One urban legend from every state. Yes, we're going to be going through each and every one of the 50 states, and talking about an urban legend which originated in that state. But first, we need to talk about what exactly is an urban legend.
According to Merriam-Webster, urban legend means an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true. That basically means these aren't real stories. They are legends for a reason, they are myths.
But many of these do sound actually... somewhat realistic. Not all of them, not all of them, but some of them do sound actually kind of realistic.
And if you're a US citizen, I hope you stick around and find out what myth came from your state. I also want to make it clear that we're not going to be going in alphabetical order. Instead, we will be going in columns from up to down, left to right on the US.
Why am I doing that? Because I want to. That's why.
Because this is my channel. That's why. But before we do get into the whole video, I do want to let you guys know we finally reopened up the Earl website. So we have a new clothing drop and why not let this little promo video speak for itself. Hey guys, welcome back to another video.
Before the actual topic starts, I do want to let you guys know some important news about the Earl brand. In case you guys don't know, I own the Earl brand. It's a brand I made up and we now are partnered with a factory. So I'm actually going to be able to be more involved with the process and I'm actually wearing a new piece right now. Look at that Earl.
I don't exist. I don't exist. Obviously our slogan and I can fix her. On the back, look at that. That's Earl right there.
We also got a little tag right here. We're becoming more official as the days go on. Let me actually show you inside the factory. Come with me. All right guys, so here i'm gonna quickly show you guys all the pieces.
There's only about five So here we have this beautiful embroidered hoodie earl. I don't exist. Yes, you could feel it So high quality next we have a rugby shirt. Yeah a rugby shirt That's how cool we are.
All of them have this embroidered earl at the sleeve just makes it look so much more official But yeah a rugby shirt the basic red t-shirt. This is our gray zip up. I actually really love this one Obviously, we got the shirt that i'm wearing right now Earl, I don't exist.
I can fix her. Ha ha ha. Pretty funny. And if you still want to support the Earl brand, if you don't like any of these designs, we have a simple black beanie. It's not so tight.
It's not too loose. It is just perfect. That sounds crazy.
Here we have the tag. I'm sure I look beautiful in beanies. I know I do actually. Yeah, we also have a beanie. But yeah, guys, this is our first ever drop.
I know like the Earl brand has existed for like two years now. There is a limited quantity. This isn't forever.
So if you guys really want something, if you want to make your own bundle over at the store. make sure to go over to earldisneyexists.com and i'll be very thankful i'm already appreciative that you guys watch the channel i'm not saying you guys have to go out of your way to buy this it would be awesome though you guys watching this video all my videos that's enough already okay i just want to make that very clear your subscription means the world to me and also quick side note if you guys have any criticisms on the designs let me know i want to make stuff that you guys want to wear so i literally can't wait for the next drops any graphic designers that are watching this please hit me up and i just want to thank you guys so much for letting us get to this point specifically letting me to get to this point man out i've always just been a kid with a dream and uh not a kid anymore i'm 22 so i'm now i'm a man that's accomplishing his dreams and it's looking great so seriously thank you guys so much with that being said let's get started with the video so yeah if you guys like the t-shirts if you want to support me obviously sometimes i just don't get demonetized from the video so having my website back up is really going to help a lot and i did a cool photo shoot with niachu which uh it's up on the screen right now look at us super cool right so yeah EarlDoesntExist.com if you want to support me. If you don't, it's completely okay.
Anyway, now let's head on to the video. Washington. 13 Steps at Mulby Cemetery. The Mulby Cemetery in Washington has a strange legend that involves visions of hell and more. So this cemetery, located near the city of Bothell, is said to have been actively used between 1905 and 1967. Within that time period, one of the wealthy local families buried a member there in a grave that was lower in the ground on one side.
In order to access it from the back side, they built steps that moved from the ground level downwards. The exact count of these steps was 13. Over time, legend began that if one walked down these 13 steps and touched the entrance to the grave, they would momentarily see visions of hell as soon as they turned around. Those who witnessed such occurrences said their friends would for instance collapse at the bottom and begin screaming in terror at something no one else could see. Some people even allegedly disappeared from the steps and allegedly reappeared miles away.
Also, some children apparently ended up never being able to speak again after reaching the bottom step. Eventually, due to the high interest in the specific grave, the steps were covered up and a no trespass policy was made for the entire cemetery. It's said that people still break in though and try to figure out where the steps are. even going around reading headstones.
Oregon. Hesedah Head Lighthouse. One of the most photographed lighthouses in the US is Hesedah Head in Oregon. And while that is a pleasant reputation, it turns out it also has a sort of dark history that's lead it to have a reputation of being one of the most haunted places on the west coast. Built in 1894, this place was of course meant to keep the light up to warn mariners of rocky coasts because it needed people to do that.
It also housed the lightkeepers and their families. It's said that one of those men the light keepers had a wife named Rue. Now Rue, in a rather unfortunate incident, happened to lose one of her two daughters to a drowning accident near the area. It's actually suspected that the daughter is the one buried in an unmarked grave near a hill from the structure.
Anyway, having lost her, Rue left the place and lived somewhere else far away. When she died though, she apparently came back in search of this daughter. She thus lingers in the lighthouse doing so.
One of the well-known encounters with her was in 1975 when Jim Anderson, a workman there, was cleaning a window in the attic. He saw an odd reflection in the window, and when he swung around to look, an apparition of an elderly lady, clothed in a late Victorian style gown, was there. He of course fled the house and it's said he didn't return for days, and also completely refused to keep working in the interior.
Other sightings were reported after that, and include things like items moving on their own or disappearing completely, reflections, and disembodied screams. Very strange overall. California, the monster of Elizabeth Lake. One arguably fascinating bit of this legend is that the monster in question was apparently so freakishly scary that some of the locals, terrified to the core, sold their land or completely just abandoned their property.
First sighted on the lake in 1880, the monster is said to have the neck like that of a giraffe. Also, a bulldog's head, wings like a bat, and six legs. It's estimated to be 50 feet long and emitting a very nauseating stench.
Now, since that first sighting, more reports of sightings have come out. Something which caused logos to continuously get terrified of the entire place. In the dead of the night, those encountering the monster would hear awful screams around the lake and get terrible visions. Those would be followed by the disappearance of farm animals and often a flying creature would be seen in the skies.
And although able to fly, its habitat was a lake. Why the lake? Well, apparently, the devil himself made this creature as his pet and placed it there.
And even more scary, there are claims that if you went deep enough into the lake, you'd find a passageway to hell. to the underworld. Some really believe this to be true as the lake sits on top of the San Andreas fault line. Some have also been convinced of the creature being real as there was no other explanation why farmers would avoid the otherwise fertile area near the lake. As to whether it still exists, the answer is conflicted.
Some say it was killed by cowboys in the 1890s in the Uachaca mountains. Others believe it got wounded by a farmer, Miguel Leonis, while he was using a rifle and it just retreated to the lake where it continued to lurk. Also, complicating this even further, there are suspicions that the monster was actually a pterodactyl.
Dactyl, the prehistoric flying reptile, with a picture to back that up, but if you have common sense, you know that that is horribly fake. I say that a lot, don't I? Horribly fake.
Okay, it's just regular fake. It's not horribly fake. Actually, it is kind of horribly fake. It's a bad Photoshop.
But let's head on to Alaska. Alaska, the Kalupalik. Alaska has quite a few urban legends, ranging from a vortex, a secret government mind control facility, and even a UFO base. However, among these, the legend of the Kalupalik stands out a lot.
Suspected to have originated from the lovely Inuit community that lives near icy Arctic waters, the legend claims that in these cold waters exist creatures known as Kalupaliks. And unlike other mermaids out there, these have nothing good going for them. From their appearance, all the way to what they do. They are thought of as resembling humans with other characteristics, including scales over their bumpy skin, fins emerging from their torsos, backs, and heads.
webbed and clawed hands, and smelling like sulfur. And they also cover themselves with eider duck attire. Now, these creatures exist in the icy cold waters and will often lurk near the shores and hunt for children. Yes, their goal is to lurk kids and steal them by putting them in their amatis, which is just, it's like the baby carrying pouch used by Inuit women, and disappear into the dark caves of waters.
It's said that they use humming to draw the attention of children and even knock under the ice to get kids to go to the weak parts of it. Also, unbelievably, once they get the children, they apparently keep them tucked in the caves or lairs under spells and feed off their innocence in order to remain immortal. Now, another creature that deserves special mention here is the Ursin Rat.
Or Ursin Rot. It's up here. Ursin Rat.
