Close to Smolensk in Russia, the Katyn Forest hides horrible war atrocities known as the Katyn Massacre. The horrible smudge on the beautiful forest has made some think that this could be one of the more haunted forests there is.
The Katyn Forest in Russia is found around 20 kilometers west of Smolensk, one of the oldest cities in Russia. Although the true name is the Katyn Forest, it is often called Smolensk Forest instead.
This rural forest area conceals the painful memories of one of World War II’s darkest chapters—the Katyn Massacre. In 1940, thousands of Polish prisoners of war, including military officers, intellectuals, and cultural figures, were systematically executed by Soviet forces under Joseph Stalin’s orders together with Voroshilov Mikoyan and Molotov.
The very name, Katyn could be of the Belarusian and Ukrainian word, Kat, meaning executioner and even in historical writings, Katyn forest was a place for executions. For how far back is unknown. The atrocity left an indelible mark on the landscape, and many believe that the spirits of those who perished continue to linger, haunting the depths of the Smolensk Forest.
Katyn Forest. The forest is often called the Smolensk Forest and is by many thought to be haunted. This is from Katyn Memorial (including Polish War Cementery)//Source
The Katyn Massacre
The Katyn Massacre, named after the Katyn Forest near Smolensk, was a brutal act of political repression executed by the Soviet NKVD. More than 4443 Polish army officers were found in the Smolensk Forest in 1943, found by the Germans that occupied the area from 1941.
The rest of the 11000 Polish officers that were taken prisoners by the Soviets, were never heard of again. Presumably they too suffered a deadly fate and were buried in mass graves in another killing field like the one in Smolensk Forest.
The Katyn Massacre: Thousands of Polish military officers, intelligentsia, and civilian prisoners were executed by the Soviet Union’s in the spring of 1940. The massacre took place in the Katyn Forest and other Soviet prison sites. The Soviet Union blamed Nazi Germany for the atrocity. The truth about the Katyn Massacre remained hidden for decades due to Soviet propaganda, and it strained Polish-Soviet relations for many years.
The victims were shot in the back of the head and hastily buried in mass graves. For years, the Soviet Union denied responsibility, blaming the Nazis for the massacre. It wasn’t until 1990 that the Russian government by Mikhail Gorbachev officially acknowledged Soviet guilt, marking a crucial step toward historical truth and reconciliation.
In addition to the Polish prisoners, there are some soviet sources claiming that around 500 bolsheviks were killed in these woods by the nazi Germans as well as it having being found graves of people most likely killed by the soviets in the 1920s and 30s.
Haunted Legends of the Smolensk Forest
The Katyn Forest is shrouded in a melancholic atmosphere, and has become a site of eerie tales and ghostly encounters. You will also find the forest, often called the Smolensk Forest on lists of top haunted forests and the likes, although not many Russian and more local sources write much about hauntings.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Forests around the world.
But some claim that the forest is haunted after the tragedy and harrowing things that happened inside it. Perhaps it even was haunted long before the second world war? They say that you can hear whispers in the wind, mournful cries, and phantom footsteps, suggesting a lingering unrest in the aftermath of the tragedy. Some describe apparitions dressed in tattered military uniforms, wandering through the trees as if searching for justice or closure.
The Memorial Complex
In 2000, a memorial complex dedicated to the victims of the Katyn Massacre was erected in the Smolensk Forest. The site features symbolic sculptures, commemorative plaques, and an atmosphere of solemn remembrance. Visitors report feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow and reverence, as if the spirits of the fallen are still present, seeking acknowledgment and remembrance.
The Katyn Massacre was not the last Polish tragedy that happened in this area though. In 2010 a Polish plane with the Polish president Lech Kaczynski was flying to visit this memorial in honor of the 70 year anniversary for the massacre. The plane went down close to Smolensk and he died.
The Haunted Katyn Forest by Smolensk
The Katyn Forest stands as a poignant testament to the profound impact of war and human suffering. The Katyn Massacre’s haunting legacy, intertwined with the forest’s history as a place of executions and mass graves, serves as a reminder of the importance of historical truth and collective remembrance.
As visitors explore this somber landscape, they are confronted not only by the echoes of tragedy but also by the enduring spirits that beckon for acknowledgment, urging the world never to forget the atrocities committed in the heart of the Katyn Forest.
The now deserted ghost town deep inside of the Angelina National Forest in Texas was once a prosperous lumber town. Today the only residents of the Aldridge Sawmill ghost town said to remain are the ghosts of those that ended their life in one of the many freak accidents.
The Angelina National Forest in Texas harbors more than the tranquil beauty of nature of pine and loblolly trees. In the midst of the forest, it houses a haunting history that whispers through the rustling leaves and echoes within the remnants of a once-thriving sawmill town that reminds of Texas’ once thriving timber industry.
Now you can find the graffiti covered ghost town of it deep in the Angelina National Forest in Jasper country, not too far from the Neches River. According to local legends, it said that some of the people living there never really left.
A Sawmill Town’s Demise of Aldridge Sawmill
In the early 1900s, Angelina National Forest thrived as a sawmill town, bustling with over 1,000 residents around Aldridge Sawmill. At the height it had its own post office, shop, hotel, school, saloons as well as its own train station.
However, this prosperity was marred by calamities and according to history, the community was often an unhappy one. In 1911 the original mill was destroyed by fire, most likely arson by unhappy workers as it was a dangerous job, often with little pay. It was rebuilt but the mill was once again destroyed in a fire in 1914 and 15. The mill shut down in the early 1920s and people started to leave this once prosperous town.
Left in the aftermath was a silent and eerie ghost town, as residents fled the specter of disaster, abandoning homes and dreams in the process. The last one of the townspeople left in the mid 1920s and only some of the structures of the town can be seen today. Even the rail tracks were torn apart, and today, the only way to the ghost town is by hiking through the forest.
Echoes of a Tragic Past in Angelina National Forest
Even though no one lives there anymore, hikers and campers claim to have seen and heard something move around the old mill community and local legends and ghost stories have emerged in the century after the town was abandoned to be consumed by the Angelina National Forest
Hikers threading the forest paths claim to hear the disembodied dying screams of a young woman—a former resident who met an untimely end in a freak accident while visiting her boyfriend at the ill-fated sawmill.
The story of the woman’s tragic demise at the dilapidated mill has been a source of chilling fascination for those familiar with the local lore. According to the haunting tale, the woman met her untimely end after getting too close to the saw and becoming entangled in its merciless blades, resulting in a painfully grotesque fate. It is said that her spectral presence now wanders the crumbling confines of the old mill, serving as a haunting reminder of the calamity that befell the once-thriving community. The harrowing legend of her demise has woven itself into the fabric of local folklore, perpetuating the eerie mystique of the abandoned mill and captivating the imagination of those drawn to tales of the supernatural.
Ghosts Among the Trees
The abandoned ghost town around Aldridge Sawmill stands desolate in the Angelina National Forest, the century old structure covered by graffiti and trashed by hikers. It’s not supposed to be anyone there, but if you by chance hear someone scream in the night, it is someone that is not supposed to be there at all. As the moon rises in the darkened sky, casting an eerie glow over the dilapidated buildings, the echoes of the past seem to linger in the air.
