Tall Betsy is a cultural Halloween icon originating in Bradley County, Tennessee, US. The brainchild of Allan Jones, Tall Betsy was declared the "Official Halloween Goblin" of Bradley County in 1989.[1]
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Allan Jones, a Cleveland, Tennessee entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the founder of national payday lender Check Into Cash, created the Tall Betsy character in 1980.
Jones based the character on stories that were told to his mother, Virginia Slaughter Jones, by her mother, Marie Schultz Slaughter. Virginia and other Cleveland children being raised during the Roaring '20s were told by their parents that if they failed to come home before dark they would likely encounter Tall Betsy, sometimes called Black Betsy or simply "The Lady in Black."[2]
The stories were based on an actual Cleveland resident. Speculation was that the resident was a tall police officer who dressed in black to scare people off of the streets at night. Others believed Tall Betsy was a tall woman garbed in black who came out only at night to avoid being gawked at as a result of her odd appearance. The height of the real Tall Betsy was unknown. She was thought to have appeared between 1900 and 1918.
Jones began dressing up as the Tall Betsy goblin on October 31, 1980, when he was active in Cleveland's Central City Action Association, which later became MainStreet Cleveland, a downtown revitalization group.
Jones' version of Tall Betsy was 7 feet and 6.5 inches tall and walked with a long cane made from a female persimmon tree. Jones maintained that the goblin lived in a mausoleum located at the highest point of Cleveland's Fort Hill Cemetery. She told reporters that her favorite food was tardy trick-or-treaters. Her slogan is "B N B 4 10 or U R A Has-Been!"
Jones initially dressed up as Tall Betsy with the idea of appearing only on Halloween night in 1980. The goblin eventually reappeared in 1981 when Jones' friends asked him to reprise his role as the character. Jones remained in the Tall Betsy costume on stilts for several hours and by the end of the evening was exhausted. When the last trick-or-treaters had gone home for the evening, Jones leaned against the telephone pole to take a break. After a few minutes, a man, woman, and small child came walking down Centenary Avenue. Jones saw them approaching and thought they might enjoy being surprised by Tall Betsy. Instead, the family was terrified and took off running down the street.
The Tall Betsy legend eventually spread outside of Cleveland and became such an event that postcards, sweatshirts and other memorabilia began to emerge. Local television stations also visited Jones’ home on Halloween night. Tall Betsy eventually drew so many people that in 1986, thousands of trick-or-treaters were flooding Centenary Avenue on Halloween night to see Tall Betsy and the displays put on by Callaway and other residents. Also in 1986, Jones helped MainStreet-Cleveland – the city’s downtown revitalization group that he founded – organize the Halloween Block Party as a way to draw the crowds away from his house after 8 p.m. Block Party festivities included games, music, costume contests and treats, supported by local businesses, civic clubs and organizations.
In 1993 an official count was taken at the Jones' home of how many people came to the door. From 5 to 8 p.m., exactly 11,201 pieces of bubblegum were distributed. The number did not include parents, grandparents, or even smaller children who were afraid to actually come to the doorway and was believed to be a record for a private residence.
On May 24, 1989, the Tennessee legislature declared Tall Betsy as "the official Halloween goblin of Bradly County" with Senate Joint Resolution No. 358 sponsored by Senator Lou Patten and Representative Steve Bivens. The resolution was signed into law by Governor Ned McWherter. [1]
Disappearance
Tall Betsy last appeared in 1998 after drawing a Halloween crowd of 25,000, although no explanation was ever given for the goblin's disappearance.
Jones later told a reporter that while the goblin may have vanished, her spirit is embedded in the hearts and minds of the Cleveland residents who saw Tall Betsy during the 18 years from 1980 to 1998.
The 2005 Block Party was dedicated in honor of Tall Betsy's 25th anniversary. The Block Party drew the largest crowd in the event's history. Jones arranged for nationally recognized celebrities such as the cast of "Leave It To Beaver" and Little Richard to entertain the more than 30,000 attendees.
Joyce Jones, a secretary for Allan Jones (no relation) from Harlan Kentucky authored a poem about the goblin called "The Legend of Tall Betsy." The poem was based on the businessman's stories.
She comes out only on Halloween
On Centenary Avenue she can be seen,
Tall Betsy is the Lady in Black,
For scaring "night-owls" she has a knack.
Now if you're good and go home early,
You won't get 'et by this gruesome girlie.
But if you linger 'til after ten,
We want you to know you are a "has been".
Cause Betsy will tuck you under her arm,
and you can bet, that is cause for alarm.
To Fort Hill Cemetery she will go,
To her mausoleum, with YOU in tow!
IF you don't escape before sunrise,
I warn you now you will be her prize.
She will have you for breakfast, I do not jest,
You'll be on the menu but not as her guest.
Your bones, she'll dump in that ole well,
At Arnold School and no one will tell,
Your parents, they'll worry and fret,
They'll search all over for you, I'll bet.
So, Go home early on Halloween night
and November 1st You'll be all right.
Trick or treating is so much fun
But if you see Tall Betsy RUN!
In 2011 Tall Betsy was the subject of a documentary by Zac Adams, of Nashville-based Skydive Films.
Prior to focusing on Tall Betsy, Adams created “The Bell Witch Legend” film, a documentary that investigated the chilling accounts of the world-famous 19th century haunting of a Tennessee family. The documentary aired last year on PBS channel WTCI-45 and has received national attention. Adams has previously won awards for his other films, including 2009’s “Southern Haunts: Ghosts of the Low Country” and “Southern Haunts: Ghosts of Savannah” in 2007. Adams has worked with many celebrities, including Kid Rock, Billy Bob Thornton and Charlie Daniels.
The Tall Betsy documentary was narrated by Lynn Hoffman, host of A&E’s popular “Private Sessions.”[2]