Tipton-Haynes Historic Site in Johnson City is said to be haunted by memories of Native North American Yuchi Indian ceremonies, early long hunters and a former British loyalist.In his 1992 book Haints, Witches, and Boogers: Tales from Upper East Tennessee, Charles Edwin Price described the "phantoms en masse" that occasionally appear near the entrance of a small cave on the property:During daytime, there is nothing sinister about the cave, but after dark [during the summer months], strange sights and sounds sometimes occur around its mouth. Legend says that at night, a ghostly campfire can be seen. Gathering around it are the shadowy forms of men laughing and eating their evening meal.One witness saw a man dressed in . . . buckskin who appeared to be stoking the fire. It could have been the ghost of Daniel Boone himself, but many lesser-known [Caucasian] hunters also used the cave at one time or another. As the witness crept closer for a better look, his foot snapped a twig, and the entire tableau faded into blackness. Seconds afterward, when he reached the entrance, he could swear that the aroma of burnt wood still hung in the air. On another occasion, an eyewitness described a group of [Native North American Yuchi] Indians at the entrance of the cave. He watched as one [Native American], a slight and aged fellow, perhaps a chief, stood and began addressing the group. Although the apparition’s mouth moved, no sound emerged. As he spoke, the others seemed to murmur to themselves and shake their heads. The old [Native American] was obviously trying to reason with his audience, but his listeners did not behave as if they agreed with what he was saying. The apparition lasted several minutes, [and] then faded. (Price, ps. 3 & 4)During October tours of the farm, guides tell enthralled visitors and wide-eyed children that the farmhouse is also haunted. The ghost inside seems to be that of Colonel John Tipton (1730 - 1813), a British loyalist who opposed separation from England and who lived in the home before it was remodeled. Whatever otherworldly scenes present to visitors, it seems the farm somehow records evens and at times plays them for some visitors.
