Folklore, Fables, and Things that Go Bump in the Night
Mar 24, 2020 17:37:30 GMT
Spooky Ghost Ackbar likes this
Post by Salzmank on Mar 24, 2020 17:37:30 GMT
This is interesting. In a 1987 interview, Stephen King claimed his imaginary town of ’Salem’s Lot was based on a real town called Jeremiah’s Lot, in Vermont. See here:Problem is, Jeremiah’s Lot never existed, as far as I can tell.
In the book, King references yet another imaginary ghost town he calls Momson, Vermont. I wonder if Momson is based on the very real ghost town of Monson Center, New Hampshire. Here:It could be that Dudleytown, Glastonbery (Vt.), and Monson Center all inspired this semi-legend—though I would still like to know what King’s “Jeremiah’s Lot” is, if anything!
It is based on a town in upstate Vermont, that I heard about as an undergraduate in college, called Jeremiah's Lot. I was going through Vermont with a friend and he pointed out the town, just in passing, as we went by in the car. He said, "You know, they say that everybody in that town just simply disappeared in 1908." I said, "Aw, come on. What are you talking about?" He said, "That's the story. Haven't you heard of the Marie Celest [sic] where everybody supposedly disappeared? This is the same thing. One day they were there and then one day a relative came over to look for someone that they hadn't heard from in awhile; and all of the houses were empty. Some of the houses had dinner set on the table. Some of the stores still had money in them. It was covered in mold from the summer damp and it was starting to rot, but nobody had stolen it. The town was completely emptied out."
In the book, King references yet another imaginary ghost town he calls Momson, Vermont. I wonder if Momson is based on the very real ghost town of Monson Center, New Hampshire. Here:
You may not find Monson Center on a New Hampshire map, but you might find something mysterious where it used to be. The former colonial settlement is tucked away on 269 acres in both Hollis and Milford with plenty of fall-friendly hiking trails. The entrance can be found a short walk from 508 Federal Hill Road in Milford. Parking is available on Federal Road and in front of the gate at the top of Adams Road, which leads down to the property.
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests in Concord purchased the property in 1998 after it was threatened by a proposed 28-lot subdivision. More than two centuries earlier, the land was home to Monson Center, one of the first inland settlements in New Hampshire. Six families established the modest village in the 1730s in what was once a part of West Dunstable, Mass.
Just a few decades later in 1770, the village was abandoned for still unknown reasons. No records of the families’ decisions remain, but Carrie Deegan from the forests society said historians have speculated whether the move was due to political differences, Native American tribes, trouble surviving or something else.
“There’s a history shrouded in mystery,” said Carrie Deegan, volunteer and community engagement manager for the forests society. “The fact we don’t know what happened in the community entices people to come and explore.”
…
Some of the property’s visitors include paranormal investigators. Deegan said the forest society still gets requests from crews looking to prove that the property is indeed a “ghost” town. Though Deegan said visitors haven’t shared any convincing evidence, author and hiker Marianne O’Connor said she’s heard of different sightings over the years.
“It’s a very spooky place; people say they hear drums and other strange sounds,” said O’Connor, author of the book Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire. “Supposedly there’s a cemetery on the land that’s never been located.”
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests in Concord purchased the property in 1998 after it was threatened by a proposed 28-lot subdivision. More than two centuries earlier, the land was home to Monson Center, one of the first inland settlements in New Hampshire. Six families established the modest village in the 1730s in what was once a part of West Dunstable, Mass.
Just a few decades later in 1770, the village was abandoned for still unknown reasons. No records of the families’ decisions remain, but Carrie Deegan from the forests society said historians have speculated whether the move was due to political differences, Native American tribes, trouble surviving or something else.
“There’s a history shrouded in mystery,” said Carrie Deegan, volunteer and community engagement manager for the forests society. “The fact we don’t know what happened in the community entices people to come and explore.”
…
Some of the property’s visitors include paranormal investigators. Deegan said the forest society still gets requests from crews looking to prove that the property is indeed a “ghost” town. Though Deegan said visitors haven’t shared any convincing evidence, author and hiker Marianne O’Connor said she’s heard of different sightings over the years.
“It’s a very spooky place; people say they hear drums and other strange sounds,” said O’Connor, author of the book Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire. “Supposedly there’s a cemetery on the land that’s never been located.”