The whispers of the trees and the creaking of the old wooden beams create an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue, as if the spirits of the ghost town were still lingering among the ruins. Visitors recount tales of strange sightings and unexplained phenomena, adding to the mystique and allure of this forgotten place. The history of Aldridge Sawmill and the surrounding ghost town is shrouded in enigma, drawing in those who seek to uncover its secrets, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the otherworldly presence said to inhabit the desolate remains.
From the cliffs rising above the green landscape in Shropshire, England, the Wenlock Edge houses more than one ghost story etched into the limestone of bandits, soldiers and buried treasures.
A limestone escarpment draped in deciduous woodlands in Shropshire in England and holds the secrets of centuries past—the infamous Wenlock Edge. It is an 18 mile escarpment of grasslands and woodlands with old quarries and lime kilns from the past along the way and is considered one of the wonders of the English midlands because of its important geology as remains to when the midlands had a warmer climate near the Seychelles.
The Wenlock Edge has also been the site of many legends and ghost stories. Immortalized in A. E. Housman’s poetic verses and steeped in legends, this enchanting forest conceals tales of bandits, lost treasures, and spectral echoes that beckon intrepid visitors to tread with caution through its shadowed glades.
Ippikin’s Stolen Fortune
One of the legends told about this place is a ghost who is rumored to guard the buried treasures of a notorious bandit named Ippikin and one of the outcrops of the cliff is called Ippikin’s Rock.
Apparently he was a 13th century knight, and he spent his days raping and pillaging had a base in a cave on Wenlock Edge. A character etched into local lore, Ippikins stolen wealth of gold and precious stones is said to lie concealed beneath the earth, waiting for those bold enough to seek it out.
The Ghostly Warning of Ippikin
For those who dare to tempt fate, a chilling encounter with Ippikins ghost awaits. Some of the legends also claim that he had the ability to renew his youth every 70 years as well. But one fateful day a bolt of lightning struck the cave and both him, his band of bandits and his treasure came crashing down, trapping their spirit for an eternity. Other versions says it was a rock that came tumbling down and blocking the entrance to the cave.
A local superstition warns that if a traveler stands upon Wenlock Edge, repeating the incantation “Ippikin, Ippikin, keep away with your long chin,” they risk the spectral intervention of the outlaw. The consequence? A forceful push off the escarpment by the unseen hand of Ippikin himself, ensuring that visitors tread cautiously in this woodland realm.
Ippikins Rock: Thought to be the place were the buried treasure and the bandits hideout cave is located. The Main Crag at Ippikins Rock Ippikins Rock is the name applied to several outcrops of coralian limestone along the length of Wenlock Edge.Source: Richard Law/Wikimedia
Major Thomas Smallman’s Fateful Leap
Wenlock Edge is not only shrouded in the legend of Ippikin but also bears witness to the ghostly presence of Major Thomas Smallman. A Royalist officer during the English Civil War between 1642 to 1651, Smallman faced a dire predicament as Parliamentarian troops closed in while he carried a crucial dispatch to Shrewsbury.
Rather than surrender, he made a daring choice—to ride his horse off a cliff. The horse met its demise, but miraculously, Smallman survived, caught by the branches of an apple tree and he made his way on foot to Shrewsbury to deliver the despatches.
Although he survived the fall in the legend, it is said he returned to Wenlock Edge and his dead horse when he did die. The site of this audacious leap is forever known as Major’s Leap, and it resonates with the lingering spirit of a courageous officer and his steed.
The Cliffs of Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge stands dappled sunlight and shifting shadows, with the surrounding forest guarding its secrets, allowing the legends of Ippikin and Major Thomas Smallman to echo through the ages.
Perhaps even hiding hidden treasures as well as stones and fossils of the truly ancient past.
You are not allowed to enter the Dark Entry Forest any longer. Inside there is the ghost town of Dudleytown, a town said to be so cursed it didn’t end well for any of the settlers. They turned mad, dead or even taken by the ‘creature of the forest’.
Once this area was sacred ground for the Mohawk Nation, but this all changed after colonization and today it is known as a cursed place. The Dark Entry Forest in northwestern Connecticut, with its ominous sounding name, has an even worse reputation of being cursed and haunted, a forest of complete silence and darkness.
The Dark Entry Forest got its name because of how little sun that gets through the trees when the settlers first came here. Records claim that some parts were dark already around noon. The nearby mountains also cast long shadows, making the land look a little darker and scarier than it perhaps was.
The Ghost of Dudleytown in Dark Entry Forest
Not only is the Dark Entry Forest itself creepy, but the remains of a now abandoned ghost town is also the source of many of the rumors. Dudleytown stands as a ghostly testament to a bygone era.
Tucked away a few miles south of Cornwall Bridge, Dudleytown found its home in the Dark Entry Forest. The very name evokes images of shadowy paths and hidden secrets. Back then it was known as Owlsbury. It was never really a town, and at most, the settlement reached around 26 people living there.
Dudleytown, though never officially a town, etched its place in history in the early 1740s when settlers like Thomas Griffis and the Dudley family took root in this desolate corner of Cornwall. Barzillai Dudley and Abiel Dudley, among others, built a community that would soon become synonymous with tales of misfortune and spectral encounters. However, the town’s decline wasn’t a result of curses but rather practical challenges — distant water sources and unsuitable soil for cultivation. Or was it really?
As the town succumbed to abandonment sometime after the Civil War, its remnants, like cellar holes, became the silent witnesses to a past that refuses to be forgotten. Since 1924, Dark Entry Forest, Incorporated, has guarded the land, preserving it from the encroachment of curious onlookers and seekers of the supernatural.
Rumors and Curses of the Dudley Line
Legend has it that Dudleytown carries a curse, stemming from the supposed lineage of its founders, who were said to be descendants of the beheaded English nobleman, Edmund Dudley under the reign of Henry VII from 1485 to 1509. So what is the background for his curse?
Edmund Dudley: Edmund Dudley (c. 1462 – August 17, 1510) was an English figure during King Henry VII and thought to be the originator of the curse. Dudley’s involvement in a plot against the crown led to his arrest. In 1510, he was charged with treason and beheaded.
Edmund Dudley served in the council for King Henry VII, but when Henry VIII took over, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed in 1510 charged with treason. His son John Dudley was the one trying to put his daughter in law, Lady Jane Grey on the throne but was also convicted of high treason and executed.
According to this rumor on the internet, his family curse followed his descendant when they crossed the Atlantic and settled in Dudleytown. This was Edmund Dudley’s grandchild, Robert, Earl of Leicester, a favorite of Elizabeth I.
This is not the only ghost story this man is involved in though, most notably that he was haunted by his wife, Amy Robsart, who died under suspicious circumstances. Read more about it in The Hauntings of Amy Robsart in Wychwood Forest.
There are also those that claim that a Dudley ancestor who was a judge, sentenced people to death for witchcraft. Apparently one of them was in fact a witch and cursed him and his entire family line to misfortune. This is actually a theory put forward by ghosthunter and demonologist, Ed Warren.
