Eternal Enemies

Season 2 Episode 13

In this haunting episode of The Grim, host Kristin leads listeners through Old Gray Cemetery, Knoxville’s most atmospheric historic burial ground. Founded in 1850 and named for poet Thomas Gray, Old Gray is a Victorian garden cemetery filled with marble angels, weathered obelisks, and stories carved deep into Tennessee’s past.

This episode uncovers the cemetery’s origins, from Knoxville’s deadly cholera epidemic of 1854 to the tragic New Market train collision of 1904, both of which brought waves of grief to these 13 acres. We explore the cemetery’s most influential residents, including Governor William “Parson” Brownlow, diplomat Horace Maynard, suffragist Lizzie Crozier French, and General Lawrence D. Tyson, whose family monument still rises above the trees.

Listeners also descend into the darker folklore surrounding Old Gray Cemetery. Kristin examines chilling legends such as the Lady in White, the ominous Black Aggie, the uneasy spirits of dueling gunmen, and the restless dead linked to Knoxville’s most notorious feuds. Along the way, she unravels the real history behind these hauntings and explores how tragedy, artistry, and Tennessee’s turbulent past combine to give Old Gray its eerie reputation.

Blending historical research with gothic storytelling, this episode offers a full walking-tour experience through Knoxville’s second-oldest cemetery, where Appalachian ghost lore, Civil War conflict, and Victorian mourning art merge beneath the shade of ancient trees. Whether you are drawn by haunted Tennessee stories or fascinated by Southern history, this journey into Old Gray Cemetery reveals why it remains one of Knoxville’s most beautiful, historic, and reportedly haunted cemeteries.

Enter the gates, follow the winding paths, and step into the shadows, because in Old Gray, history and haunting walk hand in hand.