The Legend of the Creekfield Woman

Posted: 08.27.2025 | Updated: 08.15.2025

When you talk about a decapitated ghost on the Eastern Seaboard, most would assume you’re talking about the one and only Headless Horseman. Yet, the Horseman isn’t as unique as you may think. In fact, he belongs to an exclusive group of spirits who all share one thing: their cause of death. 

In addition to the Headless Horseman of Sleep Hollow, there’s the Headless Signalman in Tennessee, who terrorizes those who try to see his lantern. 

Today, however, we’ll focus on a different beheaded spirit: the Creekfield Woman. Rather than dwell in New York, this spirit has built her very own legend in Virginia.  

Virginia is home to all kinds of ghouls and ghosts, with some of the most haunted sites being in the middle of cities like Richmond. To learn about the darker side of Richmond’s history, book a ghost tour with Richmond Ghosts. You never know what you might see in the pale moonlight. 

What is the Legend of the Creekfield Woman?

The Creekfield Woman is a phantom who is said to haunt the old railroad tracks near Taylors Valley, Virginia. Her ghostly figure can be seen walking along the tracks in a long dress, sometimes even picking strawberries. 

Who Was the Creekfield Woman?

The Creekfield Woman was, in fact, Mrs. Creekfield. While she was known to be married to an unpleasant man, the two kept to themselves. They lived in an old house near Taylors Valley, close to the railroad tracks that ran through the valley at the time.

At some point, the townspeople realized that they hadn’t seen Mrs. Creekfield in a while. Yet, everyone in this area of Virginia was pretty private, so no one wanted to pry into the Creekfields’ married life. Maybe she was just ill at home or tending to house chores. 

Then the whispers started about something nefarious happening to the wife of Mr. Creekfield. People were saying that she wasn’t just “resting” at home. She had disappeared — and her husband was to blame. 

The locals believed that Mr. Creekfield had murdered his wife, with some saying he had fully cut her head off in a fit of rage.

Still, despite these rumors, no one looked further into poor Mrs. Creekfield’s case. No one reported her missing. No one even questioned Mr. Creekfield. The community turned a blind eye to one of their own, and it seems Mrs. Creekfield never forgave them for this choice.

The Return of the Creekfield Woman

Ever since Mrs. Creekfield’s disappearance in the mid-1900s, a strange entity has been spotted near Taylors Valley. 

Locals have described seeing a woman who closely resembled Mrs. Creekfield walking down the railroad tracks in the early morning hours. The ghostly woman will be holding a lantern high in the air with one hand. Under the other arm, however, will be a round object. People aren’t quite sure what to make of the item at first, until it clicks what that oh-so-familiar spherical object is. 

The phantom is carrying her own head.

As soon as one local resident was brave enough to share what they had witnessed, others started coming forward and saying that they, too, had seen a woman who looked like Mrs. Creekfield in the early morning hours close to the railroad. 

Time and time again, they explained that they couldn’t quite see what she was carrying, until the horrific realization hit. 

Who All Claimed to Have Seen the Creekfield Woman?

In the small town of Fall Hollow, several people claimed to have witnessed the spirit of Mrs. Creekfield. This included:

• A farmer who spotted the spirit when he went to feed his cows early in the morning
• The grocery store owner
• A train conductor passing through town 

While most of the sightings seemed relatively harmless, one group of people experienced far more terrifying encounters than anyone else.

The Traumatized Train Conductor

Of all the ghost experiences involving the Creekfield Woman, there is one that truly could have ended in disaster. 

A train conductor was chugging along the railroad tracks one day when, suddenly, he spotted a woman on the tracks just ahead of them. The woman was in a long, white dress and didn’t seem the bit fazed by the multi-ton locomotive hurdling toward her.

The conductor pulled the brake as quickly as he could, jolting himself in the process. Yet, he applied the brake just in time: the train rolled to a stop just before the woman. 

However, the woman didn’t appear surprised, afraid, or even distressed. Instead, her arms were outstretched in front of her, almost like she had willed the train to stop herself. 

The conductor turned to his co-conductor only to discover that he had fainted. Confused, the conductor turned back to the woman in the tracks, this time giving her a better look. 

Then, he almost passed out himself. Because the woman standing before them had no head on her shoulders. Instead, it lay in her arm, with a small grin on her lifeless lips. 

Before he could inspect the scene any further, the woman disappeared in front of the train.

The Haunted Railroad

Tales of a woman who haunts that stretch of railway became well-known throughout the train community. Other conductors started to share stories of hitting a woman with their train engine. One said that when the train made contact with the woman’s body, he heard the most ear-piercing scream he had ever heard. 

Immediately after the accident, once the train was operational again, the conductor blew the train’s whistle. When he did, he heard that same woman’s high-pitched scream. 

For days or even weeks, every time the conductor would signal they were approaching with a train whistle, he’d have to endure listening to the most chilling screech he’d ever heard.

The Legend of the Creekfield Woman Today

Today, the railroad that once ran behind the Creekfields’ home is now decommissioned. Instead, it operates as a lovely hiking trail for anyone to enjoy. 

However, we have to wonder if the person who named the trail knew about the story of Mrs. Creekfield, as it’s called “the Creeper Trail.”

Haunted Richmond

Fall Hollow isn’t the only Virginian town with haunted train tracks. In the heart of Richmond lies the C&O Church Hill Tunnel North, which was the site of a train accident that killed 10 workers. The men still linger around the tunnel, waiting to see if they’ll one day be rescued. 

From a haunted tunnel to a famous author’s museum, Richmond has a laundry list of spooky locations around town. To learn about the most macabre and see the most haunted places for yourself, book a ghost tour with Richmond Ghosts tonight.

To discover more headless legends across the country, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For other tales about tragedies and hauntings in Virginia, check out our blog. 

Sources:

• https://nashvilleghosts.com/the-legend-of-the-headless-signalman/
• https://www.billblevins.com/2017/08/the-legend-of-the-creekfield-woman/
• https://rvaghosts.com/
• https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2020/10/she-haunted-that-damn-train-all-night.html