This curse, whispered through generations, is blamed for everything from crop failures to tragic deaths within the village. This could also be because it was located on top of a hill, unsuitable for farming.
However, historical scrutiny reveals no genealogical link to the English nobleman, and factual inconsistencies abound. Especially the legend about it being Robert, Earl of Leicester, that settled in America, as he never did. The true story lies hidden in the annals of time, obscured by the mists of myth and rumor. Although, there truly are many Dudley’s and historical records does not necessarily mean blood.
Vandalism and the Blair Witch Effect on Dark Entry Forest
Tales of the Dark Entry Forest being haunted can be traced back to the 80s, at least, perhaps even further back as some say people talked about it, even in the 1940s.
What we know is that in 1926, Edward C. Starr published two pages about Dudleytown residents in his History of Cornwall. Fictitious most of it it seems. It didn’t garner much attention at the time, but in the early 1970s, the story got picked up by Ed and Lorraine Warren, a couple from Connecticut and self declared demonologists, most famous for investigating the Amityville house.
They used the story in a videotaped Halloween special where they said the town was demonically possessed and controlled by something terrifying.
As the 1999 film, The Blair Witch Project, brought haunted forests into the spotlight, Dudleytown found itself thrust into the public eye once more together with Dark Entry Forest. A surge of interest, fueled by rumors of curses and ghostly apparitions, led to a rise in vandalism. Despite the best efforts of local authorities and the closure of the village site, Dudleytown became a magnet for those seeking a brush with the supernatural.
Blair Witch Project: A horror film released in 1999. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the movie employs the found-footage style to tell the story of three student filmmakers who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, to document the legend of the Blair Witch. The film gained immense popularity for its innovative approach, creating a sense of realism and fear through shaky camera work and minimalist effects. Despite its modest budget, “The Blair Witch Project” became a massive success and left a lasting impact on the horror genre. It in turn was said to have been inspired by: The Legend of the Witch Moll Dyer
Haunting and Cursed Going on
The legend is that, in addition to the family curse, was plagued by ghosts as well as demonic forces. Even before The Blair Witch Project was released, the New York Times dubbed the town Connecticut favorite ghost town and the village of the damned.
Strange Creatures of the Dark Entry Forest
One of the legends coming from the Dark Forest, is about the mysterious and strange creatures coming to the settlers from time to time. What is it, and if the villagers really feared this has never really been clear.
One of those that talked about this was William Tanner who was said to have gone insane and talked about that there were these strange creatures that came out from the woods at night. This especially happened when a Gershon Hollister was murdered in his barn in 1792. Or was it that he fell from the rafters? It is also worth mentioning that he was said to have been slightly demented in his old age, said to have died at 104.
It is said though the ghost of Gershon Hollister is haunting the settlement, appearing as a shadow, calling out for help.
Insanity Plaguing the Villagers
There are many cases where insanity was sort of a confirmation that Dudleytown was cursed. Like with the Revolutionary War General, Herman Swift that lived close to Dudleytown. His wife, Sarah Faye was killed when she was struck by lightning standing on her porch. It is said he went insane and died soon after.
Even after the original Dudleytown had died out, cases of insanity continued to haunt the Dark Entry Forest. In 1900 a Dr. William Clarke came to the Dark Entry Forest and purchased land that included Dudleytown. There he built a summer home where he and his wife Harriet Bank Clark visited on weekends and summers.
In 1918 however, Dr. Clark had to go to New York for a medical emergency and left his wife in the house. He didn’t stay long, and after 36 hours, he was back, but it was already too late. According to the stories he came home and found his wife being insane, talking about strange creatures coming out of the Dark Entry Forest.
Not long after she committed suicide. Although it is known that she suffered from a chronic illness, most likely a mental illness that is, or perhaps such a painful one that she couldn’t take it anymore..
The Plague and Curse
Although we know today that different plagues and illnesses were common in these times, it was also speculated that they were under some sort of curse. In Dudleytown there was a house built by Abiel Dudley who had died after he went insane, or perhaps old and demented. Some claim to have seen his ghost, sitting on the porch of the ruins of his former house.
In 1759, Nathaniel Carter moved into the house in Dark Entry Forest. A plague took most of his family and they moved from Dark Entry Forest to the Delaware wilderness in the natives territory and they were attacked where they killed Nathaniel, his wife and their infant child. Their three other children were kidnapped and brought to Canada. Some say that they took the Dudley curse with them just as it had followed from England. Some say you can see and hear their ghosts in their former house today.
The three other children did fine though as the two daughters were ransomed. The son, David Carted stayed with the natives, married one of them and returned to the States to get his education. He ended up as an editor of a newspaper as well as a justice on the Supreme Court.
The Vanished Residents of Dudleytown
There were also tales that residents vanished under mysterious circumstances into Dark Entry Forest. Some of these were the Brophy family that still lived in Dudleytown in 1901 when most had already left.
His wife had died of consumption and he was left with their two children. One day they suddenly went missing, and went into the Dark Entry Forest just after their mothers funeral. Could they have ran off? Yes, as they had been accused of theft. They were however never found again. Shortly after their house burnt to the ground and after this, Brophy himself vanished into the forest just as his children had. He was also never seen again.
What happened, we don’t know. Did he search for his children? Was he taken by the creature of the forest just like his kids? Perhaps he went on the lamb after burning his house down?
Screams and The Devil’s Breath
There are also more vague and general things that are deemed as strange by many. It is said that dogs refuse to enter the woods around these parts, or become aggressive. Strange animal injuries and going missing, only to never return or return completely traumatized.
People claim to have heard screams coming from the woods as well as whispers in the night. They also heard heavy footsteps, but when turning around, there was no one there.
The Devil’s breath is also a thing said to happen in the Dark Entry Forest, where a mystic mist comes from the forest, perhaps even poisonous. This could be from the time in the early 1800s though, when Dudleytown was a mining community.
If not because of a family curse, could it be because they disturbed the natives sacred land, thought to be a burial ground? No one can say for sure, but the legends surrounding Dudleytown and Dark Entry Forest certainly persists.
The Forbidden Dark Entry Forest
Dudleytown, veiled in the shadows of the Dark Entry Forest, remains a spectral enigma that captivates the imagination. The locals talk about it all being nonsense, as well as there are locals that claim there is something going on in the woods.
Today the woods are closed off and you can suffer a huge fine of around 100 dollars if you enter it and police claim they find trespassers many times every month, mostly people in search of ghosts. So because of this, we have to fear the rumors of it from a distance. Perhaps just as well.
It is said that the ghost of Little Ottie is said to haunt the wilderness of the Appalachian Trail after he tragically died on the freezing night on top of Bluff Mountain in Virginia. Hikers tell about the crying help from the little boy that just vanishes on the trail.
Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Bluff Mountain emerges as more than just a scenic wonder; it harbors a mystique that transcends the beauty of its rugged terrain. The Appalachian Trail is today one of the longest hiking paths in the world and runs through Virginia as well as 14 other states with over 2 million people wandering through it every year.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA
There are many legends and stories about these parts on The Appalachian Trail, being an old and wild trail far from everything else. Some of the most talked about legends is the Snarly Yow Beast were people started to report seeing this wolf-like creature all along the Appalachian Trail, although most sightings occur in West Virginia.
