It's said the ghost of Leah Smock haunts this Kentucky community, so they decided to celebrate her in a festival.

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Weird Meade County

Meade County in Kentucky is anything other than ordinary.  This county has a lot of history and is said to even be haunted. The history of Meade County dates back to 10,000 BC, so there's bound to be some seriously weird stuff going on there.  You can check out more on Meade County's weird history, here.  Today, we're going to focus on one resident in particular, who is said to still be lingering around Meade County nearly two centuries after her tragic death.

The Tragic Story of Leah Smock

According to WeirdMeadeCounty.com Leah Smock has also been known as the "Battletown Witch." Leah was born in 1818 and her life was tragically cut short after she was murdered by being burned alive.  Her crimes?  Legend says Leah Smock was a witch who came from a long line of powerful witches.

She was reputedly the daughter of another powerful Kentucky witch. First hand accounts of people who actually encountered the young woman known as Leah Smock portrayed her as an intelligent and beautiful woman. It has been suggested that she had powerful intuition and possibly second sight, through natural or supernatural reasoning. She was attributed with healing properties, either from herbal remedies or powers of her own. She was also a “seer”. She predicted the deaths of critically ill people.

Tragically her life was cut short when a posse of people who were afraid of Leah's powers trapped Leah in a smokehouse on her property and set it on fire.  Leah is known as the only witch to be burned alive in America.   Read more of Leah's tragic story, here.

The First Ever Battletown Witch Festival

Local lore says that Leah Smock still haunts Meade County, and you know what they say, if you can't beat them, join them! So Weird Meade County is hosting the first ever Battletown Witch Festival.  The festival will take place on October 29th, starting at 11 AM.  Here is what Weird Meade County says about the festival:

This family-friendly event will celebrate the complicated and tragic life of Leah Smock. Speakers will include her descents, historians, and writer of Weird Meade County. The day will also celebrate the spooky season with haunted happenings, trick-or-treats, great food, and children’s activities.

Vendor booths open at 11 AM, discussion panels start at noon, and demonstrations begin at 1PM. Food trucks will be available all day! For the kids, there will be a haunted car show with truck or treating!

For more information, visit WeirdMeadeCounty.com.