Haunted Highways: Spooky Stories, Strange Happenings, and Supernatural Sightings

by Tom Ogden

For most of us, most of the time, the roads we travel are largely forgotten once we get to where we're going. By day, they usually reveal a familiar, real—living—world. But then darkness comes. Haunted Highways brings together more than twenty of the spookiest stories ever of ghosts, hauntings, and supernatural events on or near America's highways and byways. There are the usual suspects—the creepy hitchhiker, the eerie lights along a lonely stretch of road—as well as many you never dared to imagine. Each of the book's more than twenty-five chapters ratchets up the suspense, from an introduction that sets the scene and draws you in, to a haunting climax. Whether the actor Telly Savalas's haunting encounter with a long-dead good Samaritan on a rural Long Island road, or the Ghost Riders in the Sky who appear over the plains of Texas, these stories will bring delightful fright to readers young and old.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction, Horror, Ghost Stories, Short Stories, Halloween, Supernatural

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2008

Reviews

[Diane Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a bunch of scary short stories. That is not what this book is. The reader learns the story. Where it came from or how it started. This book is a collection of legions from all over the world. The common factor is they all somehow relate to transport. I'm so much more informed about stories I never even knew about. Nonfiction explanation of fictional legions is the best way to explain this. The end of the book had all the books used to put this one together. Readers can continue their scary short story journey if they choose.

[Alicia Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I spent fifty cents to acquire this at a thrift store. It was worth every penny.

There's not much new here, just laying out several well-known ghost stories from throughout the United States. This should find a welcome second home with my niece or nephew.

[Patrick Broderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book of retold legends of ghosts along highways, roads & trails. For the most part, the stories are regional urban legends like Chicago's Resurrection Mary but told from the point of view of a fictitious person. However, the chapter of the Headless Horseman is merely a retelling of Washington Irving's classic.

One of the appendices actually lays out a brief history of specific chapters. Another lists further reading and books used as research for these tales.

An interesting diversion but far from the best books of paranormal events.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read this book, I am ready to travel the haunted highways and experience the paranormal stories based off of them for myself. Anyone ready for a road trip? :-) great read if you love reading about ghosts and the paranormal.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great informative read about different types of hauntings in different places. The perfect spooky read for fall! Odgen blends myths, first accounts and some historical fact in this haunting book that makes you wonder just what's out there in the night.

[Boris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting read on what are mostly folklore, myths and legends of haunting and other paranormal phenomena. As always there's some interesting background and historical information. As a fan of ghost stories since my youth the account of the ghostly funeral train of Abraham Lincoln I found very spooky though I'm aware there was fictional embellishment.

Despite the book consisting largely of legends there were a couple of things that does make one wonder and want to investigate further. The Marfa lights in Texas are very intriguing and reminds one of the Brown Mountain lights in North Carolina. The railroad crossing in Texas where supposedly ghost children push a vehicle across the railroad tracks where they perished is interesting enough to track down other accounts of it.

3 1/2 stars but I upgraded it to 4.

[hartfullofbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of urban legends and ghost stories all centered around haunted roads and travel. First part of the book are retellings of classic urban legends and the second half is a list of haunted roads by state. It was nice to have them all in one place and it was fun to read, but if you’re already aware of the classic tales or not interested in other states this one might not be the best use of your time. Overall it was a great collection of ghost stories and urban legends.

[Dope Ghost Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the stories provided are retellings of famous myths & folklore pertaining to highway haunts and roadside urban legends. Despite the lack of originality, I did enjoy this read and found it to be highly influential in a silly, spooky sort of way. Not too bad!

[Senator · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh. Largely a collection of urban legends that are well worn, but still fun to read.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not that impressive nor terrifying short stories.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this book and it is a great book for your Halloween collection.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating stories!

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of Ghost stories, not to long. I would have liked a little more background on a few of the stories but overall well written and put together. I liked the grouping of stories, part one-vanishing hitchhikers, part two-street walkers, part three- Phantom Travelers, part four-Lost Souls. I have heard or read a few of the stories but surprised on how many I had not heard. One that sticks out is "The Ghost Train", it is about the train that carried Abraham Lincoln's body. "On April 21, 1865, a train carrying the coffin of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln leaves Washington, D.C. on its way to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. The train carrying Lincoln’s body traveled through 180 cities and seven states on its way to Lincoln’s home state of Illinois." I have read about Abraham Lincoln haunting the White House but nothing about nothing about his funeral train haunting the rails.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Large Marge sent me! YouTube: The Terrifying Tale Of Large Marge in Pee-wee's Big Adventure In Haunted Highways, though, I think it's always the driver who picks up a ghost hitchhiker. Pee-wee has it the other way round.

I learned that there's some highway where you can't carry pork in your car, or your car will stall, and then a white dog will show up and you have to throw the pork out the window for the dog to eat, and then your car will start up again. I forget the author's source; maybe it was Car Talk.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's kind of nonfiction. The book is a collection of urban legends and true historical accounts of ghostly hauntings that have taken place either on highways or near them, accounts which have been dramatized or given a modern frame (fictional). The narratives are easy and fun to read and might appeal to some of the kids who really don't like reading that well, as long as they merely have to sample a story or two.

[John Orman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some weird stories here--such as "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," in which electronic voice phenomena come from ghosts. In "Ghost Train", a car driver follows the roads that run along the route of Lincoln's funeral procession train. On New York's Highway 5, a ghostly Lincoln is encountered! A Telly Savalas tale tells of his hitchhiking encounter on Long Island with a driver who has been long dead.

[Melodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recently read HAUNTED CEMETERIES by the same guy and enjoyed it much more. The stories didn't pull me in very much in this one, especially the ones that had to do with supposed history and the one about Hawaiian mythology. Have one more "haunted" book in The Pile, but think I'll sit on it awhile. Maybe I'll like it better.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simply written, this book is suitable for all ages, it's also fairly educational as many of the stories are firmly anchored in American history. I feel, however, that my appreciation of the book would be greater had some sort of index, map, geographical grouping and/or photos been included.

[Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book club book...I liked the idea of a compilation of ghost stories, and I really liked the first 50 pages. But after that it got too repetitive and more like a report than a collection of legends. Some of the stories were very interesting!

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Ogden’s book, the author brings together more than twenty of the scariest stories of ghosts, hauntings, and supernatural events on or near American highways. Spooky…a must for all lovers of the paranormal.

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fast read. It would gave been better had it stuck to true stories or even simply urban legends. Including the story of Sleepy Hollow was unnecessary.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly retellings of urban legends. Not exactly what I was looking for.

[Debra B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Light reading, interesting and amusing.

[Yvonne]

was really good had good stories