In a very similar fashion to the Kalupaliks, trapping victims in lairs and caves, these quote little people of Alaska are known for their love of mischief. They apparently confuse and disorient travelers who pass by their territory and end up trapping them in caves. Some other claims about the Ursin Rat. are that they are very human-like, but with extraordinary powers. It's likely that these powers are from the different dimension they're from, seeing that they move between that dimension and ours quite easily.
They are also excellent craftsmen. Also, a year in our lifetime is like a day in theirs. That's really- for Alaska. Let's head on to the next one. Idaho, the water babies of Massacre Rocks.
So there's a theory that Idaho doesn't exist. It's not really a theory. I mean, it's just like a funny rumor, I guess.
So if you're from Idaho, let me know down in the comments and let me know that y'all actually exist. Anyway, we're not going to be talking about that theory that Idaho doesn't exist, but we are going to be talking about a much, much creepier urban legend, the water babies of Massacre Rocks. So right outside Pocatello town in Idaho, there's an area known as Massacre Rocks. It's a beautiful place hosting all sorts of activities from golfing to fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and even camping.
However, it's alleged to carry a dark history. Apparently, long ago, it was inhabited by Native Americans, and at some point, they experienced such a severe famine that it was impossible to find enough food. The villagers bundled together and decided there really wasn't enough to go around and that they had to do something about it. Unfortunately, one of the resolutions for cutting back mouths to feed was that new mothers would have to take their newborns down to the nearby river and drown them. This was opposed to having them die of hunger.
Anyway, somehow, these babies would survive and live on as small fish, even adapting to their new environment by growing fins, tails, and gills. They would also morph into ghoul-like spirits that go on to play tricks on humans that came near the water, and they would consume the flesh of anyone that got into the water. It's alleged that they would giggle or cry to get unsuspected victims to be like, oh, there's a baby laughing or crying, and they would snatch them up like that.
I guess not snatch them up, they're pretty small. But you get it, you get it, like that was their little trap thing. If you thought Idaho having water babies was creepy, well then let's head on to Nevada, which coincidentally also has an urban legend about water babies.
Nevada. Water Babies of Pyramid Lake. Found at Pyramid Lake, in the Reno area, the story is that these babies could be responsible for the disappearance of fishermen.
This is because every spring, it's alleged that at least one unlucky fisherman vanishes in the waters, and their bodies are usually never recovered. Some have claimed that this is due to the water being really deep, but then a different group thinks that the water babies are to blame. They believe that these babies have historically used the place as a hunting ground and sort of a place to exact revenge for what was done to them long ago.
Apparently, these ill-formed premature beings were thrown into the lake by the members of the Paiute tribe. The reason being that the tribe wanted to weed out the weak and keep itself strong. This of course made the babies angry, and so their spirits seek vengeance.
It is said that till today, their cries and wails can be heard in the lake, especially in the early morning and evening hours and in the spring, the prime fishing season. It's also claimed that they lurk just beneath the water, pulling in and drowning those who come too close, or just causing casualties like boat accidents. Utah Skinwalker Ranch In 1996, a man named Terry Sherman sold off his 512 acre ranch just 18 months after buying it.
Why? Well, he had seen it all. from UFOs and mysteriously large animals to being followed home.
Based on an interview he did in June of that year, he was convinced that something strange was going on in the ranch and decided he wanted to be no part of it. For instance, he and his family of four would often witness these flying objects that seemed to be from another world. One was a small box-like object with a white light.
Then, there was a 40-foot long one, and also a large ship the size of several football fields. They also saw one that emitted a red ray in waves as it flew along. Then, he had also patches of flattened grass with circles about 8 feet, all within 30 feet of each other. Nothing could explain these perfectly flattened circles.
He also claimed to have heard male voices about 25 feet above him, though looking up, nothing was there. His dogs had barked at the voices before running off. Even weirder, he lost cattle, 7 of his cows just vanishing and some being found mutilated.
And that wasn't even all. There were even these wolf-like creatures, though about 3 times the size of a normal wolf, that were impermeable to bullets. He had apparently shot at them to no effect. Now, even after being sold off, the ranch continued to be the ground for these mysterious events and even got the reputation for being cursed. One such activity is in the name, Skinwalker.
This is the sighting of the wolf that we just talked about. It's a human-like creature, a shape-shifting werewolf, that also has a history in the Navajo nation. It's in the tribal folklore that it was called a Skinwalker. Arizona, The Jerome Grand Hotel.
You've probably heard of Arizona's Bigfoot, the Magalan Rim Monster, and Skinwalkers. These are all very popular urban legends and seem to be known by everyone. Few though know the mystery of the three-star Jerome Grand Hotel.
So it turns out that this hotel, previously a hospital, has had visitors complain of hearing sounds and seeing things in the wee hours of the night. And not just one visitor, no, a whole lot of them. The hotel has a journey that visitors sign, recollecting their experience, and apparently a 300-page journal gets filled each year.
Top among these scary encounters include hearing voices, especially on the third floor, and a ghost cat jumping on the the bed and walking around. Room 32 is also featured heavily in these visitor accounts. What causes all of that?
Well, from 1927, when it was opened, to 1950, it was the United Verde Hospital, a hospital that was considered one of the best and most modern in Arizona at the time. Problem is, a lot of people died there, a total of 9,000 people to be specific. And, most of these people died on the third floor, where an operating room was located.
It's suspected that this is why most of the noises heard are on the third floor. Also, it's alleged that Room 32 had two known occur in there, hence its heavy haunting. One of these was a former miner who was confined to a wheelchair.
He was reported to have climbed over the balcony railing and fell over to his death. Second is a businessman who shot himself in the room. Now, what I just covered is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to horror stories in this location.
It's said, for example, that a caretaker once committed suicide in the boiler room and in 1935, a maintenance man, Claude Harvey, got crushed by the elevator in the basement. The general manager, Chris Arthur, even recalls the time when he received a phone call at the front. desk from an unoccupied room with a lady talking on the other end. He of course went to check and no one was in the room. It's no wonder it was featured on an episode of the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures.
Montana Ghosts of Little Bighorn Battlefield In 1876 there was a war called the Great Sioux War and part of it was the Battle of the Little Bighorn where a local tribe at Little Bighorn River, the Crow Indian Tribe, were fighting for their land against occupation by Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. Desperate to hold their ground, the Crow tribe called the U.S. Army for reinforcement.
The army sent about 700 soldiers, the 7th Cavalry Regiment, but they were met with a complete massacre. The total count of the dead was about 268, with 55 seriously wounded. Ever since, the place is said to be haunted by the spirits of those who died. People have apparently heard screams, yelling, and even gunshots from the area.
Others have reported hearing sounds of horses. Now, interestingly, one theory that tries to explain these sightings and witness accounts is that it's all just and audio being played back to scare people, I guess. Sort of in the sense that so much violent energy was expended during that war that it made a quote impression on the land.
Then, under the right conditions, someone plays the tape back to get witnesses to hear it and tell the story. But again, that is just a theory. Let's head on to the next one.
Wyoming, The Lady in Green. In Goshen County, Wyoming, there's a really small town called Fort Laramie, which is named after the nearby historic port where a lot of military exertions were staged back in the day. And when I say small, I really mean it because as of 2020, the official records showed a population of about 206 people.
Legend has it that every few years, just a little bit east of the town, on the Oregon Trail, a ghost lady is seen riding a horse while wearing a long green riding dress. Apparently, this is the daughter of the agent who had been in charge of the American Fur Trading Company that had been in operation in the area. One day, She had come to visit her father and simply due to her stubborn nature and inexperience with life there, she got lost, never to be seen again. Described as used to having her way as well as being educated and classy, she had been assigned a round-the-clock guard both within and outside the compound. Problem is, she chose a horse that was rather aggressive and difficult for her to handle.
So during her stay, her horse just suddenly took off. Men chased her down but given the nature of the horse, they couldn't catch up. And eventually, they couldn't trace her.
They looked for her for a considerable amount of time, before it was finally decided she was gone for good. She would then turn up later in ghostly sightings, still wearing her green dress. Colorado.
The Lafayette Vampire. How do you kill a vampire? A wooden spike through the heart, right? Well, that theory isn't new, it's been around for years.
But it actually brewed one of Colorado's classic urban legends. The story is that back in 1918, right in the middle of the catastrophic flu epidemic, a man named Theodore Fedor Glava, an immigrant from Transylvania, died in Lafayette and, rather shockingly, was discovered to have been a vampire. He of course died from flu complications, but then the fact took a backseat really fast when a tree grew right in the middle of his grave.
People were convinced that the tree grew from a spike that was driven into his heart. Also, there have been claims that he'd been a tall thin man with dark and long fingernails, and would also wear a long trench coat. Features which, when combined, gave him the classic vampire look. And to try to keep him locked in the grave, people would often sprinkle salt around the headstone. Salt, as vampire fans know, is used to repel and keep away evil creatures such as vampires.
