Southern Spirits — Barefoot tells ghostly tales

Dan Barefoot says he cannot prove that ghosts exist but he believes there are forces at work in science that cannot be explained.
With his recent release of his ninth book, Barefoot wrote some haunted tales just in time for Halloween.
The book entitled, “Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities,” is a collection of thirty-nine tales from the eleven states of the Old Confederacy, plus Kentucky and West Virginia.
He will be at Cup of Grace Coffee Shop on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. for a book signing. Copies of the book will also be available.
“Colleges are the most haunted places in America so it seemed appropriate to do a book on it,” he said.
In order to gather his research Barefoot, who lives in Lincolnton, traveled to many of the schools.
One school in particular still sticks out in his mind, Huntingdon College in Alabama.
Barefoot said he and his wife were standing in front of the building that they were preparing to get a picture of.
“All of a sudden my wife took a fall and suffered a nasty cut on her hand and twisted her shoulder,” he said. “To this day she said it was like an invisible force that pushed her.”
The event took special interest between the couple.
“We will always remember that visit,” he said.
Barefoot said the book offers a good mix for an entertaining read.
“At Halloween everyone loves a good ghost story especially if it is believable,” he said. “This is a book that everyone will want to read at this time of year.”
The book is available in most book stores for $13.95. Some of his other books include, “North Carolina’s Haunted Hundred,” which was an inspiration for the “Haunted Halls of Ivy,” four travel guides and a biography of Confederate General Robert Hoke.
Barefoot is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and he also holds a degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. A former state legislator, he is currently the attorney for the city of Lincolnton.
Barefoot will also have a book signing at the Cultural Center on Oct. 31.
He will be releasing a new book, “Let Us Die Like Brave Men,” in May.

by Amy Wadsworth