two small boys, James and Raymond, attempted to find a hiding place. Lawson shot Marie and then found and shot the two boys. Lastly, he killed the baby, Mary Lou.

After the murders, he went into the nearby woods and, a few hours later, shot himself. The only survivor was his eldest son, 16 year-old Arthur, whom he had sent on an errand just before starting his deadly work. The bodies of the family members were found with their arms crossed and pillows under their heads. The gunshot signaling Charlie Lawson's own suicide was heard by the many people who learned of the gruesome event on the property and had already gathered there. Some rushed towards the direction of the sound and found Charlie Lawson dead, with his two dogs by their master's side. There were footprints, indicating he had been walking in a small circle for hours.

Speculation and rumors

There were rumors as to why Charlie Lawson would take the lives of himself and his family and it was speculated that Charlie did not murder his family at all, that it was staged to look as though Charlie had committed suicide. One of these explanations was that Charlie had witnessed an organized crime incident, and had been found out, and he and his family murdered for it. Another involves a black man Charlie had started a fight with. Neither of these rumors seemed plausible, or could fit with the facts. All signs obviously pointed to a murder/suicide.

reply to post by moonwize


I hate to say this but I live the next County over in Moore near Highfalls and I have never been there. I have heard some cool stories but that is about all I know. Maybe I need to hook-up with moonwize and head over there.

By the way good to see some fellow Tarheels on here.

[edit on 21-4-2010 by Eric1963]

reply to post by -Blackout-


That first picture you posted (2nd one wont work) reminds me of a movie (I thin it was a movie at least) that I saw.

In the movie there was an area just like that in the picture that nothing could grow and every plant in the area would just die. Eventually it spread, and then out of no where billions of flying and nonflying bugs attacked the neighborhood that was built nearby.

It was said in this movie that the guy who purchased the ground built it on top of an Indian burial ground... I wonder if anyone can find out the history of this area, and see if this may be true with this specific area. Maybe the movie was thinly based off this "Devil's Tramping Ground" I have no idea.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

reply to post by Eric1963


Howdy.. Eric... Live near Highfalls, too!!! Strange set of events.... Might even know your folks!

reply to post by moonwize


I am new to ATS..... I love this web site!!! As soon as I can figure out how to use the U 2 U thing I will send you a message. I live very close to North Moore High School going toward Robbins

reply to post by -Blackout-


Do you know if anyone has taken a soil sample and done an analysis on it or taken a sample to see if anything can grow in it?

I recall hearing about another story of a similar patch of earth where horses try to avoid it. I will have to search for it.

reply to post by Eric1963


Well ..Eric.. we live fairly close to each other. Good to have you on here and it will be interesting watching your posts.
My daughter and I are heading out there to the Grounds in a few minutes. Will let you know what we see and HEAR if anything.
Think I will do some research on the area, too......

reply to post by moonwize


good going dude hope u have a fun family trip.

and i hope you have a video camera or something to take some pics / vids maybe you will get lucky.

did anyone take a read of my dead thread of the haunted church ground i visited a few summers back makes interesting reading

www.abovetopsecret.com...

the folk lore regarding the site is all about the devil stealing the church bells and depositing them in the local river .. crazy stuff.

it is also linked with many way lines and old burial sites.

i wonder if the site in this thread has ley line links ??

It is right next to a road. You can see that lots of people obviously go there and have a bonfire. There is no wonder no vegetation grows there. No mystery here folks. Use common sense.

reply to post by -Blackout-


Heard the same legends early in my PC service in West Africa. FDevil's home is a clearing in forest, no or low cut grass. No trees, dead branches or other clutter.

Then towards the end of my service saw a man come running out of the forest possessed. He was very scared and kept on saying "I am going to be sick, I am going to be sick."

Shortly had high fever, speaking in tongues, fighting his friends, and not recognizing family. Was taken to the local Marabo (mix of muslim priest and local shaman) who rubbed holy water on him and said prayers. The possessed man regained himself w/i 30 minutes and had no recollection of most of what passed.

Last thing he remembered was being in a clearing in the forest and hearing footsteps. He turned and saw a bull-like animal with angry human eyes and forward-facing horns. The animal charged him and disappeared just as he should have hit the man. The man got up and ran to the village.

I witnessed all of this first hand except for the events in the forest.

If I'm not mistaken, I've seen a "Ghost Adventurers" (maybe it was Destination Truth?) episode on Youtube regarding the area.

If I'm correct, they took soil samples and the guys who did the testing said there should be no reasosn why anything won't grow there.

Interesting stuff, star and flag for you.

I'm about a 30 minutes away, but have never been there. Some friends went when I was in high school and and said they heard stuff in the woods all night long. I'm sure, looking back, that the story was probably embellished a bit.....but as I said, I wasn't there.
It's good to see some members from NC here!

Maybe a UFO landed there. I saw a incident where a man and a child witness a UFO in the woods near their house. It left a circular mark on the ground and to this day nothing grows there. Just a possibility....If I can find the thread about this I will link it...

Originally posted by sphinx551
The devil is a human made concept. There is no devil.

That is far from the truth. Read the true and scientific book online called, "The devil and Karen Kingston".
hbcdelivers.s439.sureserver.com...
I've authenticated the authenticity of the book twice now.

Originally posted by sphinx551

Originally posted by Whine Flu
If I did see the devil, though, chances are I'd say "Sssssssssup?"

The devil is a human made concept. There is no devil.
You might see a Reptilian or some other Cryptozoological beast there though.

oh really? who died and made you king of the paranormal beasts

reply to post by texastig


It is your reply that is the incorrect one, and the poster whom you corrected is actually got it right. To find the truth of the matter your biggest obstacle is obtaining your information from religious sites. You provided a link to a baptist support site which is honestly total rubbish like all other cult sites. If you want the truth of the matter, study the scriptures in the native language in which it was written. This is the KEY to discovering what was ORIGINALLY intended. After finding out the true meanings of the words, you will see what the original stories actually meant. Once you see what the authors were writing about, you WILL become quite angry at these religious sites at the nonsense they are spreading. If you want the truth, thats how to find it out, not by reading these nonsense religious websites.

reply to post by texastig


Thanks for the link. It is a story that I had not heard about before. I would like to find out more on this.
Also the devil exists because I was married to him

Originally posted by Greenlance
I am curious enough to ask a open question. Who has, or knows someone who has, performed a sex act inside this tramping ground? I imagine it would probably be your closest bet, if not through sacrifice, to promote contact by any paranormal entity, if the paranormal is to blame for this phenomena.

maybe you should head on down and perform a sex act on a goat and then sacrifice it? let us know how it turns out and remember, pics or it didn't happen.

reply to post by -Blackout-


i'd like if someone would fertilize and plant something there and record the results.

its pretty unlikely that no one has actually tried to plant something there, being apart of a trail/road..