What is the Myrtles Plantation?
The Myrtles Plantation is a historic home and former antebellum plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. It was built in 1796 by General David Bradford. It is often reported that 10 murders occurred in the house, but historical records only indicate the murder of William Winter. According to legend, after being shot, William Winter staggered inside the house and died on the 17th step of the stairs.
The plantation house is rumoured to be on top of an ancient Tunica Indian burial ground. It is currently a bed and breakfast now owned by Morgan Moss and offers historical and mystery tours.
The Myrtles Plantation was featured in a wide range of mystery/crime documentaries including the 2001, Unsolved Mysteries which filmed a segment about the alleged hauntings at the plantation. The house was also featured in other shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and Most Terrifying Places in America.
What is Myrtles Plantation’s “Legend of Chloe”?
One of the most famous legends/horror stories around the Myrtles Plantation is that of Chloe (or Cloe) who was reportedly a slave owned by Clark and Sara Woodruff. Legends state that Clark Woodruff had pressured or forced Chloe into being his mistress while other versions of the legend state that Chloe had her ears cut off by the Woodruffs for listening to the Woodruff family’s personal business.
The story further claims that Chloe supposedly baked a cake for one of the two Woodruff daughters containing an extract of boiled and reduced oleander leaves, which are extremely poisonous. Legends state that Chloe did so to nurse the girl and get back into the favours of the Woodruff family. However, Chloe’s plans failed when Sara and both her two daughters ate the cake, and all died from the poison.
Chloe was then supposedly hanged by the other slaves, and thrown into the Mississippi River, either as punishment or to escape punishment by Clark Woodruff for harboring her.
Is the Myrtles Plantation really haunted?
The historical documentation from the U.S. Federal Census confirms that Chloe was never listed as a slave owned by the Woodruff family. Moreover, documentation also revealed that Sara and her two daughters died from yellow fever. Regardless of the factual inaccuracy of the Chloe story, some believe a woman wearing a green turban haunts the Myrtle Plantation.
While details of Chloe’s murder are considered to be made up, there are several other instances and legends of murders that took place in the Myrtles Plantation. Legends claim that a blood stain, roughly the size of a human body, sits at the doorway of the plantation. Despite many efforts from the cleaners, the blood stain cannot be cleaned.
Netflix’s Files of the Unexplained reveals witness testimonies of residents who stayed at the Myrtle Plantations and who revealed their stories of ghost encounters at the house. There is also a legend of a ghost who reportedly walks, staggers, or crawls up the stairs and stops on the 17th step – the same step that William Drew Winter, the victim of the only verified murder in the house, died on.
Since there is no way to prove the authenticity of these legends, there is also no way to find out if the Myrtles Plantation is really haunted. The mysterious occurrences at the house can be connected to real-life crimes while it can also be presumed that these are all marketing strategies to popularise these historical locations and make a profit from the mass hysteria.
What are your thoughts on the incidents at the Myrtles Plantation? What do you think about Netflix’s Files of the Unexplained? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.