Founded in 1821, Columbus, Mississippi is one of the larger towns in the area with a population of just under twenty-five thousand, and like all Old South towns, is home to several supposed “hauntings.” On May 17, 2016, a pair of friends and myself checked out the two haunted roads in Columbus. Next up is Armstrong Road.

Here’s how the legend goes— The area where the train tracks cross over Armstrong Road is haunted by a young woman’s ghost. While waiting for her husband to return from the war, the young woman learned that he died in an accident on the train. She refused to believe the news and set up a vigil to wait for his return, often walking the tracks. Nights, she carried a lantern during her walks. Eventually, grief consumed the young woman and she stepped into the path of an oncoming train. Witness reports vary but many claimed to see the apparition of the young woman while others saw the light of the flickering lantern. They say, if you park your car on the tracks, turn off the engine and lights, and honk three times, you’ll see the woman’s lantern appear in the distance and race towards you. Apparently, it’s the ghost of the woman believing her husband’s train has finally arrived.

As I drove onto Armstrong, the headlights caught orange “Road Closed” diamonds standing on both sides of the drive, and a truck length later, we passed through an opened gate and another “Road Closed” sign. “But hey, the gate’s open,” I said to Brandi and Blake.

Like Nash, Armstrong was hard-packed gravel, but this one showed signs of erosion on both sides and was very bumpy. Uneven marshy forest surrounded Armstrong, and we bounced over a shallow trench that appeared to be purposefully dug rather than naturally eroded.

“Maybe flooding is an issue and that’s why the road is closed,” Blake said.

The wetland ended and high trees snuggled in close; Armstrong was much narrower than Nash, a one-vehicle-only type of road. A large, leafy limb blocked half the road, and I carefully steered the pickup around it. Then, unbelievably, the road narrowed further, and the ground started to rise.

At the apex, over-worked train tracks bisected the road. “RR Crossing” signs alerted us to its presence ahead of time. After checking for coming locomotives, I parked on the tracks and we studied the tracks both ways. To the left, in the distance, we could see a light, appearing to be a streetlight, and nearer, what appeared to be a safety reflector.

Then I honked three times. We waited, listening and watching into the dark. Ten minutes passed. I turned the truck and the lights off, Brandi didn’t protest so much this time. We listened. I restarted the truck, climbed out, and walked around the truck, checking around the tracks and snapping a few pictures. The three of us checked the pictures after I climbed back in—only train tracks disappearing into the darkness.

I backed off the tracks and then paused, looking around.

“Want to try one more time?” Blake said.

I did.

Pulled back onto the tracks and once again pressed the horn three times. We waited another ten minutes. The only light was the streetlight off in the distance. “Well damn,” I said and backed off the tracks, turned around on the hard shoulder, and drove back to town.

Scrolling around Google Maps, I decided to drive around to the other end of Armstrong and check out that section. I didn’t drive straight through because the road appeared to deteriorate dramatically after the tracks—according to Google, a creek crossed over Armstrong (Blake wondered if perhaps the bridge was out).

At an awkward five-way stop, I turned back onto Armstrong. Here the road was wider and a little less bumpy. Less than a mile down Armstrong we passed a gated landfill and less than a mile after that we came to several large “Road Closed” signs, blocking the road. Here, tired and slightly disappointed, we decided to turn around and head home.

Once again, we experienced no overt paranormal occurrence. Armstrong was a disappointment because it ended so quickly and because it has such a creepy backstory.

Taking both roads into account, I think Armstrong Rd definitely has the better legend (Nash Rd’s backstory seemed kind of silly), but Nash Rd was more fun to investigate (See Haunted Roads pt. 1). Despite not seeing a ghost, Nash felt creepy and the overgrown cemetery redeemed it slightly. Overall, we didn’t see a ghost or any ghostly lights but did enjoy a fun night.

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NOTE: Plan to return to trace inscription on the obelisk and honk at Nash Rd cemetery. Possibly give Armstrong another try.

NOTE 2: Two other places of interest in Columbus—1: Friendship Cemetery (Grieving Angel gravestone & confederate soldier ghost). 2: Princess Theatre