There are also reports about strange disappearances of people that have taken a hike that are never heard about again. Some are found dead however, and one of these tragic victims is said to haunt the mountain where he died.
The Landscape of Bluff Mountain
Bluff Mountain, with its ancient forests and hidden valleys, exudes an aura of secrecy. Bluff Mountain is not the most impressive mountain to look at, but don’t be fooled as the path to the summit is long and steep. From a distance it looks like a forested ridge though. The dense canopy of trees and the winding trails that crisscross the landscape create an otherworldly atmosphere, making it a perfect canvas for the mysteries that have enshrouded the mountain for generations.
On the top of the mountain a fire lookout tower was built in 1917, now called Tower Hill. Although the tower is now gone, just a stone throw away is a memorial of stones for the child that once got lost and died on the trail.
The Legend of Ottie Cline Powell
The ghost said to show up on the trail on the mountain is the ghost of four year old, Ottie Cline Powell. He was the fifth child out of eight and grew up with his family on a farm near Dancing Creek close to Lexington in Virginia. And although he was said to have been a bright child, a child nonetheless and powerless against the freezing weather on top of a mountain.
November 9 in 1891 Little Ottie went to school and together with his classmates in the one room school he was attending together with his siblings. At recess he was gathering firewood to keep the warmth in the classroom, it is even said he did so barefoot. When recess ended, he didn’t return with the other classmates and they started to look for him. All the locals marched through the woods in search of him.
Time was of the essence here, as winter was coming, an ever looming threat. The week before the first snow had fallen and the day he disappeared ended with rain and a coming storm in the mountains.
Several weeks went by, and although they searched for him, no trace of him was found. When winter came in full no one thought to search the mountain, because how would the little boy, just shy of his fifth birthday, climb it?
It wasn’t until the following April hunters crossed the mountains on a side path to Bluff Mountain’s summit they found him after the snow had finally thawed. Their dogs kept barking and dragging the hunters to the remains of the little boy that had probably died from exposure already on his first night missing.
Supernatural Forces at Bluff Mountain
Beyond the tangible realm, stories abound of supernatural forces that allegedly roam Bluff Mountain. Some claim to have heard disembodied whispers carried by the wind, while others report glimpses of shadowy figures moving between the trees. Most people seem to agree that the ghost haunting the trail is no body else than Little Ottie.
Some have even claimed to see the spirit of the blue eyed little boy with his fair complexion on the trail as well as in the forest around Bluff Mountain. And a hiker claimed that in 2009, it had to be the ghost of him that had folded his clothes when he spent the night on the trail.
Hikers have also reported seeing a little boy seen close to the Punchbowl Trail Shelter whimpering and sometimes even asking for help before wandering away, still trying to find his way down the mountain.
Because of the legends of the trail being haunted and that the little boy never found peace, hikers have now started to leave little things on his memorial, little toys to try to appease the spirit. Because although there are no reports about the spirit hurting anyone, perhaps they feel it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As the mist settles on Bluff Mountain along the Appalachian Trail, and the last echoes of the day fade into the night, the haunting mysteries persist of Little Ottie who ended his days too soon on the mountain trail. Whether fueled by folklore or genuine supernatural occurrences, Bluff Mountain stands as a testament to the inexplicable forces that weave through the Appalachian Range.
The next time you find yourself amidst the misty peaks and whispering woods of Bluff Mountain, remember that every rustle in the leaves and every gust of wind may carry with it a tale from the beyond, adding another chapter to the haunting legacy of this enigmatic Appalachian gem.
After the Native Burial Ground was disturbed in Robinson Woods in Illinois, people have started to notice strange things happening in the woods. Shadow figures and mysterious lights are accompanied by the Tom-tom drum.
In Robinson Woods, Illinois, lies a forest preserve with a haunting past that stretches back to the era of the Fort Dearborn Massacre. Once granted to the family of Alexander Robinson, a chief revered for his heroic deeds during that dark chapter in history, the land now carries whispers of an unresolved promise and a restless spirit.
Robinson Woods is mostly wooded, with some scattered remnant prairies along the Des Plaines River. About half of 265-acre Robinson Woods. The site includes the Robinson family homestead and burial grounds.
The Noble Deeds of Chee-chee-pin-quay
Alexander Robinson, chief of multiple Native American tribes, played a crucial role in saving lives during the Fort Dearborn Massacre. This was his English name though and he was really named chief Chee-chee-pin-quay of the Potawatomi, born in 1787 with a Chippewa mother and a Scottish father.
After he helped save the white settlers in the massacre, he was also a translator and negotiator between the settlers and the natives. In gratitude, the land was bestowed upon him in 1872 with the assurance that he and his family would rest there for eternity. However, the city reneged on its commitment, breaking the promise to bury Robinson and his kin within the woods.
The Native American Burial Land
Many sources state that it was because Robinson himself was denied burial on his land, but this is not true, he was. In the forest there are two large stones marking his final resting place together with his family. Although, the true story of what happened after is much more upsetting.
Burial Ground: Although the headstones of the graves was lost for a long time, big stones marks the burial ground inside of Robinson Woods. // Source
His family and descendants continued to live on his land, and at his homestead for decades. This was until 1955 when a fire broke out and burned the family home down. His granddaughter, Mary Boettcher had no means to rebuild their home and had to live elsewhere, thereby relinquishing their family claim to their land.
The same year three boys were found dead in the Robinson wood that would go unsolved for 40 years. Around this time, tales of paranormal sightings became rampant. It isn’t really said that the murder has anything to do with the haunting, but after the murders as well as what happened with the Robinson Homestead and Burial Ground, people started to talk about the strange things happening in the woods.
In 1973 The Forest Preserve District didn’t allow anyone else to get buried on their family burial and when Robinson’s stone was taken to be restored, it was lost for years until it returned to the family in 2016. It turned out that it was The Forest Preserve District that had the headstones in storage all along, as the stones were so frequently vandalized.
The Haunting inside of the Forest
Legend has it that Robinson’s spirit, denied its rightful resting place to his people, lingers among the ancient trees, casting an otherworldly presence upon the woods. Visitors have reported a pervasive feeling of an unseen entity, an unexplainable heaviness that hangs in the air. As daylight surrenders to the night, the forest awakens with spectral activity — mysterious knocks echoing through the trees, distant screams haunting the stillness, and elusive dark shadows that dance in the moonlight. Even the sound of the tom-toms drums have been heard according to reports.
Some claim to have encountered apparitions that vanish as quickly as they appear, leaving behind an eerie silence. Some even claim to have seen strange lights, or mist and even smelled violet and lavender, even when it was in the middle of winter.
On Haunted Holy Land in Robinson Woods
Robinson Woods, now a tranquil forest preserve, conceals within its depths a tale of broken promises and a chief’s unsettled spirit. As the whispers of the haunted past persist, those who traverse the winding trails of Robinson Woods may find themselves caught between the realms of the living and the spectral, where the legacy of Alexander Robinson and the enigmatic haunting of the woods endure.
