New England Urban Legends

Urban legends have intrigued the world for centuries.

From the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, to Bigfoot, to el Chupacabra, we are fascinated by things we don't understand.

New England is home to many urban legends and mysteries, but here are the most well known:

Maine: Wood Island Light

In 1896 Howard Hobbs, a local fisherman and drifter, murdered his landlord, Fred Milliken on the Wood Island. After killing Milliken, he turned the rifle on himself. Since that day many ghost hunting experts say his spirit is haunting the lighthouse causing strange moans, unexplained shadows, and other indicators of paranormal activity.

Massachusetts: Giles Corey

Good LORD this is nuts. The Salem witch trials were rampant in the 1600's and Giles Corey and his wife Martha were accused of witchcraft. He refused to deny or accept the accusation of being a witch. The law at the time stated, a person who refused to plead could not be tried. So their only solution to this was the process of pressing. They strip the person, lay a board on them, and set heavier and heavier rocks on them until they confess.

According to legend, Corey kept saying more weight, never relenting. "More weight" is believed to be the man's last words.

The urban legend: Giles Corey appears and walks his graveyard each time a disaster is about to strike the city, including the great Salem fire of 1914.

New Hampshire: The Cursed Isles of Shoals

The Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire is home to a series of brutal murders in the late 1870's. The islands are now believed to be haunted by the victims. Blackbeard himself was rumored to use the islands as a honeymoon destination and gold depository in the early 18th century, so that in itself is terrifying.

Vermont: The Hayden Family Curse

William Hayden in the 1800's was a wealthy man who borrowed a lot of money from his even wealthier mother in law. When he didn't pay her back she began demanding it. Randomly, she fell gravely ill, and accused William of poisoning her. With her dying breath she cursed him saying: