The 1830 Salem Murder of Captain Joseph White: The Crime That Changed American Law Forever
Explore the infamous 1830 Salem murder of wealthy merchant Captain Joseph White in Massachusetts—a brutal bludgeoning that led to sensational trials, Daniel Webster's iconic prosecution, and landmark changes in U.S. law on circumstantial evidence and accomplice testimony. Discover motives, key figures like the Knapp brothers and Richard Crowninshield, cultural impacts on Edgar Allan Poe and Clue, and ties to New England mysteries like Vermont's hidden highwaymen or Connecticut's spectral black dogs.
Dr. John Wilson: Vermont's Enigmatic Highwayman Doctor and the Enduring Mystery of Captain Thunderbolt
Uncover the captivating Vermont folklore of Dr. John Wilson, a respected physician accused posthumously of being the notorious Captain Thunderbolt—partner to executed highwayman Michael Martin (Captain Lightfoot). Explore the Round Schoolhouse in Brookline, hidden scars, the 1847 pamphlet revelation, and ties to New England outlaw legends like those in our Old Leatherman and North Pond Hermit posts
John Humphrey Noyes: The Visionary Prophet Behind Oneida's Radical Utopian Experiment
Explore the fascinating life of John Humphrey Noyes, the controversial religious leader who founded the Oneida Community in New York—a utopian experiment in communal living, complex marriage, mutual criticism, and stirpiculture. Discover his biography, doctrines, scandals, legacy in silverware manufacturing, and enduring impact on American communalism and free love movements.
Doc Benton: The Immortal Mad Doctor Haunting New Hampshire's White Mountains
Dive into the eerie Doc Benton legend from New Hampshire folklore—a mad doctor obsessed with eternal life through alchemy, haunting Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains. Explore origins, gruesome crimes, ghostly sightings, Dartmouth Outing Club traditions at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, and rational explanations.
The North Pond Hermit: Maine’s Invisible Man and the Northeast’s Enduring Tradition of Solitary Legends
Dive deep into Christopher Knight, the North Pond Hermit who lived in isolation in Maine's forests from 1986-2013, surviving on over 1,000 burglaries. Explore connections to New England hermits like the Old Leatherman, Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond, River Dave, Noah Rondeau, Dorothy Molter, and more iconic solitary figures in Northeast folklore.
The Old Leatherman: Unraveling the Mystery of the Northeast's Legendary Wanderer
Discover the true story of the Old Leatherman, a enigmatic vagabond who walked a precise 365-mile loop through western Connecticut and eastern New York from 1857-1889, clad in a 60-pound leather suit and sleeping in caves. Explore his enduring legend, historical facts, and modern tributes like the Leatherman's Loop trail race.
Dudleytown Connecticut: The Cursed Ghost Town and Other Haunted Abandoned Places in CT
Explore Dudleytown Connecticut’s cursed ghost town legend and other haunted abandoned places in CT like Bara-Hack, Johnsonville, Gay City, Little People’s Village, Pleasure Beach, and Holy Land USA. Dive into histories, hauntings, curses, and why these creepy spots still draw ghost hunters in 2025.
The Conjuring House: Rhode Island’s Real Nightmare and the Hollywood Horror It Inspired
Dive deep into one of America’s most infamous haunted houses—the Old Arnold Estate in Harrisville, Rhode Island, better known as “The Conjuring House.” We explore the 1736 farmhouse’s 300-year history of tragedy, the Perron family’s terrifying 10-year ordeal in the 1970s, Ed and Lorraine Warren’s dramatic investigation and the séance that went horribly wrong.
Westford Knight Mystery: Did Templars Reach America Before Columbus?
Uncover the enigmatic Westford Knight carving in Massachusetts – a 14th-century Scottish knight etched on ancient rock, hinting at Henry Sinclair's secret Templar voyage to America in 1398. Was it a gravestone for Sir James Gunn? Dive into Zeno letters, glacial boulder secrets, and modern debates. Perfect for history buffs chasing pre-Columbian mysteries! Read now and rewrite the map. #WestfordKnight #TemplarsInAmerica #PreColumbianVoyages
The Rebel Preacher Who Wrote Democracy: Thomas Hooker and the Great Hartford Venture of 1636
The forgotten founder: how rebel preacher Thomas Hooker fled Massachusetts, led a wilderness exodus in 1636, and wrote the Fundamental Orders, the world’s first written constitution that put “we the people” in charge 137 years before Jefferson.
Ong’s Hat: The NJ Ghost Town That Invented Alternate Reality Games
Explore Ong’s Hat, the real Pine Barrens ghost town behind the legendary 1980s–90s interdimensional cult myth and Joseph Matheny’s groundbreaking Incunabula/ARG that blurred fact and fiction, inspired The Blair Witch Project, Cicada 3301, and modern creepypasta, and still draws pilgrims to the ruins today.
Lord Timothy Dexter: Coal to Newcastle & Fake Funeral Madness
The unbelievable true story of Timothy Dexter, Newburyport’s self-made “Lord” who shipped bed-warmers to the tropics, coal to Newcastle, staged his own funeral, wrote a book with no punctuation, and died a multi-millionaire despite everyone trying to ruin him. The wildest New England eccentric of all time!