The Ghost Dog of Old Buncombe Road

Deep in the heart of South Carolina, there is a place where carved-out pavement unravels into a timeless spool of history and a thicket of densely wooded forest. It is on this old stagecoach route that weary trekkers and curious onlookers dare not make their presence known late at night. It is said that Old Buncombe Road is haunted by the spirit of a dog. “Happy”, they call the ghost, though this fang grinning spirit of Goshen is anything but happy.

Just as this lonely road itself, so the legend of Happy unravels from long ago. It was late 1800, when a peddler and his faithful companion, a big white dog, passed through the small southern settlement of Goshen. While the peddler was occupying his time in Goshen, a serious crime was committed. Local fingers pointed at the only stranger about the village. The peddler was falsely accused and soon hanged. For some time, the dog stayed at the gallows, howling, and grieving—awaiting his master’s return. Regrettably, the villagers stoned the beast to death.

It is said that on Old Buncombe Road a big white dog, with bloodshot eyes, roams. Holding a grudge against the ones who murdered his master, the dog is mean and frightens those who approach him.

Through the years there have been many to claim to have seen, and been frightened by the spirit of this enormous, fang grinning dog. What do you think? Is he real? Would you dare to take a drive late at night on this portion of Old Buncombe Road?

Learn more about the haunting of Old Buncombe Road here, and leave a comment below.

Join Our Mailing List

Share This Post