And just to offer a little more context, the whole attempt to try to wade evil spirits from the grave is because there have been reports of strange occurrences nearby. These include batteries draining when near the tombstone, a shadowy figure lurking on the grave, voices in strange lights, roses growing from the vampire's fingernails, physical beatings of lone passersby, and a whole lot of other stuff. Now, something also interesting is that Glava shares a tombstone with a man named John Trendifer. who died in 1918 aged 27 also likely from the flu but he doesn't get talked about much New Mexico, the Death Waltz. Being vast and with a really long history, New Mexico has plenty of urban legends compared to the other states.
In fact, almost a year ago I covered one of them, that being La Llorona. She's this tall, thin woman donning a tattered and soiled gown, floating and gliding above the waters along the Santa Fe River. Today though, I'll cover the Death Waltz.
So, the story is about a soldier who was based in Fort Union, Mexico. While on his normal duties, he fell in love with a woman. This wasn't just any other woman though, she was a sister-in-law to a captain and beyond that. she was a lover of life, enjoying adventure and interacting freely with officers in the town.
In short, she was beautiful and got attention. Anyway, the young soldier managed to woo her and was determined to marry her. He had unfortunately not realized she was a flirt and loved such a life. Before they could marry though, the soldier was sent off to war and while departing, she promised him she'd never marry another should he die out there.
Sadly, the soldier died out there just a few days later. Now being the flirt she was, she announced that she was going to marry someone else. What happened next though was chilling. Apparently, while in the wedding's decorated ballroom, dance in progress, a door flew open by itself.
A breeze of wind fell, and a strange cry, unlike that of a human, sounded out as candles dimmed. It was the ghost of the soldier. He grabbed her and began dancing, as the band and her husband went into a trance.
The ghost is said to have sucked the life out of her in the process. Yup, he really said, if I can't have her, no one can. Let's head on to Hawaii. Hawaii. USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
December 7th, 1941 remains one of the darkest days ever in Hawaii's history, and the US at large. This was the day when a ship, the USS Arizona, boarded by 1,177 crew members, was bombed and sunk at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. Over 2,400 people were killed in the wave of attacks done on that day, and due to the sheer amount of loss in the USS Arizona, its attack went into the history books as the largest loss of life on any US war vessel.
Now the vessel sits in the harbor as a tribute but then somehow reeks of ghost activity. It is alleged that the servicemen from the vessel are still patrolling the area. In 2011 for example, an Australian family that had visited the harbor captured this rather chilling image beneath the waters that sit directly above the wreck of the vessel.
Per most accounts, the face looks like the young and sad face of a sailor. There's also a story about a sailor who apparently abandoned his post during the attacks and got shot. It's claimed that his spirit haunts the deck of the vessel, especially during the low tide.
Now, those are just two of the many more ghost stories on the vessel. There have been reports of strange noises, voices, and pacing footsteps being heard in the area. An episode of the Ghost Hunters show back in 2011 confirmed some of these accounts by also reporting paranormal activities like voices, music, seeing and hearing movements, objects moving around overnight, and a lot of similar stuff.
Also Ford Island, which was like the hub of the warships, is also said to be haunted with residents even claiming to see shadowy figures that disappear upon approach. They also report footsteps near their homes. water faucets turning themselves on, radios changing stations, and a general sense of panic in the area. Creepy for sure.
North Dakota. Jean Hilliard's Miracle. Most urban legends, while honestly scary, seem like distant tales from the past.
However, North Dakota has a fairly recent story, and this one's actually true. This is a real event I'm about to tell you guys. Basically, it's the story of Jean Hilliard, who, aged 19 at the time, had her body freeze at negative 30 degrees Celsius overnight, but then managed to recover. It's said that in the December of 1980, she had been on her way back home. Her home being Minnesota, from an outing with friends, but then due to bad weather, she skidded off the road and ended up in a ditch.
Luckily, she had a friend that lived just a few miles away, and so she decided to walk there and ask for help. I mean, she even had the appropriate clothing for the weather. Western boots, a coat, and mittens. However, before she got to the house, by sheer bad luck, she tripped, fell, and lost consciousness. She apparently was found six hours later, completely frozen.
She was basically a solid block of ice. quote-unquote, stiffer than a board. Her friend, Wally Nelson, had instantly recognized her after seeing her in her front yard and rushed her to the hospital 10 minutes away. She had been so cold that doctors didn't have any hope with her.
It was even difficult to get an IV into her arm. They began warming her up with an electric heating pad, anticipating her official death. To everyone's surprise, though, she woke up after a few hours in spasms.
She completely recovered, and there was no convincing those who witnessed it that it wasn't a miracle, from being like me out of the freezer to being functional again. South Dakota Gitche Manitou Murders In the extreme northwestern corner of Iowa, there's a small nature preserve called Gitche Manitou. Though in Iowa, the same preserve is really close to South Dakota, just a little southeast of Sioux Falls.
So, this story sort of transcends both states, and it's a rather bizarre one with a well-documented history. The legend in general claims that Gitche Manitou is a haunted place and gives two reasons. First, it was an ancient American Indian burial ground, and second, in 1973, four teens were brutally murdered there.
Now, while there are no specific accounts on how the hauntings happen, the overall claim is that it's particularly intense at night. Most claims lean on the cruelty of the murder incident, which, in summary, took place on an evening of November 17th, 1973, after three brothers, Alan Fryer, David Fryer, and James Fryer, attacked five teenagers, Roger Essam, 18, Stuart Bade, 18, Dana Bade, 14, and Michael Hadrath, 15, who had been camping in the woods. The brothers impersonating narcotic officers not only confiscated the marijuana the teens had, but also ended up killing them in cold blood and leaving their bodies out in the woods. They also raped one of the teens who survived and became a witness against them.
They'd later tell the court they thought narcotic officers were allowed to kill drug users. Anyway, you can probably see why this place is thought to have ghosts lurking around. Nebraska.
Blackbird Hill. About three miles south of Macy, Nebraska, there's a hill called the Big Elk Hill, aka Blackbird Hill. Now, legend has it that on October 17th of every year, a woman's terrified screams can be heard echoing across the hill. This is usually during the full moon. There's also apparently a patch nearby where grass never grows.
Why? Well, it all goes back to 1939, a story of love gone wrong. A story that a white man told the Omaha tribe.
This happened in the mid-18th century. The white man had gone on a business trip. and was to return home after a while and marry his lover.
However, he got shipwrecked on his way back, and for five years he couldn't get home. And when he did, much to his disappointment, his lover had moved on and married the guy's childhood best friend. Ouch. They had also relocated in search of a better life.
The man, unable to let go, set off to find them and just out of sheer luck, he came across them somewhere down the Missouri River, at the foot of the Blackbird Hill. He had knocked on a random door, and it just so happened that the person who answered the door was his long lost love. They immediately declared their love for each other and planned on going away together, back to the eastern US.
Problem is, the woman's new man wasn't having it. He tried convincing her to stay but she refused. So in a fear of rage he took out his hunting knife, stabbed her, and decapitated her.
This is apparently the same spot of dirt where grass doesn't grow. Then realizing what he'd done, he carried her in his arms and jumped off a cliff with her into the water. And that's the spot where screams are heard till today. Kansas.
Molly's Hollow at Jackson Park. So the story is that long ago in Atchison, there lived an African American girl named Molly. She lived pretty normally until she began dating a white boy. Unfortunately, this was a time in history when such a thing was frowned upon. So to teach her a lesson, some boys took things too far and ended up hanging her by her neck at a wooded hollow in the forest.
This hollow where she was found came to be known as Molly's Hollow. Visitors to Jackson Park claim that she lingers till today. On certain nights, around midnight, screams can be heard from the hollow.
Some have also claimed to have seen a full-bodied apparition of what looks like a girl hanging from a tree. Others have also claimed unseen hands touching, pulling, and grabbing them as they pass through the hollow. Now, there's an alternative version that claims Molly was not African American and that she'd been hung by her boyfriend after she refused to quote go all the way with him. However, whichever the version, the legend remains insanely creepy and quite sad. Oklahoma.
The Hornet Spooklight. So the story for Oklahoma is that on June 3rd, 1924, a young mother was struck by lightning on a horse carriage crossing a bridge past the Verdigris River. This was during a thunderstorm and she was thrown to the ground with her carriage, horses, and the baby. Now, though she couldn't see her baby, she could hear the baby crying somewhere. And then, as she peeked under the bridge, she fell in, never to be seen again.