People have always feared the wilderness. This is also the case of the area around Glastenbury Mountain where several strange disappearances have made people think that it could be something strange going on in what has been known as The Bennington Triangle.
Deep within the picturesque landscape of Vermont lies a region cloaked in mystery and shrouded in eerie tales—the Bennington Triangle. An area encompassing the southwestern part of the state, the Bennington Triangle has become synonymous with a series of unexplained disappearances, ghostly encounters, and inexplicable phenomena that have perplexed locals and intrigued paranormal enthusiasts alike.
The Bennington Triangle has been compared to the similar Bridgewater Triangle of Bermuda Triangle, a place where strange things happen. The phrase was coined in 1992 by the author Joseph A. Citro, who wrote about this in his books, Shadow Child. Citro has also called the area as a “Yankee Shangri-La”, a place where people go to never be seen again.
The area is said to be around the Glastenbury Mountain and Long Trail, encompassing towns like Bennington, Woodford and Shaftsbury as well as once thriving logging towns, now abandoned ghost towns of Somerset and Glastenbury.
It is said that strange disappearances started way back and that from 1920 to 1950, as much as 10 people vanished in these parts. At the heart of the strange things said to go on in the triangle is a series of disappearances from 1945-1950:
The Disappearances of the Bennington Triangle
The unsettling reputation of the Bennington Triangle stems from a series of unexplained disappearances that occurred between 1945 and 1950. Five individuals, including a seasoned hiker, a college student, and a war veteran, vanished without a trace within the confines of Glastenbury Mountain—a prominent feature within the triangle.
Disappearing People: Circulated photograph of Paula Jean Welden; clipping from missing persons flyers. Her case in particular drew a lot of media attention.
The first incident occurred on November 12, 1945, when 74-year-old Middie Rivers vanished during a hunting trip in the mountains by Long Trail Road. Despite an extensive search, the only evidence discovered was a rifle cartridge in a stream.
A year later, on December 1, 1946, Paula Jean Welden, an 18-year-old sophomore at Bennington College, disappeared during a hike on the Long Trail. An elderly couple said they saw her in front of them on the trail. She turned a corner, and when they turned the same, she had vanished. Despite a substantial search effort and FBI involvement, no trace of her was found. Her disappearance got a lot of attention, and it even inspired the Shirley Jackson novell from 1951, Hangsaman.
On December 1, 1949, James E. Tedford, a veteran from the Bennington Soldiers’ Home, vanished mysteriously while on a bus from St. Albans. According to the stories, he vanished into thin air between the last stop and Bennington, leaving all of his belongings in the luggage rack with an open bus timetable on his seat. Skepticism surrounds claims that he “dematerialized” as he wasn’t reported missing until a week later.
In 1950, the mystery continued with the disappearance of 8-year-old Paul Jepson, left unattended near a local highway for an hour as his mother fed some pigs. He was wearing a red jacket at the time and were supposed to be clearly visible in the greenery, but not a trace was found. It is said that just in case, people don’t wear red clothes in the area because of this.
Lastly, 53-year-old Frieda Langer, who vanished during a hike near Somerset Reservoir. Frieda Langer’s body was found seven months later, three and a half miles from the campsite, with no determined cause of death.
Other than the area they disappeared in and the time period, they found no other connections between the five disappearances.
The Bennington Monster
So what happened in this time period? Some claim it had to be UFOs, perhaps even Bigfoot himself. Others say that the forests of the area have become haunted and people claim to hear strange noises and voices.
The place has been known as a place to avoid since colonial time with people encountering strange lights and even monstrous animals in the wilderness.
The legend of the “Bennington Monster” dates back to the early 1800s when a stagecoach encountered a washed-out road. The stage driver discovered massive footprints in the mud, distinctly larger than human. Suddenly, the coach was assaulted by a colossal creature, toppling the vehicle on its side. Terrified passengers glimpsed only a pair of eyes before the monster emitted a roar and vanished into the forest. Subsequent sightings portrayed the creature as a towering, hairy figure, dark in color, and exceeding six feet in height.
There is also a story about a man named Carol Herrick who in 1943 went missing while hunting. He was found three days later near Glastonbury, crushed to death, surrounded by big footprints.
Native American Legends
There are also early colonists that have retold native american stories and Algonquin legends that called the Glastenbury Mountain a human eating rock. An evil stone on the mountain that would open up and swallow those standing on it.
Legends tell of ancient Native American curses and supernatural entities that haunt the region and that they wouldn’t step on the land unless to bury the dead. They said that the “four winds” met there in an eternal struggle, which has some truth to it, as the wind on Glastenbury Mountain is prone to sudden shifts, and even the plants grow in weird angles because of this.
The Vortex of The Bennington Triangle
While the disappearances of the 1940s and 1950s remain unsolved, the Bennington Triangle continues to captivate the imagination of those intrigued by the unknown. What could it be? Some from the native tribes legends? Could it be a monster like Bigfoot roaming the place, or perhaps even a serial killer wandering the mountain?
Ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and curious seekers venture into the depths of the triangle, searching for clues and attempting to unlock the secrets that have eluded explanation for decades.
Today as well as in the old days, the wilderness of Glastenbury Mountain and the surrounding Bennington Triangle makes us afraid for what could be in the vast and wild area where a person can disappear without a trace.
For many years now, Bor Forest in the Czech Republic is said to house many haunting stories. Everything from strange ghostly legends from Slavic folklore to strange things that went down during the communist regime after the second world war.
Bor Forest, also known as Branišovský les, stands as a silent witness to a myriad of chilling legends and mysterious occurrences in the heart of South Bohemia, near České Budějovice. Bor means pine and the forest is spanning approximately 300 hectares, this mixed forest has gained notoriety for its tragic events, whispers of supernatural entities, and inexplicable phenomena.
It has undergone significant transformations throughout time, serving various purposes such as an excursion forest park, shooting range, and military area close to the Polish border. The landscape features diverse tree species, with the northeastern part covered in spruce mixed with oak, while the southwestern region is dominated by pine trees.
Bor Forest’s reputation for paranormal activity rests on numerous legends and reported encounters. The forest is believed to be haunted by a variety of entities, each contributing to the eerie aura that envelops the area.
The Military Tragedy in Bor Forest
Once upon a time, often set to the 1960 to 80s, there was a military base stationed in Bor Forest to guard the local storage for their ammunition. It is said that four soldiers were patrolling close to the former guard post and one of the pair was taking over the nightshift when something happened. According to the stories, one of the soldiers started to change, like another being, something monstrous. Another version tells that the soldiers got scared from “The Horror of the Forest”.
This caused chaos among the soldiers that started shooting and three of them ended up dead and the last one died from the wounds later at Budweiser Military Hospital where he managed to tell a little bit about what happened, but not enough to end the mystery.
What really happened then is hard to tell. Some say it was more of an internal thing and that stress caused some of the soldiers to take their own life. Some say that it really did happen, but it was in a completely different place and was an argument and jealousy that caused the shooting.
