In 1923, a massacre occurred in Rosewood, Florida.
At this time Fannie Taylor was a young woman, and she was in the middle of a tumultuous affair.
During that year she and her lover, who was an unidentified white male, got into an argument and he beat Fannie.
The Most Horrific Event in Rosewood History
Updated 2/10/2020 – Worried that her husband would find out about the affair because of her physical state, Fannie told him that a black man had hurt her.
While her husband believed this lie, Fannie’s maid, an African American named Sarah Carrier had witnessed the assault and knew the truth.
Because of Fannie’s lie, chaos and death ensued.
White men from all over the area began to travel to Rosewood and kill any black person they laid eyes on, which included Sarah.
When the African Americans began to defend themselves, the white men retaliated by systematically destroying their buildings and homes.
It is said that the only building that was left untouched belonged to Rosewood merchant, John Wright.
During the onslaught, John hid many Rosewood residents in his store, and made sure they got safely out of town.
Today, some residents of Rosewood believe that the woods behind John’s old store are haunted.
Some claim that they have seen apparitions of African American men running into the woods before disappearing altogether.
While Elizabeth knew about this horrible historic event that took place in her town, that is not the reason she was in the woods two years ago.
Heartbroken over a crush that did not reciprocate her feelings, Elizabeth began to wander in the woods without really taking in her surroundings.
“I just needed a private place to be alone,” she said.
Unwanted Company
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“I was fairly deep into the woods when I started to come to my senses,” Elizabeth recalled.
“By then I realized that I had wandered very far and that I should be getting home.
But that’s when I ran into some unexpected and unwanted company.
“I had rounded a bend when I saw two older guys leaning against a couple of trees smoking.
Something about their appearance told me that they weren’t nice guys, so I began to turn around.
‘Well hey there, sweetness,’ one sneered at me.
“’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,’ I murmured to them.
‘I don’t want any trouble so I’ll just be going now.’
But they ignored what I said and started walking closer to me with a strange glint in their eyes,” she recalled with a shudder.
“’I think what you’re going to do is stay and keep us company,’ one said and the other nodded fervently, both still advancing.
That was when I knew I had to run, so I did.
I ran faster than I ever have in my whole life.
“It didn’t take long or much to realize that they were gaining on me and quickly.
Thinking that I was really in trouble, I dared one last glance behind me, and saw the strangest sight.
The two guys were suddenly on the ground, and in front of them was a tall figure who was a dark silhouette behind the trees.
“I stopped running and turned to see.
The figure was looming over both of the guys and they looked incredibly frightened.
In a flash the two scrambled away and began to run in opposite directions.
“When I looked back to the strange figure he had disappeared, which seems impossible without me noticing him.
I may sound crazy, but I think it was one of the Rosewood Massacre ghosts that helped save me that day,” Elizabeth said.
Address
Rosewood, FL
United States