DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The heartbreaking and enduring Tullahoma legend of Nina Conway, the ghostly tightrope walker who is said to haunt the town every New Year’s Eve, is one of the featured tales in the new book Southern Ghost Stories: Tennessee Tales Two by author and “American Hauntstorian” Allen Sircy.

Sircy’s book revisits a tragic true story from Tullahoma that, after 150 years, has largely faded into obscurity. On New Year’s Eve 1872, a husband-and-wife circus duo, Peter and Nina Conway, stretched a high wire across two buildings on Lincoln Street to perform for a crowd of hundreds. After Peter crossed successfully, Nina began her walk, but a sudden gust of wind caused her to fall to her death. She was laid to rest in Tullahoma’s Evergreen Cemetery.

The legend, as detailed in the book, began the very next year when, on New Year’s Eve 1873, townspeople saw a figure identical to Nina in her circus attire walking on the same rooftop before vanishing into thin air. This spectral appearance became an annual tradition, with locals believing Nina’s spirit returns to complete her final walk. The book highlights a particularly strange sighting on New Year’s Eve 1931, when witnesses saw her step off the roof and walk through the sky as if on an invisible tightrope before disappearing.

“The story of Nina Conway is one of the most beautiful and tragic pieces of folklore in all of Tennessee,” says Sircy. “It’s a powerful example of how a real historical event can evolve into a local legend that gets passed from one generation to the next.”

Southern Ghost Stories: Tennessee Tales Two is a collection that focuses on the small-town legends Sircy has gathered from across the state, featuring chapters on “Forgotten Phantoms,” “Tennessee Legends,” and “Graveyard Tales”.

Allen Sircy, known as the American Hauntstorian, is an author and historian dedicated to the research and preservation of American folklore, ghost stories, and forgotten local legends. He specializes in connecting historical events to enduring paranormal tales that are woven into the fabric of Tennessee.

Southern Ghost Stories: Tennessee Tales Two is available now at Amazon.com and wherever books are sold.

The following is an excerpt from the Sircy book detailing the tragedy that befell the Conways and Tullahoma that New Year’s Eve. – giving rise to the spirit that reportedly remains in Tullahoma.

On New Year’s Eve 1872, Peter and Nina Conway, a daring couple that made a living as circus performers, arrived in Tullahoma after a successful tour of small towns in the South. Eager to showcase their high wire act, the pair, adorned in their vibrant circus attire, sought permission from city officials to perform in front of a live audience that evening.

After securing approval from city officials, the Conways rented a room in a local boardinghouse and wasted no time transforming downtown Tullahoma into their impromptu circus arena. With the city’s blessing, they meticulously stretched a sturdy rope over 100 feet across the tops of two buildings on Lincoln Street, creating a daring tightrope walk that would captivate the townspeople on New Year’s Eve.

As the sun began its descent, the atmosphere in Tullahoma buzzed with anticipation. Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered in the street, their breath visible in the cold air, to witness the spectacle promised by the traveling performers.

Amidst the hushed murmurs of the crowd, Peter and Nina Conway, hand in hand, approached the edge of the buildings. With a shared glance that conveyed both excitement and confidence, they waved to the growing assembly below. The crowd responded with exuberant cheers, the collective energy creating an electric ambiance in the chilly evening air.

With the stage set, Peter Conway, adorned in his vibrant circus attire holding a balance pole, ventured onto the stretched rope suspended high above Lincoln Street. The air was brisk, and the crowd below, their breath still visible in the winter chill, watched in awe as he took those first tentative steps, careful not to glance down at the people roughly 40 feet below.

Every move was calculated. The tension in the air was palpable as Peter traversed the rope with a delicate balance that seemed to defy the laws of gravity.

As Peter made his way across the 100 feet of rope, the crowd held its collective breath. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and the only sounds that punctuated the silence were the faint creaks of the rope and the distant murmur of the onlookers below.

After what felt like an eternity, Peter reached the top of the building across from where he started. The crowd, unable to contain their excitement any longer, erupted into a thunderous roar of applause. Their cheers reverberated through the streets of Tullahoma.

Standing triumphantly at the edge of the building, Peter gracefully bowed to acknowledge the adoration of the crowd. As the cheers continued, he descended into the crowd, carrying a bucket that he passed around to the townspeople. The jingle of coins served as a tangible expression of appreciation for his death-defying efforts.

As Peter navigated the sea of faces, his eyes filled with both exhaustion and satisfaction as his partner in both life and performance, Nina, stepped to the edge of the building. Dressed in the same vibrant circus attire, she waved to the crowd below, signaling the commencement of her own tightrope walk.

Like her husband before her, Nina stepped onto the rope, holding a long pole for balance. The crowd’s collective gaze followed her every movement as she began the precarious journey across the wire. The air was still, and the night held its breath, allowing the mesmerizing spectacle to unfold.

Suddenly, a stiff breeze swept through the winter night, causing Nina to pause and kneel on the rope. The crowd hushed; their eyes fixed on the courageous aerial artist grappling with the unpredictable wind. Tension hung in the air as Nina struggled to regain her balance.

After a few heart-stopping moments, Nina, with a renewed sense of determination, stood up and resumed her walk towards the other building. Relieved and captivated by her resilience, the crowd erupted with encouraging cheers. However, fate had other plans.

Just twenty feet away from safety, another gust of wind, more forceful than before, disrupted Nina’s delicate balance. Instinctively, she kneeled down, attempting to steady herself, but it was too late. The gasps of the crowd echoed through the night as Nina lost her balance and fell helplessly onto the dirt road below.

For the remainder of this story and tales of many other hauntings, get Sircy’s book Southern Ghost Stories: Tennessee Tales Two on Amazon or wherever you get your books.