North American legends and ancient mystical traditions

Hey there!
I’m actually working on writing some epic fantasy right now, and I was thinking it might be really cool to draw a little inspiration from our local American folklore and traditions. Because of that, I was wondering if you guys could maybe recommend some books or perhaps describe some superstitions, magical rituals, mystical creatures, or old legends that are rooted in the American South or the rural Midwest, or just anything uniquely American. Thanks so much!🙂

Hans Christian Andersen, Stories from long ago

Why are you even using the word Middle East? It actually comes from some old Turkish term meaning "mountainous region," if you know what I mean...
So, what, you're just obsessed with all those ancient legends from over in the Middle East?
Just take a look at places like California or the Midwest, for instance...
There's plenty of wild history to dig into there...