Jesse James, Buried Treasure, and a Witch: The Kentucky Legend of the Spurlington Tunnel [VIDEO]

I LOVE a good spooky story especially this time of year. My favorite kinds are the tales passed down like a game of telephone through generations. It seems like Kentucky has a neverending fount of legends. Every time I think I have read them all, I come across one I hadn't found before.

That's exactly what happened with this story that took place a little ways from Campbellsville, KY in the late 1800s. Kentucky is a land of peaks and valleys, and as it was developing, sometimes instead of going around those peaks, railworkers busted right on through them. That is how the Spurlington Tunnel was made and a railway was built. It has long since been abandoned and local folks believe that is in part because of the tragic events that occurred.

The Outlaw Jesse James was wreaking havoc on Kentucky at the time. He and his crew robbed banks and stagecoaches while running from the law. Here is a really great video from KET with a Jesse James historian.

As they ran from the law, Jesse's gang looked for a place to hide their loot, and the story goes that the 1900-foot Spurlington Tunnel fit the bill to keep it safe. So the outlaws started digging. All of a sudden one of the guys looked up and saw a woman standing there. Not wanting to risk having a witness who could possibly tell the authorities, it is believed that they murdered the woman and buried her above the tunnel along with their stolen treasure.

Little did they know, this woman, named Nancy Bass, was considered by the locals to have been a witch. She had a reputation for putting hexes on people who did her wrong by ruining their crops and homes. Legend has it that her spirit cursed the gold and silver she was buried along with whoever might come along to dig it up.

Get our free mobile app

She probably assumed one of the notorious gang members who sealed her fate would return for the bags of riches, however, no one is believed to have disturbed the grounds ever since.

The tunnel is now on private property, but the owners have let people explore it in the past.  I would maybe think twice before exploring. I wouldn't want to rustle up any spirits or curses upon arrival. Visitors have told of hearing strange noises in the tunnel and feeling the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. This video was made almost a year ago and shows what the area looks like now.

Sources: Only in Your State, KET, Haunted Kentucky Facebook