Test have been done on the soil, possible reasons expounded on, and the reason for the barren spot still lingers to this day!
The Devil’s Tramping Ground
The Devil might go down to Georgia, but according to some centuries-old folklore, he comes out in North Carolina. Down a country road in Chatham County is a barren, 12-meter (40 ft) circle that’s been given the nickname “The Devil’s Tramping Ground.”
Every night at midnight, it’s said that the Devil comes out and stomps around there in a circle, planning the night’s activities before heading off to do his work. People have tried to grow plants there, but they die. Supposedly, any objects left within the circle during the day will be thrown out overnight.
Other ideas to explain the circle are mostly of the extraterrestrial and paranormal variety. Locals have often used the place as a meeting spot for parties, but some testify that they’ve failed spectacularly in their attempts to spend the night there. They cite a rather creepy feeling as the reason.
Scientists have tried to figure out why nothing will grow in this weird spot, but they’re stumped. Soil scientist Rich Hayes first thought that the copper or salt content of the soil was the reason. Although none of his tests were conclusive, they did reveal that there was something odd about the circle.
The barren soil within the circle had a higher pH level and higher concentrations of zinc, sodium, and copper than the ground outside the circle. The readings weren’t high enough to prevent things from growing, though.
Campfires built at this party spot might explain some of Hayes’s readings, but they don’t account for stories about the circle that go back hundreds of years. Strangely, compasses can also be thrown off by a few degrees when you’re walking through the circle. No one can explain that, either. So far, it’s added up to a big mystery for science.
Stories like this make me realize that there are too many things that are not for us to know. Thanks to Listverse for bringing these stories to us!
Coffee out on the patio this morning...chilly but dry!