There were no writings about this in the newspapers or other media. Seeing that the Czech Republic was under the Soviet Union and heavily censored could also be an explanation as to why there is not more written about this except from the local gossip. Even to this day, a lot of these documents are still classified.
But what could it have been, this horror from Bor Forest that the story talks about. As it turns out, there could be more than one supernatural and dark thing that the soldiers came face to face with.
The Haunted Swamps and the Vodník
Czech Vodník
References to Bor Forest go back at least 400 years. One of the stories circulating around the Bor forest is about the swamps and waters in the forest. They used to be much bigger than today, and many travelers ended their life in these waters throughout time. It is said that the souls of these people were trapped close to the waters and they stayed to haunt them, trying to lure bypasses to join them in death.
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Some of the early swamps or waters were also said to have a Vodník living there, a sort of sea spirit, or water man from Slavic folklore living in water, much like the German nixon or the Scottish kelpie.
Vodník was said to look much like a man with green hair, but his bride was often a mermaid or a girl he drowned. He was also known for luring children and women to the water by hanging colorful ribbons or mirrors around or shapeshifting to a child and then drowning the one trying to rescue him.
The Black Man
The Black Coloum were the Black Man is said to often be spotted in Bor Forest.
A sound often reported on in Bor Forest is the sound of footsteps in the dry leaves or heavy snow. The sound of the steps have chased many people through the forest and many believe that it is most likely the step coming from the Black Man.
Described as a tall figure with a broad black hat and a flowing black cape, the Black Man is also called the Black Knight and even The Lord of the Forest. He has been witnessed floating above the ground, moving with unnatural speed. Some claim to have heard soft music preceding the appearance of this enigmatic figure, accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature.
The first written reports about the entity was in 1993, and the nest in 1994 and he is mostly sighted around The Black Pillar, a memorial for something people don’t remember. Today it is an integral part of the lore of the Forest.
Another story coming from the 90s is also the rumor for people seeing mysterious red eyes hovering about two meters above the ground after nightfall have been reported by witnesses. The first written account was in 1998. Contrary to explanations attributing them to car taillights, some claim these eyes approached them or even pursued them through the forest.
The White Lady
As with most haunted places in Europe, it wouldn’t be complete without its own Woman in White, and the haunted Bor forest is no exception.
The apparition of a woman in white is tied to a tragic tale of a murdered resident haunting a nearby building, unable to find peace even in death.
It is also said that a young girl is haunting the woods after taking her life in an abandoned farmhouse between České Budějovice and Branišov. Although there is not really any proof that such a thing ever happened in the farmhouse.
The Hanged Man’s Tree
Another story told about Bor Forest is the strange tree said to have taken the lives of many. In 1927 a young couple checked into the new and luxurious Hotel Praha in Branišov. The building is today used as an office for the city council.
The couple went on their way on a hike into the forest, but never returned. When a search party was sent out, they found them hanging in a tree in the midst of the forest. Not much was said about the tree itself until another woman was found hanging in the same tree not too long after.
Mr. Kříž was a local man and decided to take matters into his own hands and went into the forest and cut the deadly branch from the tree and brought it home to burn it. Not too far after this, he ended in an accident and his hand he used to cut the branch off with ended up paralyzed. This alarmed the rest of the townspeople that went to the tree, cut it all up and burned it to the ground.
Although the descendant of Mr. Kříž claims there was no paranormal story connected to the tree, or that there were no accidents after he cut off the branch, the story about it lives on. The tree is gone, it is said that people have heard a voice coming from the place where the tree once stood. The voice is beckoning them to it, encouraging whoever is passing to take their own life.
Time Warps and Unexplained Events:
One of the most perplexing phenomena reported in Bor Forest involves time warps. In the 1960s, one of the residents of U Pěti zlodějů (also named Jednoty, on older maps) was cycling home from České Budějovice, around 6:00 p.m. As he rode through the dusty, unpaved Bor Forest, he experienced an unusual phenomenon.
The entire forest seemed to undulate before him and he got off his bike. He noticed that the road and gravel beneath his feet were in motion. Exiting the forest and passing through Branišov, he was surprised to find no lights in any of the windows, even though it was barely 7:00 p.m. Upon reaching home, he discovered it was 3:00 a.m. The one-hour journey had inexplicably taken nine hours.
The Strange City
Another story about time is when two women walked through Bor, and one of them suddenly ran into the bushes. When she didn’t return for a prolonged period, the other went to look for her. To her surprise, there was no trace of the friend. Just as she wondered where she might have gone, the missing woman reappeared seemingly out of nowhere.
She recounted a strange experience of a green mist enveloping her, parting to reveal an unknown landscape filled with vibrant, intense colors and a distant golden city. A man in black approached her, placed a hand on her forehead, and pushed her back into Bor Forest. While she spent a few minutes in an unfamiliar place, her friend waited in the forest for three-quarters of an hour.
The UFO-Crash
It is certainly a strange place with a lot of old legends. But the strange and mysterious stories from newer times are just as haunting, especially as a lot of information from its time as a closed off communist country hides a lot of the information.
One time, there was an unknown object that crashed in the area and it was closed off for a year by a special unit. Even the local military was denied access to it. When the area finally opened again, many of the trees looked damaged, like something had crashed close to them. What could it be? The firemen claim that the trees caught fire around the year 2000. A witness said that it could have been more likely an airplane or helicopter that crashed in the area, although of course the local gossip is that a UFO landed there, and that the information surrounding this is still top secret.
Branišovský les and its Haunting Allure
Bor Forest, with its haunting mysteries and supernatural tales, invites those brave enough to explore its depths. As legends intertwine with the natural beauty of the landscape, Bor Forest remains an enigmatic realm where reality and the paranormal blur into a tapestry of chilling narratives. Venture forth, if you dare, and immerse yourself in the unsettling allure of Bor Forest’s haunted legacy.
Ghosts of locals from the Pocomoke State forest as well as mysterious balls of light and impossible dark legends, the countless tales from this haunted forest in Maryland keep piling on, making this perhaps one of the most busy as well as haunted forests in America.
Between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City in Maryland, the Pocomoke State Forest harbors more than just the natural beauty of the landscape on the Eastern Shore. The over 18 000 acre big forest comes with a chilling reputation that locals often share in hushed whispers, this forest is deemed off-limits after sundown, as tales of eerie encounters and ghostly apparitions weave through the trees.
The forest is often called the true Blair Witch Project forest, as it is perhaps the most well known haunted forest in Maryland where the iconic horror movie also took place. Pocomoke State Forest is shrouded in unsettling stories, with reports of women’s screams and infants’ cries echoing in the night. When people get out of the forest, they find strange marks on their cars, like the mark of a hand and at night, the forest closes.
Its reputation is further steeped in creepy urban legends, including accounts of mysterious fireballs illuminating the darkened woods. However, it’s the tales of ominous disappearances and untimely deaths that send shivers down the spines of those who dare to explore.
The Drowned Ghosts of Pocomoke State Forest
The very word, Pocomoke comes from the Agonquian language to mean broken ground. Historically though it was thought to mean Black Water and it is said that the water is totally dark thanks to the light not passing through the bald cypress trees.