Legend has it that if you stop there and turn off your engine, especially on Friday the 13th, you can hear the baby crying. What's stranger than that, though, is the Hornet spooklight occurrence. It's said that for over 100 years since 1881, there's a light just off the old Route 66, the northeast corner of Oklahoma that has remained confusing to travelers.
It's mostly believed to be a paranormal mystery. Those who know about it say this happens on a 4 mile stretch of a road named Devil's Promenade, and what is seen is a basketball sized glowing orb. One has to be in Oklahoma though, near the border and facing west to see it.
Anyway. No one really knows what it is and allegedly, even the Army Corps of Engineers concluded that it is quote, mysterious and of unknown origin. It apparently moves, spinning and jogging up and down, sort of like a lamp being held by a dancing ghost. Some say though that it's caused by vehicle headlights and how they interact with changing air density above the Spring River. However, those who believe they saw it completely refute that theory, saying there's no way headlights could see that far out.
Texas. Hell's Gate at River Legacy Park. This park, the River Legacy Park, located next to the Trinity River in North Arlington, is a very highly rated place for hiking, biking, and picnics.
Go deep enough and you might find yourself in a spot tormented by spirits of war prisoners. Apparently, there's this one ancient trail that goes through swampy areas and overhanging trees and ends at a couple of wooden fence posts that once held up a gate. In that area, there's a large dirt mount that is alleged to have been the execution ground for Union Army spies during the Civil War period.
So basically, the gate would open up to a nearby tree, which is where the hangings would take place. At this location, people have reported strange occurrences, including voices in the air, some speaking things that can't be quite made out, while others quietly praying or sobbing. These are believed to be the ghosts of the spies, reliving the moments when they were being led to their deaths.
Other experiences in the area include reports of people feeling uneasy, nervous, and even like they're being watched. It also gets unusually cold. Even weirder, some have reported seeing a lone figure standing nearby.
It looks like a satisfied red-haired man wearing a Confederate General's uniform. His stance is claimed to be as if he's supervising the executions. Minnesota Glensheen Mansion In Duluth, there's a waterfront property on Lake Superior that dates back to 1905 and is considered a great example of the design and architecture prowess of the Midwestern US in the 20th century.
Originally owned by Chester Adgate Congdon, the mansion is said to have cost a little shy of $900,000 at the time, and over the years, it has really maintained its original form and elements, including furniture, that it's considered a historic site. Now, the big twist is that somewhere along the way, a murder happened there and it became a haunted house. The story is that in 1977, Elizabeth Congdon, Chester Congdon's youngest daughter, was found murdered in the mansion. She had been suffocated inside her older sister Helena's bedroom.
Her nurse, Velma Pietila, was also found murdered. Then, quite strangely, a while later, the jewelry and other items that had disappeared from the house were found worn by Marjorie Congdon, Elizabeth's adopted daughter. She became the first suspect, but soon enough, police figured out it was Marjorie's husband, Roger Caldwell. He got tried, then conceded to the charges and got jailed. He did later get out of prison in 1988. He committed suicide and left a note claiming his innocence.
Ever since, the house began being haunted. Guests, and even people passing by, have claimed to see apparitions of two women in the upstairs window. That's the window where one of the murders took place. In the basement, it's also said that a dark, shadowy figure lurks.
And some have claimed seeing objects move on their own, and lights flickering on and off also on their own. Sometimes, the library also gets this otherworldly mist. which people have said is the ghost of Elizabeth visiting her favorite place in the home.
Overall, one of the creepier ones on this list. Iowa. Devil's Chair and the Angels. Iowa too has legends around cemeteries, but for some reason, statues, cast, and such seem to dominate among legends.
I have three particular ones in mind. First, there is a Devil's Chair in Guthrie Center. Located inside the Union Cemetery, this chair sits between two unmarked graves, and apparently, if you sit on it, bad luck or even death might follow you.
Some say that if you are psychic and sit on the chair, you might hear the dead talking to you. Also, there are times when the devil himself comes to sit on the chair, and you can tell from a strange smell encompassing the area. He mainly does so on Friday the 13th and 17th of a given year.
This is usually around 3am. Second, there is a black angel statue found at Fairview Cemetery in Council Bluffs. Christianed the black angel of Council Bluffs, this statue is said to follow people with her eyes, and quite pleasantly quote bless whoever touches her with sickness.
This niceness however is not all there, as some claim she does fly away at night. Last, there is the Black Angel of Iowa City. Found in the Oakland Cemetery, legend has it that if you were to kiss or touch the angel, you would die. Some also say that if a pregnant woman were to walk under the statue's stretched wings, they would miscarry.
And just for good measure, here is one more. Called the Weeping Angel, this headstone statue at Shelseburg Cemetery is said to be spooky as people have reported hearing the angel cry at night, and that she even has tears rolling down her face. Missouri, Zombie Road. Just like Iowa and Kansas, Missouri has its own devil's chair, mainly known as the Baird Chair. It's located at the Highland Park Cemetery in Kirksville, and the legend is that anyone who sits on it at midnight might end up either being punished or rewarded for their bravery.
The whole legend is actually quite interesting, but what I found more interesting is Zombie Road and its associated stories. Now, this road, tucked away among hills and oak trees near Merrimack River, did not always bear that name. It was originally known as Lawler Ford Road, and apparently, It wasn't until the 50s that people began referring to it as quote, Zombie Road. The name change was due to an alleged creepy man who lived somewhere in the forest, surviving inside a shack in the woods.
It's said that he would wander around, constantly attacking young lovers who sought to be alone there. Somehow, stories of his existence ended up being intertwined with ghost sightings, strange noises, and even vanishings. Then, as people dug around as to who he was, speculation had it that the man might have actually been Mrs. Della Hamilton McCauley. This is the wife of a local judge who had been hit by a train and killed back in 1876. Why her?
Well, she was the only person killed in a train accident in that area. There are also claims that the road, which is considered one of the most haunted in America, sits on top of one of the largest Native American burial areas in the country. It is thus thought to have the spirits of indigenous people, industrial workers, children, confederate soldiers, and so on.
Arkansas, The Lady in Black. This one is about a scorned college lover who committed suicide. and went on to haunt the college campus, searching for the one who caused her death.
So, legend has it that back in the 1920s, Jane, a girl from Uchita Baptist University, was dating Josh, an older boy from a rival college, the Henderson State University. Things were going good between the two until Josh began being ignored by his friends for dating someone from a rival college. They threatened to end their friendship with him if he didn't break up with her. Under this pressure, he broke up with her right before homecoming. Jane, smitten by heartbreak, put on a black dress and a black veil, then went on to jump off a cliff, De Soto Bluff, and died.
Now, a different version of this legend exists where the colleges were reversed. In this reverse version, the boy left the girl for a younger freshman, and the girl just happened to plunge to her death over the De Soto Bluff. Either way, in both cases, the girl comes back to haunt the campus, looking for the individuals who stole her love. In the first case, she's said to be looking for the guys who threatened her lover into leaving her.
In the second case, she was looking for the freshman that replaced her. She apparently lurks around particularly during homecoming walking the halls, especially Womack Hall, with a candle and rattling chains. She also torments Smith Hall, as there have been reports of hearing screams and seeing flickering lights in the dorm. A lot of students believe she resides on the 8th floor of the dorm.
To this day, it seems freshmen are warned about her existence at every Pine Tree speech, a traditional orientation speech, being told not to be afraid unless they were the ones who stole the girl's lover. Louisiana. The Carter Brothers and Vampires.
In the 1930s, two brothers, John and Wayne Carter, were executed in New Orleans. Reason? Well, they were vampires.
At least that's what people concluded. The story is that either in 1932 or 1934, as a girl ran down Royal Street, she got stopped by a police officer and told them an incredible story. She had just escaped from a vampire's den. She had her wrist cut as proof. Investigations led the police to the corner of Royal Street and St. Anne Street where, shockingly, they found a dozen or more bodies with wrists slit and blood drained.
Some captives were alive while some bodies looked like they'd been there for days. Surprisingly, the responsible parties, the Carter brothers, were nonchalantly working their jobs at the docks when this went down. They were however ambushed by officers at their apartment, although they got away. The next day though, they were arrested at the docks. They somehow just went on with their daily routines even after being attempted to be arrested the first time.
They supposedly admitted that they were vampires and got tried as serial killers in court. They got sentenced to death. And, in an even creepier twist, once buried, there's a time their tomb was opened and their bodies had disappeared. It's alleged that they're still seen around their apartment, on the balcony. Strange things, related to the vampires, have also apparently caused some of the modern tenants to break their leases.
