The story of a ghost dog appeared in 13 Tennessee Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham in 1976. It was reintroduced in 1999 in The Granny Curse and Other Ghosts and Legends from East Tennessee by authors Randy Russell and Janet Barnett. The books document the tragic tale of a family pet that still looks for its family that were murdered decades ago.Notorious outlaw John A. Murrell was a highwayman who stalked the Old Stagecoach Road. He silently waited in the thicket for unsuspecting victims who looked like they had money. He found a surprising lack of affluent travelers in Hawkins County, but his deeds will forever be remembered in Surgoinsville.The oak tree nicknamed “booger oak” can be seen today from Highway 11 in a privately owned pasture. Sometimes, drivers catch a glimpse of a phantom black dog nicknamed “Long Dog.” Long Dog often appears padding along Highway 11 near New Providence Presbyterian Church. It walks along oblivious to traffic, and then suddenly vanishes. Local legend says it is the family’s dog killed while trying to protect them from Murrell.
