As autumn chills creep into the nights, Alabama’s forests and back roads seem to harbor more than just the rustle of leaves.
From towering beasts to ghostly hug-givers, the state is home …
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As autumn chills creep into the nights, Alabama’s forests and back roads seem to harbor more than just the rustle of leaves.
From towering beasts to ghostly hug-givers, the state is home to a host of cryptids that continue to haunt local folklore.
In the northern counties of Alabama, a creature known as the Alabama White Thang has been lurking in the woods since the early 1900s. A team of investigators into the cryptid created a Facebook group, Alabama White Thang (www.facebook.com/share/g/1FZxUfdwqm/), and sightings are even shared on Reddit's r/bigfoot subreddit among others.
Descriptions vary wildly. Some say it is a huge, hairy beast standing on two legs, roughly 8 feet tall with glowing red eyes. Others claim it resembles a white lion or a kangaroo with a cat’s head, while some insist it can shapeshift. Witnesses agree the White Thang is fast and terrifying. It can run on all fours or upright, leap over fences, climb trees and vanish in the blink of an eye. Some even report a scream like a woman in distress or a foul smell that turns the stomach.
Luckily, our coastal climate seems to keep this cryptid away. The creature is most often seen in a triangular area between Morgan, Etowah and Jefferson counties with hotspots including Walnut Grove, Moody’s Chapel, Happy Hollow and Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. Its origins remain a mystery, with theories ranging from a genetic mutation or escaped exotic animal to a supernatural guardian or even an alien visitor.
Over the years, the White Thang has become a fixture of Alabama folklore, inspiring books, documentaries, songs and art and attracting curiosity seekers, researchers and hunters hoping for a glimpse of the elusive beast.
In Abbeville, Huggin’ Molly is the stuff of local nightmares — and childhood cautionary tales. According to Huggin’ Molly’s Soda Shoppe located at 129 Kirkland St. in Abbeville, the legend describes her as a giant woman, roughly 7 feet tall and as wide as a bale of cotton. Visit www.hugginmollys.com/legend for more on the legend.
Generations of Abbeville children were warned to hurry home before dark, lest Huggin’ Molly appear. If she finds you, she is said to chase, hug and scream in your ear. Even today, locals say the streets of Abbeville can feel haunted under the moon, with Huggin’ Molly’s black skirt sweeping through the shadows at any moment.
Locally, one cryptid stands alone: Catman. Haunting the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail near Gulf State Park, colloquially called Catman Road, he is said to appear suddenly, glowing eyes piercing the darkness.
Reports trace back decades, with origins shrouded in folklore. Some stories speak of a Native American warrior disappearing into the woods with a pack of wild cats. Others describe a hermit (or three) with long fingernails who attacked fishermen and smelled of wild animals. By the 1950s and '60s, local teenagers racing along the trail and using the legend to scare their dates helped cement Catman’s reputation. Some drivers returned to find unexplained scratches on their cars, adding fuel to the stories.
Pam Dorsey recounted her spine-tingling experience on Catman Road in an August 2023 Medium article. Even as an adult, she felt the creature’s eyes following her while checking into the campsite. Ghostly glowing eyes, long gray hair, claw-like fingernails and sudden appearances in the road make Catman a figure that tests both courage and imagination.
At one time, the City of Orange Beach even hosted a lore page about Catman, including a drawing of Catman on its official website, though the page appears to have vanished. Today, the legend persists through local memory, Facebook posts and first-hand accounts.
There are more legends, folklore and cryptids to explore, but we’ll save those for another time. Keep an eye out for the lore on Mobile’s Boyington Oak, Atmore’s Railroad Bill legend, the Dogman of Alabama and the infamous Crichton Leprechaun.
Have you ever seen the Alabama White Thang or have stories about Catman to share? I’d love to hear them. Email me at whisper@gulfcoastmedia.com.