Many tales of the ghosts haunting the forest are said to be the souls of those that drowned in the river or the swampy waters. Like the case with Joby Emmons and his son who were getting on their boat, but the son fell into the water and couldn’t get out. The father jumped in after him to rescue him, but they both got trapped under the boat and drowned.
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People claim that they have seen the spirit of Joby Emmons and his son walking along the river of Pocomoke State Forest.
Another group of people haunting the swamp areas are the children between the slaves and slave owners. There are countless of stories where the slave owners raped their slaves and if there was a child born, they took the children out into the swampy forest and drowned them. Many hikers claim to have felt the touch of something small or seen little shadows gliding through the trees.
The Sea-Captain and his Family Haunting the Forest
Many hikers and campers claim that they leave Pocomoke State Forest with mysterious handprints on their cars. What is strange is that the handprints look like it got six fingers, something a vicious Sea Captain who lived around these parts was said to have. It is believed to be him haunting the forest after his death after he murdered his family.
The place of the haunting is said to be centered around Cellar House Plantation that are still standing. It was built in 1666 and was said to have been built by a French Sea Captain for his wife, or at least bride to be.
He came back from the sea once though and found her pregnant, or having a child already, one that wasn’t his. It was a local man from Pocomoke City. He threw her out of the house and told her to never return.
She did though, as she had no place to go, trying to beg him for forgiveness. She had her baby with her and came down on a raft in the water. It tipped close to the house though and her baby drowned. She managed to swim to shore though, but was not saved.
In some versions of the story, the Captain was even the one drowning the child by throwing the baby into the river. Her estranged husband dragged her to the bedroom where he stabbed her to death and fled the scene of the crime into Pocomoke State Forest, never to return and be seen ever again.
As mentioned, one of the recurring things that people report they hear in the haunted forest is the sound of a woman screaming as well as a baby crying, reliving their final moments. What happened to the Captain after he murdered his family is uncertain, but he is rumored to be haunting the forest still.
The Heavy and Cursed Bible
Deep in the Pocomoke State Forest there once was an old church called Nazarene Church at the entrance to the Pusey Branch Nature Trail in the forest. It was a Methodist Church at the end of the 19th century. Today there is only an abandoned cemetery left as the building of the church was moved to Furnace Town in 1980.
According to the legends, there was perhaps a cursed Bible found inside of the old church, or perhaps just a little bit haunted. Many people tried to steal this hidden Bible when they found it and ran through the forest with it, but they never got far.
Apparently the Bible got heavier and heavier with each step you took until you dropped it and it ended up where it originally was. Whether the Bible even existed is uncertain as well if it came with the building to Furnace Town, or were left someplace at the old site.
The Haunted Furnace Town
But what is really Furnace Town? This part of the Pocomoke State Forest has many spirits lingering where people come back with tales of seeing ghostly figures, hearing disembodied voices and other paranormal things.
The ghost town that now is turned into a museum, and was built around the Maryland Iron Companies Nassawango Iron Furnaces in 1832. At its height Furnace Town used to employ hundreds of people. They also used slaves to do the hard labor and most ghosts seen are said to be the spirit of the slaves.
Most known ghost said to haunt this place is the former slave, Sampson Hat, or Sampson Harmon. It is said that he was one of the slaves that worked in the mines and smelting ore in the big furnaces. By 1847 the furnaces closed down and people started to move away and the town started to be a ghost town.
The only one who didn’t move was Sampson Hat who lived in the abandoned Furnace Town alone. The civil war came and passed, freeing him, but he still didn’t leave. According to some historical accounts he was born in 1790 at Nassawango Hills and was a free man working at Furnace Town to take care of his wife and children.
He came to think of Furnace Town as his true home and it is said he stayed at the same place, even when his family left. He lived there until his death at 107 or 104, depending on who is telling the story.
Before he died he spent a year at the Alms House in Snow Hill. Before passing he said he had to be buried at Furnace Town, but after his death, his wishes were not heard and his body was buried elsewhere. But according to the local legends, his spirit remains and is still haunting the old town as well as Pocomoke State Forest.
It is also said he is followed by his cats he collects and brings with him as his companions. You can hear him wandering around, calling out for Stormy which he calls the cats.
Reports about him were told a lot during construction of the former ghost town when they started to restore the town and turned it into a museum from the 1960s.
The Ball of Fire
Another strange thing reported in Pocomoke State Forest is the sighting of different elementals and no human spirits haunting the forest, taking different shapes and forms. One version told is the haunting of a big fiery ball. One version talks about the priest Paul Walker holding a revival in the forest around Pine Ridge in 1921. Some husbands were unhappy about their wives’ conversion and gathered to get the priest. They went to the church to burn it down and beat the priest up, but when the leader of the group opened the door to the church he stopped.
A ball of fire came from the rood and split in two and went down on each side of the church. This sight scared the men and they ran off.
The story about a fiery ball is also recounted in a legend about a man driving through Pocomoke State Forest going to Snow Hill. Ahead of him was a bright object that came close until it was around 30-35 yards from him.
The car stopped suddenly and he was too afraid to say anything or do anything as the object looked like a bright yellow box. He was trapped in this standstill for around 15 minutes before the object drifted into the woods and off the road. As soon as the object was gone, the car started again and he managed to drive away.
The Goat Man
Any haunted forest needs its monster stories. Like the Bigfoot or The Jersey Devil Pocomoke State Forest has the Goat Man of the Pocomoke River. It is said to be a creature with a mans body, but the head of a goat with horn.
The creature runs through the forest, eating the fishes in the river and the small animals in the forest. Not many sightings have been done of the Goat Man, but it is said you can hear him stepping on twigs and bushes in places that no man can walk.
The legend about the Goat Man is told throughout Maryland and also thought to live in Pocomoke State Forest around Prince George’s County in Maryland. The story about the Goat Man has been told for decades, perhaps even longer. In the 1970s, a student did a project about the lore behind the creature where they also discussed that the origin of the Goat Man could be traced back to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.
According to this version of the legend, the Goat Man was once a scientist working there called Dr. Stephen Fletcher.. During an experiment it mutated the scientist into the creature. It is said that he was attacking cars around Beltsville, around two hours drive from Pocomoke State Forest.
The Classic Urban Legend of the Boyfriend’s Death
Another thing with Pocomoke State Forest is that it is said to be the place of many famous urban legends from modern day America.
One unsettling narrative involves a couple stranded with an empty gas tank in the heart of the forest at night. As the boyfriend ventured out to fix it, the girlfriend dozed off in the locked car, oblivious to the scratching noises on the car roof that started sometime during the night.
When she awoke it was the next morning and her boyfriend had still not returned. She finally heard the sound of the scraping on the roof. She got out of the car and a harrowing sight awaited her – her boyfriend hanging by his feet over the car, his feet scraping the roof. His head was placed on the trunk of the car.
