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Ghosts of Bristol: Haunting Tales from the Twin Cities
The nighttime glow of the Cameo Theatre illuminates an apparition of the infamous madam Pocahontas Hale, and the ghost of a young Confederate soldier rises from Cedar Hill to gaze mournfully on his lost homesteadthese are the haunts of the Twin Cities. Local author Bud Phillips takes readers on an eerie, and sometimes humorous, journey through the ghostly lore of Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee. From the terrifying specter of a headless hobo and the spirits of a young couple parted through violence and reunited in death to the organist who played the Sunday after her funeral, Phillips's collection of tales raises the otherworldly residents of Bristol from the shadows.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 18, 2026
Ghost of Bristol: Haunting Tales from the Twin Cities by V.N. Bud Phillips:
I love Halloween and I love the Tri Cities of Tennessee and Virginia. It is my home and a place that I have not lived in for well over a decade now. That being said, as I get older and further away from the time that I lived there I become more and more drawn to it. I have spent the last few years expanding my collection of local ghost story, history, and folklore books of the area. Recently, I came across Bud Phillips, who was a local historian and author. Bud came to Bristol in 1953 and passed away in 2017. He lived a long and interesting life, living in a house on Solar Hill in Bristol, Virginia, which was like a museum. He collected many stories and wrote quote a few books, including this one. This is the second of his books that I've read, and I plan to collect and read them all.
Like any other place, Bristol has its ghosts. Bristol is actually two cities that sit in both Virginia and Tennessee. The main street of the two cities is one and also serves as the state line. One can move as freely between two stats as ghosts sometimes seem to do between the afterlife and our world. This book tells a number of them, some scary and some quite humorous. The author admits that he wrote this book because of public demand, and I am glad that he did. Bud Phillips had the luck of meeting many old-timers when he came to Bristol in the 1950s, people who could practically remember the Civil War Era. These folks told many stories of "haints" and other ghastly beings that haunt the town. This book was published in the 2000s, so Phillips does a good job of rounding the stories out from a point of reference standpoint, explaining where a certain building once was and so forth.
That being said, I yearn for two things now that I have read these stories. The first is quite simple and it is that I would like to go to Bristol and find some of these places, even though many of the buildings are long gone. I want to at least see East Hill Cemetery, Bristol's noteworthy burial ground, as Mr. Phillips is buried there himself and it also overlooks the city. The second is that I would love to see the Bristol of years gone by, back when it was a vibrant, young, and promising place.
I love Halloween and I love the Tri Cities of Tennessee and Virginia. It is my home and a place that I have not lived in for well over a decade now. That being said, as I get older and further away from the time that I lived there I become more and more drawn to it. I have spent the last few years expanding my collection of local ghost story, history, and folklore books of the area. Recently, I came across Bud Phillips, who was a local historian and author. Bud came to Bristol in 1953 and passed away in 2017. He lived a long and interesting life, living in a house on Solar Hill in Bristol, Virginia, which was like a museum. He collected many stories and wrote quote a few books, including this one. This is the second of his books that I've read, and I plan to collect and read them all.
Like any other place, Bristol has its ghosts. Bristol is actually two cities that sit in both Virginia and Tennessee. The main street of the two cities is one and also serves as the state line. One can move as freely between two stats as ghosts sometimes seem to do between the afterlife and our world. This book tells a number of them, some scary and some quite humorous. The author admits that he wrote this book because of public demand, and I am glad that he did. Bud Phillips had the luck of meeting many old-timers when he came to Bristol in the 1950s, people who could practically remember the Civil War Era. These folks told many stories of "haints" and other ghastly beings that haunt the town. This book was published in the 2000s, so Phillips does a good job of rounding the stories out from a point of reference standpoint, explaining where a certain building once was and so forth.
That being said, I yearn for two things now that I have read these stories. The first is quite simple and it is that I would like to go to Bristol and find some of these places, even though many of the buildings are long gone. I want to at least see East Hill Cemetery, Bristol's noteworthy burial ground, as Mr. Phillips is buried there himself and it also overlooks the city. The second is that I would love to see the Bristol of years gone by, back when it was a vibrant, young, and promising place.
May 13, 2020
Very interesting and entertaining!
I totally enjoyed this book. It had a lot of
great ghost stories and lots of information
about Bristol. I had a friend who was
living there before she passed away and
she told me many of the ghost stories that
we're told to her. I absolutely enjoyed this
book!!
I totally enjoyed this book. It had a lot of
great ghost stories and lots of information
about Bristol. I had a friend who was
living there before she passed away and
she told me many of the ghost stories that
we're told to her. I absolutely enjoyed this
book!!
January 15, 2023
Fun read!
This book was much better than most other books of this type. The author had a way with words and made all the differebce.
This book was much better than most other books of this type. The author had a way with words and made all the differebce.
December 12, 2019
This book is fantastic! The Authors home is also currently a museum.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews