Abingdon, Virginia, had a role in the Devil's Stairs in Buffalo Creek in North Carolina

The Devil's StairsPhoto byFacebook screenshot

Abingdon's role in a North Carolina legend

Churchgoers in the Commonwealth have probably heard about Jacob's Ladder to Heaven, but how many know that Abingdon, Virginia, is connected to the Devil's Stairs in neighboring North Carolina?

According to Blue Ridge Lore, Norfolk Southern Railway constructed a rail line from Abingdon to Todd in Ashe County, North Carolina, in 1914. When workers reached Buffalo Creek (where Hwy 194 crosses it today, not far from the town of Jefferson), they had to dynamite a rock barrier to make way for the tracks.

Motorcycle Route in Todd North CarolinaPhoto byWikipedia

Does a deceased railroad worker haunt the area?

An African American laborer set the dynamite and lit the fuse. He fell on the rocks, and before he could get up and out of the way, the dynamite exploded. Afterward, workers found the man's body parts all over the surrounding woods.

When the blasting was completed, four large steps were left in the rock formation, soon known as the Devil's Stairs. There is now a motorcycle route through the area. This is also the site of much folklore and alleged supernatural encounters including sightings of the deceased worker and hearing him singing.