Wisconsin, Boy Scout Lane. In Wisconsin, west of the Wisconsin River Golf Club, there's a road called the Boy Scout Lane. It's an unpaved passage about 2,500 feet long, sort of sandwiched between Little Chicago Road and Cemetery Road. Now, legend has it that along this lane, back in either the 1950s or 60s, a group of Boy Scouts were murdered while out on a trip. It's unclear as to exactly how this happened because there are several versions of how it went down.
One says that their bus got into an accident, caught on fire, and they got killed in the process. Another says that their scoutmaster was the one responsible. Yet, another one claims that while walking in the woods, they had dropped their lantern which made the forest catch fire and thus raising them all down.
There's also one where they vanish without explanation, as well as another where they get lost in the woods and starve to death. What all the versions can agree on though, is that the boys were in desperate need of help and so even today, they can be seen hiking the forest undergrowth and even attempting to get help from their fellow scouts who visit the place. There have been reports that some visitors get a strong sense of being watched in the area, and can hear breaking branches and footsteps, and sometimes even see red or white lights that look like swinging lanterns or beams.
Some have even reported to seeing ghostly buses and children-like handprints on cars that stop in the area. Absolutely spooky stuff. Illinois, Resurrection Mary. What are the chances you'd give a ride to a hitchhiker? Well, in any case you do so, there's a chance you might be carrying a ghost.
At least that's what the Resurrection Mary legend is all about. The story is that back in the 1930s, at O. Henry Ballroom on Archer Avenue, also called Willowbrook, a girl, Mary, got into a heated argument with her boyfriend, and and she stormed off into the night. She tried to hitch rides along the avenue, somewhere between Willowbrook and Resurrection Cemetery's main gate. However, before she found a willing driver, she was unfortunately struck and killed in a hit-and-run incident.
The driver was never found, and Mary's parents went on to bury her at this particular cemetery. She was buried in a beautiful white dancing dress and matching shoes. Soon after, people began seeing her ghost along the road.
Questioned Resurrection Mary, she would hitch rides along Archer Avenue and and could easily be identified by her long white party dress, long blonde hair, and blue eyes. Other reports have claimed that she wears a thin shawl and dancing shoes, and carries a small clutch purse. Now, what's really creepy about her alleged sightings is that sometimes she'd be picked up by unsuspecting people somewhere away from the cemetery and disappear as soon as they got to the cemetery area. For example, in 1939, a man named Jerry Pallas said he met a girl at Liberty Grove and Hall at 47th and Mozart Avenue. She told him her name was Mary and that she lived at Damon Avenue.
In his recollection of her, he said she was really quiet and was oddly cold to the touch. Anyway, on the way to drop her home, she said she liked to go for a drive down Archer Avenue. She suddenly asked him to stop the car, exited, and disappeared into the Resurrection Cemetery.
That would be the first of many similar incidents. Michigan. The Michigan Triangle.
I'm sure you've heard of the Bermuda Triangle. It turns out that Michigan has its own version of it. Christian's the Michigan Triangle, it's an area that stretches from Ludington all the way to Manitowoc, then down to Benton Harbor, and back to Ludington again.
The area has been said to experience all sorts of strange phenomena from UFOs, disappearances, shipwrecks, and even plane crashes. For example, in September of 1979, a French ship, the Les Griffons, while headed off to Lake Erie with about 12,000 pounds of fur, disappeared in the triangle never to be seen again. to be found. There's never been a single trace of it, not even the wreck.
Then in 1891, Thomas Hewn, a schooner, while headed for Muskegon, encountered bad weather around the triangle and again disappeared with its six sailors. The company behind that vessel, Hackley-Hew Mill, even offered $300 to anyone who could help trace it, but no one could find it. Though, it was actually found in 2007, 150 feet below the surface.
Other ships that disappeared in the spa under questionable circumstances include Roosevelt in 1875 and George R. Donner in 1937. Then there's also flight 2501 by Northwest Orient Airlines which crashed into the lake in 1950. The accident was thought to have been due to bad weather but some say the plane was grabbed by a UFO because two police officers at the scene had seen two red flashing lights after the accident. It had 55 passengers and three crew members inside. Then in an equally strange incident Aero L-39 Albatross, a single engine being flown by Don Scholar and Don Rodriguez during an air show, disappeared in the spot.
It just vanished from the radar and never to be seen again. Oh, and even creepier, in 1978, a man named Stephen Kabaki disappeared in the triangle while out for a short skiing trip, only for him to resurface more than a year later, with little to no memory or recollection of the time he'd been away. Indiana, 100 Steps Cemetery. As you might guess from the name, the 100 Steps Cemetery has something to do with 100 Steps Cemetery. steps, but we'll get to that.
First, also known as Carpenter Cemetery or Cloverland Cemetery, this burial ground located halfway between the cities of Brazil, Indiana, and Ter-Hot has a history that goes as far back as the Civil War, and surprisingly, it's still actively being used today with renovations even having been done on the steps just a few years ago. Now, while seeming quite serene and peaceful by day, apparently, the place turns really spooky at night, especially at midnight. What happens at midnight? Well, legend has it that if you climb the stairs at midnight, counting each step on your way up the hill, you should have 100 as the final count.
If so, then the ghost of the original caretaker of the cemetery would appear to you and tell you the date and nature of your death. Then, just like you counted on your way up, you need to count on your way down. And if your descending count is not 100, then the caretaker you just talked to will appear and kill you. Other accounts also add that as you count, hands might appear out of the ground and try to trip you.
Or you might try to hear sounds like cries of children. all in your attempt to disrupt you. There are still many variations of the legend including one where the caretaker simply refuses to show you your future and also one where your feet sink into the ground although the steps are made of concrete. Now the cemetery is usually closed to the public from dusk till dawn but this doesn't make the story any less creepy.
Kentucky. Sleepy Hollow Road. Near the town of Prospect in Jefferson County there's a winding two-lane road called the Sleepy Hollow Road. Why is it called so? Well it has a tree line so dense that in many places It's more like a canopy.
Apparently, driving there at night, nothing else lights up the way other than the vehicle's headlights. Even during the full moon, light hardly makes it down to the pavement. It's all dark.
Worse still, in some places, veering off the road would mean an almost 30 foot drop into embankment. Thankfully, there are guardrails to prevent that. By day, the road is said to be quite scenic.
Now, legend has it that at night, there is usually a mysterious black hearse that can be seen on the road and it normally causes drivers to veer off and... fall to their deaths. Those who have witnessed it say it appears first as headlights on the rearview mirror, approaching fast and coming too close.
Unsuspecting teen drivers have often thought it was either a friend of theirs playing games on them or a cop trying to pull them over. However, soon enough, they find out it's neither, as the hearse not only causes them to dangerously speed by coming too close, but also starts ramming them from behind. It then comes all the way beside their car and forces them off the road and down into the embankment. Other recounts say that sometimes crying can be heard from what was once the Crybaby Bridge. This is where, a long time ago, women would apparently throw their unwanted and sickly babies off the side to their deaths.
I don't know why a lot of these legends include the just getting rid of babies in just so harmful ways. Also, some say that the road causes time warps where a driver would go in, only to come out several hours later. Tennessee. Bully Jamestown Boy. Jamestown, which is a small town I'm referring to, is found in Northeast Tennessee, in Fentress County.
The story is that back at the start of the 20th century, at Pine Haven High School, one of the students, a boy, after finishing his school day, had decided to use the restrooms before heading home. He went in as normal and did his thing, but as he was washing his hands and ready to go out, the school bully snuck up behind him and shoved him into the mirror. Though this was a playful move, the boy banged his head on the glass, slipped, lost his balance, and hit the sink headfirst. The bang was so brutal that he died instantly. The bully, in a wave of panic, pulled out his pocket knife, undid some of the floorboards, and quickly rolled the body into the ground, reattaching the floor afterward.
Some say that the boy had not died upon impact, and what killed him was being shoved underneath the floorboards, left exposed to the cold all night while being crucially wounded. Anyway, a few days later, puzzled by a strange smell from the restrooms, a teacher got on the case and the boy's remains were later found. It's unclear what happened after, but apparently, the boy's death was the beginning of that restroom getting haunted.
Locals believe that if you go into that restroom and look into the mirror, you can see that boy standing behind you. Mississippi Mercritis Arguably one of the weirdest Mississippi urban legends is this disease from the 1950s that apparently caused men to drive women insane. So the disease was called Mercritis, and whether real or not, people back then believed it spread to the US from Europe and exhibited different symptoms between men and women.
