Situated along the Coosa River, Etowah County's history is intertwined with the twists and turns of this flowing water. And though the currents of the Coosa shift every day, some fixtures of the river cannot help but remain. It is said that famed riverboat captain James M. Elliott Jr. haunts the Coosa's banks, still blasting the whistle from the Magnolia, his steam engine more than a century old. But the river isn't the only part of Etowah County that remains populated by spirits past. Join local author and ghost tour guide Mike Goodson on a chilling journey through Gadsden, Attalla and the rest of Etowah County as he recounts the haunted history of the region. This eerie collection offers the definitive guide to ghostly activity in Etowah County.
Mike Goodson has been interested in local history for many years. He grew up in the Alabama City suburb of Gadsden in northeast Alabama and was educated in the public school system of Gadsden. He has been writing and researching local history now for many years.
Goodson writes a history-based column for the Gadsden Times that began in 1999 with the “Looking Back” section. Since then, he has written more than six hundred columns relating to local history. Goodson has authored and coauthored several books on local history and has conducted several local walking tours in downtown Gadsden. He has also conducted a ghost walk and ghost watch downtown during Halloween each year. These have proven to be very popular! He is a lifelong resident of Gadsden and Etowah County. He is married to the former Ann Moore, also a lifelong Gadsden resident.