Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Annie
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Slag Pile Annie is a ghost said to haunt the former Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She appears as a rough-looking woman wearing a red bandana, resembling a steelworker dressed for a hard day’s labour. Her apparition is often seen working or standing alone in remote, difficult-to-reach areas of the mill, where workers might not expect to encounter anyone.
According to the legend, steelworkers sometimes came across Annie while working in dangerous parts of the factory. Believing her to be a living woman, they would warn her about the hazards surrounding her and urge her to be careful. Annie would calmly respond, “I can’t get killed, I’m already dead.” Her chilling reply revealed that the woman they had encountered was not alive, and the apparition became known as Slag Pile Annie.
The legend may have originated from the experiences of women who worked in dangerous jobs in Pittsburgh’s steel mills during the Second World War. Slag Pile Annie remains a ghostly figure associated with the hardships and hazards of industrial labour, appearing among the machinery and slag heaps of a steel mill where workers risked their lives every day.
Sources
“Slag Pile Annie.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slag_Pile_Annie