Thought to have been due to ingesting a large amount of paint or lead, the first case, again, was alleged to be from Europe where a man, full of paint or lead, released the chemical that made nearby women, quote, descend into a homicidal rage. They apparently chased him down through a seaside village and in a desperate attempt to escape, he jumped into the icy cold waters. With no speck of hesitation or care for their own safety, the, about a dozen, women, jumped in too and unfortunately drowned in the process. In Mississippi, after men had ingested lead, a Apparently women were so enraged by the chemical that the men released, that they swept through the streets with a mission to kill every man they could lay their hands on. Now, while some believe this is just a legend, others think it was a true disease, and that it got covered up by the community because no one had a cure.
This is definitely one of the more silly ones on this list. Now, let's head on to Ohio. Ohio.
Rogue's Hollow. Kentucky has Sleepy Hollow. This deserted road where a ghost hearse runs drivers off the road. Well, it turns out that Ohio has kind of a similar thing going on. Called the Rogue's Hollow, apparently most Doylestown's residents don't even know it exists.
This is despite the disturbing things that have been reported there from a crybaby bridge, a haunted mill, and even a headless horseman. Part of its arguably past is that it's said that the hollow was once a place of outlaws and gangsters. They used it as their hideout and unsurprisingly, shootouts and robberies were commonplace there.
And these sorts of activities went on until the 20th century. All that is interesting, but then one quite unnerving story that stands above the rest is that of the Headless Horseman. It's alleged that in the 1800s, at the top of a hill near Route 65, there stood a ghost oak tree. The tree had a branch that hung so low that most riders had to duck to avoid it. One unfortunate horseman, though, weighed down by ice and going full speed, struck it and it severed the horse's head.
From then on, riders began reporting they would see a devilish creature sitting on a headless horse beneath that tree. Also worth mentioning is that the crybaby bridge nearby has an equally chilling story. Apparently, a family once had an accident there and they instantly died.
The baby though remained alive and starved to death slowly. Their cry can still be heard in the area. Alabama.
Oplica's Spring Villa Mansion. One of the most interesting yet spooky legends from Alabama, arguably, is the antebellum-style Spring Villa plantation house located in the city of Oplica. So, apparently in the 1800s, a couple, Penn and Mary Young, had the house built for them by Horace King, a former slave to Mary's father, John Godwin. And just maybe a little bit of context here, Horace built it as a kind gesture to Godwin's children. He was sort of trying to take care of them as his own out of the kindness his father had shown him, although they had already freed him after Godwin's death in 1859. Anyway, the two did not entirely live in this house, using it instead as a country home for lavish entertainment, seeing as one of the businesses Pen Yung was controlling as a superintendent, Chewacca Limeworks, was located nearby.
And speaking of Pen Yung, it's actually said that he was the go-getter kind of businessman, having had to learn to fend for himself since his dad died when he was just 12. He successfully dabbled in merchandising and gold trading before he set on limestone exploration in Alabama. But then it seems that part of this grind meant abuse of slave labor, because he did apparently make enemies among his servants. something that would come back to bite him.
Specifically, what happened is that one day, just before he came back home, one of the servants hid midway up the spiral staircase, specifically on the 13th step, and as Penn came up, the slave got a hold of him, stabbed, and by some accounts, decapitated him. Somehow, proof of that was a dark red stain, said to be blood, and rot that occupied the spot from 1878 to 1957, when it finally got repaired. Now, some say this act was revenge for Penn being a quote, rather cruel, hard boss, and that he was a good man, but it was not. given he'd even sold off the slaves'family.
He was also said to have been working all slaves really hard, and although a gracious host at the magnificent Spring Villa, he was so tasked demanding of the servants. Anyway, legend has it that the 13th Step, and the house in general, remain haunted to date. For example, there are two different accounts of people saying they've heard a piano being played inside the house by a ghost.
In the surrounding woods and trees, it's also been suspected that a family of Bigfoot, Rome's as a paranormal researcher Faith Serafin, experienced it herself. As she sat on the stairs outside, something invisible climbed down of one of the nearby acorn trees, striking the ground and causing dirt and leaves to poof up. Anyway, the house is currently considered a landmark under the National Register of Historic Places, and people can visit it.
Maine. Pitcherman. Legend has it that at Goose River Bridge, a man, or rather the ghost of a man, William Richardson, can be seen with a pitcher in hand, wandering around trying to endear people.
Passersby have claimed that the man offers them ale before disappearing into thin air. Also, for those driving, he sometimes even thrusts a pitcher through the car's window. Overall, he's pretty full of gestures. The question though is how did he end up that way?
Well, it all goes back to 1783, when the War of the American Revolution came to an end. It's said that Richardson was much celebrated by the Goose River Village, known as Rockport back then, for his efforts in aiding Samuel Tucker, a privateer who stole a British ship, by guiding him away from British troops. Some say he might have also fought in the battle.
Either way, being proud of his role, A celebration was set up in the village and barrels of ale were brought out. Pitchers were passed around and they ensured mugs were constantly full. This party, however, went sort of overboard and unfortunately, after having more than he could handle, Richardson wandered away into the night and sadly he met his death.
It's said that he either fell off the bridge or got killed by British sympathizers by being struck on the head with the back of a rifle and left to fall over the bridge. He would later be seen as a ghost wandering the bridge with his ale in hand. New Hampshire. Legend of Goody Cole.
There are quite a few urban legends in New Hampshire, but one of the interesting yet sad ones has to be the legend of Goody Cole. It's said that in 1656, people of the Hamptons were convinced there was a witch among them, a lady by the name of Goodwife Eunice Cole. Witches were frowned upon in the area and unsurprisingly, they wanted her dealt with.
This meant a trial had to be done, and as they wished, she ended up in prison, convicted of witchcraft. Dejected, she served her sentence in full and in 1670, she was released and returned to Hampton. The problem was that her neighbors were still not having it.
They accused her a second time, and she got subjected to yet another trial. Maybe, justifiably, she never forgave them for this. Even though that second trial found her innocent, she still held a grudge. This was also probably because they treated her like an outsider, exiling her and forcing her to beg and scavenge for berries in order to survive.
Then, maybe as expected, after her death, she came back to haunt the area and was apparently responsible for quite a few tragedies. One of those was the sinking of a ship that killed eight people. Good thing though, I think. the town decided to appease her spirit by exonerating her in 1938 and setting up a grave marker in her honor in the 1960s. It's said that since then, her spirit has been much more harmless.
Vermont, the old Hayden House. One of the most mind-bending legends to come from Vermont revolves around an old house, called the Hayden House, located just outside the city of Albany. The house was built by William Hayden Jr. in 1854, but before we get to 1854, we have to go back to the earlier years. So, in 1828, William Hayden had married from the family of Mercy Dale, a wealthy woman, and they all moved in together.
And Dale, being a nice person, had done everything to maintain a good relationship with the Hayden family. I mean, they were after all her daughter's people now. Now, part of this good mother-in-law business included lending large sums of money to Hayden. The money was supposed to support the guy in business expansion, but then he used it all up living lavishly, and even worse, refused to pay back any of it to Dale. Then, even worse than that, Dale suspected that Hayden was slowly poisoning her so that he could get some more of her money.
So, she moved out, and on her deathbed in 1830, she decided to curse him and his entire family. He called them to the bed and told them, The Hayden name and race shall become extinct in the third generation. and the last of the name shall die alone in poverty.
Years went by, and Hayden even built a fancy house in 1854, but only two of the nine children born to him survived into adulthood. One of them, a daughter, died childless at 64, while the son, Will, died at 83. And though he had children, eventually, all of them died with mysterious things having happened to them. Dale's curse seemed to have worked.
Massachusetts. Route 44 Hitchhiker. This state has a state hospital with a strange history, but what I find more interesting...
is that just like Illinois with Resurrection Mary, they have a ghost hitchhiker which has been around since the 1960s. Said to be common around the Seekonk-Rio-Both area of Route 44, the hitchhiker, a man, is often described the same way for the most part. Those who have come across him say he's a redhead with long red hair, has dirty jeans, boots, a red flannel shirt, and a big red beard, and also that his eyes are dark and soulless. He's usually wandering down the road, and that's where most people, unsuspectingly, pick him up. Now, some say that as soon as one stops to help, he vanishes, while others claim that he actually gets into the car and they drive with him.
And once in the car, he never says a word, not even about where he's headed. He just points in the direction that one is already going and sits in silence. What happens next though is quite chilling.
Apparently, after a little while in silence, he starts to giggle. Then this turns into a maniacal laughter, and then uncontrollable laughter that actually hurts the ears. Drivers would often threaten to throw him out if he doesn't stop, but as soon as they do, he vanishes. However, it seems he never really vanishes as some say his presence lingers after he's gone. For example, he might show up on the side window as if floating outside, or per one account, he might start messing with the car's electronics, for instance causing the radio to cut out.