This urban legend is a pretty worldwide phenomenon by now, and has been so for decades now. According to Snopes, the earliest documented version of this legend was in 1964 by a student studying at the University of Kansas. It still is an all time favorite to tell in Pocomoke State Forest
Hook Man of the Pocomoke State Forest
This urban legend has also been told with the story of the Hook Man that has been told as far back as the 1950s, possibly being even older. In this legend, they were driving or parked somewhere in the woods as a news bulletin comes on the radio and warns them about a mental asylum patient having escaped and can be recognized with a hook as a hand. In this version it is from the Cambridge State Hospital.
In this version of the urban legend, he is mad at those who disturb the Pocomoke State Forest. The girlfriend gets scared and makes her boyfriend drive her home. As they are in the forest they hear strange things in the bushes and when they get home, they find a hook wedged into their car door handle.
The Bus Driver
Another urban legend told is coming from Pocomoke State Forest is the haunted bus. A school bus was taking a shortcut through the forest once when they experienced engine troubles and the bus had to stop. The bus driver went outside and tried to fix it, but strange things started to happen to the bus.
The sound of something walking on the roof of the bus started to scare the children and they saw ghostly and monstrous faces in the windows. The teacher accompanying them told them all to close the windows and went to the front of the bus to find the bus driver and get them out of there. The only thing the teacher found was a skeleton by the front of the bus.
The teacher slammed the door shut and got into the driver seat and drove them all back to the school when the bus started working again.
This story is a little bit more difficult to pinpoint where it comes from though.
A Stay at the Haunted Pocomoke State Forest
The trees seem to reclaim the old legends and places, but the spirit and ghosts remain. Pocomoke State Forest becomes a realm where the line between the living and the supernatural blurs, beckoning both the curious and the cautious to delve into its haunted mysteries.
Urban legends coexists with old ghost stories and both human spirit as well as something inhuman are said to roam around the trees.
A Virginian forest at Chesapeake Bay has centuries of ghost stories to tell. The Old House Woods are packed with the spirits of pirates guarding treasures, soldiers from the wars as well as entire ghost ships lingering above the dense treetops.
A man was making his way through the Old House Woods in the dead of night. His car had broken down and as he was trying to fix it, a dark shape came closer and closer. Too close, and too late the man fixing his car noticed the horror of what was happening. The man realized that it was something that looked like a skeleton wearing a golden armor.
“Is this the Kings Highway? I’ve lost my ship,” the skeleton asked, the bones cracking, a voice coming from nowhere, the dark sockets of where the eyes should be, seeing nothing. The man freaked out and ran off, but this was not the first time armed skeletons were seen in the forest, as local, Jesse Hudgins reported of as early as in 1929, and perhaps not the last either along with the other strange mysteries of haunted treasures, ghosts of redcoats and even ghost ships.
The Deep Dark Old House Woods
The boggy and dense pine tree forest close to the serene Chesapeake Bay, is an 50-acre expanse known as Old House Woods in the little town of Diggs in Virginia, holds more than just the remnants of an abandoned colonial-era homestead and has been known as the Black Forest or Haunted Woods by the locals for centuries.
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This mystical forest down the Beach Haven Road is said to be steeped in history and mystery. It is said to be haunted by the lingering spirits of British soldiers and pirates who sought to conceal their treasures in the shadows of the 17th and 18th centuries as well as many other shapes and echoes of ghosts. We will now have a look at some of the stories that came out of these woods.
Frannie Knight House of Angry Spirits
The ghost stories from this area go back centuries as it has been used as a secret port by many and the eerie early colonial area is all steeped in mystery.
The woods are said to have gotten its name from an old colonial building from the late 1700s that was built in the middle of the woods. Whose house and where it was is uncertain. The building was abandoned and simply known as Frannie Knight House, and already then the place was said to be a haunted one.
People believed the abandoned house to be haunted by angry spirits and two times it caught fire spontaneously, the second time it burned down. As the locals said at the time, it was like the house set itself on fire.
The Storm Woman Looming Above the Trees
Another strange thing seen around Old House Woods is the story about The Storm Woman. She can sometimes be seen, hovering above the treetops in her white nightgown. It is said she is surrounded by a green or blue light.
Hanging above the trees she screams loudly, her ghostly voice echoing to the beach, as if she is warning the sailors about a storm that is coming. So although her appearance is fighting, perhaps she is one of the more kinder spirits you can encounter in the forest.
The ghosts of redcoats from the wars are seen as shadows between the trees as well as stranger stories. Ghost animals are seen as horses and crows are attacking wanderers of the woods as well as Black Hounds. As well as some strange stories about the forest being haunted by headless cows as well. This haunted forest covers all sorts of specters.
Buried Treasure and Vanishing Fishermen
The eerie tales of Old House Woods began with the pursuit of hidden riches, and there are many stories about hidden treasures in the forest or on the beach. One of the stories is that a ship sailed from England in 1651 by King Charles II after the Battle of Worcester. The ship was on its way to Jamestown, but got off course and ended up in White Creek.
The ship was seized by bandits that killed the crew and stole the treasure to bury it in the forest. It is said lanterns can be seen, green glowing in the dark and the ghost of the crew are still trying to protect the treasures as the ghost of the bandits are trying to dig it up.
Legend has it that in 1880, a daring fisherman named Tom Pipkin embarked on a quest for buried treasure within the forest’s depths. The locals were all warned to stay away from the forest as the woods were deep and the trees grew thick. There were also rampant pirates and thieves in the area and it was said that huge treasures were buried.
To the dismay of the locals, Pipkin never returned, and his boat, discovered days later, held not only an air of mystery but also two gold Roman coins and a silver cup. The forest had claimed another seeker, leaving the treasure untouched and enigmatic.
Ghostly Maritime Spectacles of Ghost Ships
Old House Woods extends its supernatural influence to the nearby Chesapeake Bay, where maritime mysteries unfold and there are also many stories about seeing ghost ships on the misty shore as well as above the forest. One of the more well known stories is when local fisherman Ben Ferbee recounted an otherworldly encounter when he claimed to have heard the ethereal strains of harp and organ music emanating from an unseen source.
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As he gazed upon the waters as he came out from White’s Creek, a colossal ghost ship materialized on the bay, defying the laws of the physical world. The phantom vessel glided over the beach, hovering above the woods, and revealed a surreal scene—an otherworldly crew descending from the deck on a rope ladder, armed with mysterious tools.
He called out, but they didn’t respond as they were heading straight towards him. It floated over his head and sailed ghostly up the beach over the trees. According to him, the ship stopped above the pine trees and threw down rope ladders the ghost climbed down from and disappeared through the trees.
Ghost Ships: One of the many legends about the woods is seeing the strange and haunted ghost ships floating above the trees or disappearing in the mist of the bay.
The Many Specters of Old House Woods
Old House Woods, with its spectral tales of vanished treasure seekers, ghostly maritime apparitions, and the secrets buried within its ancient trees, stands as a testament to the enigmatic forces that dwell within its borders. As night falls, and the whispers of bygone eras echo through the forest, those who venture into Old House Woods may find themselves facing a broad spectrum of ghosts.
Armed skeletons and pirates still guarding their gold, ghost ships trying to find their ports and strange ghosts warning against an oncoming storm.
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