The laugh might also remain behind his voice taunting the driver, even calling them by their name. Rhode Island, The Vampire Panic The short of it is that here, especially in a town called Exeter, people believe TB aka tuberculosis was a result of the dead family members coming back to consume the blood of those they left behind. Ghost vampires, if you may.
And how do you stop that? Their solution was as absurd as it gets. They resorted to exhuming the dead and burning off the corpses, and in any case, they caught any suspected live one, a vampire, they would dismember them.
Apparently, the case of George Brown, in 1892, is one of the authentically documented incidents related to this. Brown had lost his wife and two daughters in succession to the white plague. His son was ill too. Now, although he initially wanted nothing to do with the body exhumation and burning rituals, villagers convinced him that it was the only way he'd survive. So, he gave in.
They exhumed corpses of his wife and daughters and, besides burning them, made him drink the ashes to keep himself safe. Unfortunately, he died a while later. Now, I don't want to say it's because he drank human ashes, but it might have been because he drank human ashes. Now, this madness all around Exeter was apparently so strange that news of it spread far and wide.
It's even said it's what influenced Bram Stoker, the author of the novel Dracula. Connecticut. Norwich State Hospital. Are all state hospitals haunted?
They probably are, honestly. But what most would agree on, including paranormal researchers, is that this specific one definitely carries a dark history and demonic energy. Like YouTuber exploring with Josh captioned regarding his experience there, so many people lived and died within those walls, that even skeptics would admit there could be spirits there.
So what exactly went down in this hospital for the insane? Well, it turns out that for the close to 100 years it operated, 1904 to 1996, quite a handful of horrible things are alleged to have occurred. In 1914, for instance, a patient hung themselves.
In 1919, a water heater explosion killed two employees. Later, an employee got killed trying to cross the road. A nurse also killed herself at home. And multiple patients died while undergoing treatment or soon after being released following a quote, successful stay.
And these patients'deaths were tragic or violent. And if that's not already disturbing enough. It's also alleged that staff at the hospital, as unearthed in reports and investigations, had incidents of beating, starving, sexually assaulting, partially restraining, and prolonged confining of its patients. It's thus probably no wonder that the place is considered a hotspot of spirits. There are accounts, including by Ghost Hunters and Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, of ghostly shapes, strange voices, eerie feelings, EVPs going crazy, and even spirit orbs.
Now, something also fascinating about this is that the hospital is said to have been built on top of an ancient Native American village. New Jersey, Black Doctor of the Pines. The legend of James Still, fondly referred to as the Black Doctor of the Pines, is one among the few where the ghost does pleasant things to people, much like the picture man of Ayn who just was offering people to drink out of his pitcher. So this man's story goes back to the early 1800s when determined to become a doctor by all means, he took it upon himself to learn medicine. Now this was no easy feat because away from the complexity of the subject itself, race issues meant that black people were not really allowed to learn or practice as doctors.
So, in order to overcome that, James apparently went down to Pine Barrens to study medicine on his own. Some versions of the legend say he did so from textbooks, while others claim he mingled with local indigenous people and learned herbal medicine. Variations also exist regarding his death, while some saying he was also helpful to the local community, and only died due to a heart attack, while others claim that he was unjustly lynched by locals who found him practicing medicine. Anyway, the version where he was a hero to the local community also continues to say that he became a full-fledged doctor, and also the wealthiest man in Burlington County.
His story also turned out to be so interesting that in 1877, he wrote an autobiography, Early Recollections and Life of Dr. James Still, to chronicle his passion, life, and struggles. Now the interesting bit is that his ghost is said to still lurk in Pine Barrens and often comes to the rescue of injured or stranded travelers. New York, Captain William Kidd One of the most recognizable statues of the world is Lady Liberty.
Standing at about 151 feet tall, it's one of those things that the US treasures quite a lot, especially for the symbolism behind it. Freedom, inspiration, and hope. What many might not know, though, is that the place where it stands, Liberty Island, for three centuries now, has been suspected to be the location of a pirate's substantial loot. Captain William Kidd, as he was called, was a privateer who benefited from looting enemy ships.
He had moved to New York from Scotland in his mid- 1930s and having been a sailor for most of his life, ended up being the guy licensed to basically loot enemy wealth and protect the proceeds on behalf of the government. However, things turned on him pretty fast when in 1698, he looted an Armenian ship whose owner was a powerful minister with connections. Kidd was arrested and given how much people in power had begun loathing pirates and privateers, he was hung in 1701. Before his death though, it's said he had a good chunk of the treasure he had on Liberty Island. That's why people have been looking for it for a good three centuries.
Also, his body was apparently left out on display as a warning to others like him. This began the legend that he turned into a ghost and haunted people as vengeance. One such case is that of two soldiers, Sergeant Gibbs and Private Carpenter, who apparently got ambushed by his ghost after they discovered his treasure somewhere near Fort Wood in 1825. They claim the pirate's ghost arose from the ground near their treasure chest, surrounded by ashes, smoke, and fire. Pennsylvania, Seven Gates of Hell. Is hell a real place?
People argue about that all day, but according to a legend from the Hellam Township in Pennsylvania, it is indeed real, but not only that, it has seven gates. The story is that in the wooded area just near this town, somewhere in either Toad Road or Trout Run Road, there used to be an asylum for the insane, a mental institution. It was an isolated place, apparently because it housed such insane patients.
Then sometime in the 1800s, for whatever reason, a fire broke out and razed the place including many of the patients. Some survived though, and they escaped into the woods. In an arguably weird twist, it's said that those who were caught would be beaten to death.
And as the search intensified, seven gates were put up to trap the remaining. There is another version of this legend though that claims that an asylum never existed. Instead, the area belonged to a doctor who had put up a gate to prevent trespassers from coming in.
Either way, a gate existed. The strange part though is that only one gate can be seen during the day and the rest, six of them, are said to be visible at night. Even stranger, anyone who goes through the fifth gate is somehow never seen again.
Another version says that anyone who passes through any of the six gates that are visible at night goes straight to hell. Delaware, the Governor's Mansion. For decades, Delaware governors stayed at Woodburn, a mansion specifically built for that purpose, to host governors.
Nothing odd about that, but then 25 years later after it was opened, ghost stories became the order of the day. And for context, it was used first, and also built, by Charles Hilliard III back in the 1790s. So you can pretty much tell how many years of haunting it has had given till today. People still tell spooky stories about it. The first of these stories was when Charles Hilliard III passed away, again, 25 years after occupying the house, and it involved a preacher who was staying there momentarily.
Apparently, this Methodist preacher had been invited by new owners to stay with them, and one morning, as they were about to make a prayer before breakfast, the preacher told them that they should all wait for the other guest that had spent the night with him in the guest house. Problem is, there was no other guest at the house. They told him this, but the preacher was so convinced about what he was saying that they had to let him describe this other guest.
Shockingly, the person described seems to match the description of Charles Hilliard III. That's how it came to be that Hilliard, and other spirits, lingered in the mansion. And even crazier, legend has it that if you were to leave a glass of wine for Hilliard's ghost on the stairs, you would find it drained in the morning. Now, as mentioned, Hilliard is not the only ghost in the house. In fact, it's said that years ago, a slave that had run from slave hunters was caught and killed near the mansion's porch.
Guests do apparently hear his screams to date. Also, it had been reported that a young girl dressed in a gingham dress, Those dresses with striped patterns and a bonnet can sometimes be seen on the grounds near the house carrying a candle. Chilling, right? Maryland, Glendale Hospital.
Just like the Norwich State Hospital in Connecticut, the Glendale Hospital is one of those abandoned medical facilities that carries a deep dark history. The hospital's story actually dates back to the 1930s, a time when the US was battling tuberculosis on a large scale, and also fighting off the effects of the Great Depression. Washington DC in particular was quite overwhelmed with tuberculosis patients, and they sought help from neighboring states, Maryland and Virginia.
So in 1934, the Glendale Hospital was built in Maryland to help contain the patients. And because the belief at the time was that tuberculosis'cure involved lots of fresh air and getting out in the sun, the facility was spread out as much as possible. 23 buildings sprawled across 216 acres. Rooftop gardens and expensive lawns were done, again, so patients could be in the sun. They also built underground passage tunnels for when the weather was harsh.
Anyway, sometime in the 1940s, doctors figured out antibiotics were actually better at treating tuberculosis. tuberculosis, then sitting in the sun, and so patient admissions in the hospital dwindled. By 1960, it had been converted into something else, and just like the Norwich Hospital, it became an institution for the criminally insane.
Then in 1982, it was shut down due to high levels of asbestos in the building. Legend has it that the place is haunted given all the history behind it. In particular, tuberculosis was quite a stigmatized disease back then, and given its effects, like coughing blood, some claim this is what bore urban legends.
One of such is the Goatman. a half-goat, half-man creature set to haunt the expansive grounds the facility sat on. And Goatman actually has a fascinating story too, where it's claimed he was a result of an experiment gone wrong at Bellsville Research Agricultural Center.
He chases teens, terrorizes lovers, and even decapitates dogs. Anyway, other claims of the hospital include sightings of patients wandering around, apparitions of wild dogs, strange noises from deep inside the structure, and smoke from the crematorium. West Virginia, the Flatwoods Monster One of West Virginia's most popular legends is from the small village of Flatwoods.
The story is that back in 1952, three boys, two brothers, Ed May, 13, and Freddie May, 12, and their friend Tommy Heyer, 10, had been playing soccer in the evening after school when they saw something strange. A pulsing red light flashed in the sky and then appeared to crash into a farm by the hills. The boys grabbed their mom, May's mom, and a few other boys, all aged 10 to 17, all went up to check it out. What they found not only terrified them, but shocked the entire village for decades. They found a monster, described as having a bloody red body and a green face that glowed.
It was huge, about 10 feet tall, and had a head shaped like a spade. Its hands were clawed and had a very distinct hissing sound. Seeing this, one of the boys, Gene Lemon, had apparently even fallen out of terror. News of the story spread far and wide and because of the panic it caused, the US Air Force had to do an inquiry, specifically a UFO inquiry, which they called Project Blue Book.
The project came to an end in 1969, but then the legend of the Flatwoods Monster lives on. Virginia, Benjamin Mosby the Vampire. In October 1925, in a rather unfortunate incident, a tunnel, the Churchill Tunnel, collapsed, trapped, and killed railroad employees that had been inside. There were at least four people in there, and at the end of it all, two of those were said to have been left inside, alongside the steam engine they were using.
The tunnel got sealed off. However, on the day of the accident, legend has it, from the debris, a creature had dug out and ran away. Described as bloody with jagged teeth and skin hanging from its body, the creature apparently emerged from the ground, looking like it had been feasting on the bodies underneath, and ran towards James River.
It was chased down and witness accounts said it disappeared into the mausoleum of W.W. Poole in Hollywood Cemetery. Strangely, the mausoleum bears no date with just the year 1913 inscribed on the site.
The suspicion is that the lack of date represents the vampire's immortality, though some say it was the year of the mausoleum's owner's wife's burial. Interestingly, fact was that William Wortham Poole, the man originally buried inside there, was a bookkeeper. However, after the vampire incident, suspicion became that he was a vampire all along.
Some accounts though believe that Benjamin Mosby, one of the railroad workers, to have been in the accident, was the vampire. This is somehow despite Mosby having been taken to a local hospital, Grace Street Hospital, badly injured, and dying there. Mosby was buried at the Hollywood Cemetery, which further complicates the legend. North Carolina, Lake Normans Normie So I'm going to assume you guys already know what the Loch Ness Monster is.
And the Loch Ness Monster has a nickname Nessie. So it seems like North Carolina really wanted their own Nessie and made their own Lake Norman's Normie. So that's a little bit of context before we get into this one. It's said that Lake Norman was built on top of, among other things, a Revolutionary War battleground from 1781. Also a 1930s camp, old plantations, highways, homes, and even an abandoned airplane crash. It was also home to the indigenous people of the Catawba tribe for generations.
It is thus no wonder that there have been many claims of weird things around the lake. For example, fishermen have claimed to encounter Normie, which like I said before is like their version of the Loch Ness Monster. As to what the monster looks like, some have claimed it has eyes that glow in the dark, and others claim it has enormous fins.
I can't be the only one that when I think of the Loch Ness Monster, and I guess now Normie, I think of the, like, the dinosaur thing in the water in Mario 64. That's always what I think about. Most accounts though share the same idea that it's a giant creature that lurks underneath in the waters and has done so for decades. Then, in terms of where it came from, Gus Gustafson, one of the fishing guides in the area, is quoted saying it must have been a result of a scientific experiment gone wrong. Apparently, university biologists were trying to experiment with a genetically modified fish that could grow big and be tasty. The result was an endlessly growing fish.
South Carolina, Third Eyed Man. Paris has this really famous region known for its catacombs. They're basically underground burial sites from the past. They're so popular they've even made it to several documentaries.
What most might not know though, is that right here in the US, at the University of South Carolina, there are apparently some catacombs too. Or at least that's what this legend claims. The story is that in 1949, two USC students saw a man, dressed in silver, opening a manhole and disappearing underground on campus grounds. Six months after that, A police officer, while making rounds on campus, found some mutilated chickens.
Concerned, he decided to make a report on it. However, as he went back to his car, he reportedly saw a strange figure dressed in silver all through. As the figure turned around, the policeman saw its face and the description he gave was that it was an odd colored one with a third eye on the forehead.
He did of course call for backup, but when it arrived, the man was nowhere to be seen. Things went quiet for a while, years actually, until the 60s when the same man is said to have been seen by fraternity boys. They had gone down to the catacombs to take their pledges when a crippled old man dressed in silver appeared to them. He apparently swung at one of them with a metal pipe and caused non-life-threatening injuries. The entrance to these underground tunnels was sealed after that.
Since then, no sightings have been reported. So, in the years leading to the 1950s, Georgia had a problem. They needed four things. Water, more power, a way to control foods, and a water body for things like recreation and entertainment.
The solution? Well, they had the United States Army Corps of Engineers literally build a lake, Lake Lanier. Now, while this solved their problems, unexpectedly, it opened a rather strange can of worms. Hauntings by spirits and freak occurrences.
It turns out that though efforts were made to do things right, the lake was not only basically built on top of an abandoned town, cemeteries, racetrack, and ferries, but also left behind over 700 angry residents from whom ancestral land had been taken from to facilitate the project. The government bought it, but no price was befitting. The land and memories passed down through the generations. By some beliefs, this meant the lake was cursed.
And as of lining up with that, freak accidents and deaths began being witnessed there. Since 1994, for example, it's alleged that more than 200 people have died at the lake, either while swimming or through boating accidents. There's even a documentary by the History Channel explaining how every summer, some people disappear into the water, their bodies never to be found. Others have claimed that sometimes you can hear a church bell sounding in the water from a sunken church. while others like Buck Buckinon claim you can feel body parts in the lake.
That's in the sense that you reach out to the water and feel an arm or a leg that isn't moving. And not to forget, there's also a story about a car wreck where two women plunge into the lake in a Ford sedan in 1958. The ghost of one of the women apparently lingers around so much, it's been dubbed Lady of the Lake. It wanders the bridge at night in a blue dress, lost and restless. Florida. Pensacola Lighthouse.
Quite a few urban legends exist in Florida. However, the one I'm focusing on today is the Pensacola Lighthouse, the one and only lighthouse that is haunted among the 30 that exist along the 1,350 miles of Florida's coastline. Story goes that as of today, six ghostly spirits occupy the tower and have been experienced and proven to exist by a lot of people, mainly paranormal researchers.
One is Ellen Mueller, a woman who grew up in the Bay Area and got married at the lighthouse, but then died while giving birth there. She bled to death. This was over 100 years ago in 1911. She haunts the museum adjacent to the lighthouse. Then, there's Thomas and Raymond, two runaway slaves who were hung and buried at the property.
They linger in the basement. Next, there's a man named Sam Lawrence, who had been a headkeeper at the tower in 1877. He's said to be common in the stairwell and at the top of the tower. There's also two kids, Lizzie and Joey, who are said to have died at the property in 1922 from yellow fever complications. They apparently linger all over the property and sometimes even travel through visitors, of course causing a very eerie feeling. Rob Booth, a tour guide of the the property once told reporters that he would usually see people standing at the entrance, get willies, and he and other staff would chuckle because they understood it was Lizzie and Joey running through them.
Other claims have also said that in the property next to the tower, a couple once lived and that they would fight uncontrollably. Eventually, the woman lost her cool and chopped up her husband. Visitors have apparently claimed they can hear the screaming from the tower.
Even spookier, there's a spot where blood is said to appear out of nowhere and then disappear. Alright guys, that was it for this video. If you liked it, make sure to leave a like.
If you're new to the channel, make sure to subscribe. Hopefully I can keep making more videos like this. Like one blank in every state.
Making, you know, obviously morbid. But yeah, this is a really fun one to film. And actually, if you're not subscribed, actually subscribe.
Because this took so much work. But, with that being said, Ghost Dream Dreamcatcher. It'll be out later this week. And then the full version will be out in two weeks. But, I'll see you guys next time I upload.