Another story I was able to dig up only adds to the unscrupulousnessof the region. Chance of rain 100%.. But regardless, his disappearance still remains a mystery. Andy ArthurVermont Route 7, north of Glastenbury. Another interesting detail I uncovered was that to this day, there are people who think its bad luck to wear red while hiking Glastenbury Mountain. However, this was not the case. Whether the culprit was something awesome and sinister or innate, is the quandary here. " Bennington Triangle " is a phrase coined by American author Joseph A. Citro to denote an area of southwestern Vermont within which a number of people went missing between 1945 and 1950. Its worth mentioning that by the time James was actually reported missing, it was at least a week after the fact, when theBennington soldiers home finallydecided to call his relatives to figure out if he was actually coming back or not. You have permission to edit this article. Due to the bodys decomposition, no cause of death could be determined. He oncenoted that he was surprised that more people actually hadnt vanished, because the wilderness is in fact so large, and its very easy to become hopelessly lost if you stray from the trails. While Fayville is more known by people looking at a map, South Glastenbury is normally what is profiledin every articleIve read. "If we find something (that) could be very impressive, if we don't find something, I think that tells us something entirely different about the location," Smith said. He had never acted in such a way before. For the discerning horror fan, we cover the most chilling cases throughout history. The first to go missing was a 74-year-old hunting guide named Middie Rivers on November 12, 1945. It was a completely open area, and anything there would be impossible to miss. Join us every week for a new scary story.BECOME A MEMBER FOR EXTRA REWARDS!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCD4-G3Aokt2sM7TYQV2HmA/joinEMAIL bedtime.stories@outlook.com MUSIC \"Ice Demon\", \"Crypto\" and \"Undaunted\" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic\"Haunted\", \"Introduction to Terror\" and \"Kingdoms of the World\" used by kind permission of CO.AG https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcavSftXHgxLBWwLDm_bNvA Others blame the Indian curse or the paranormal, stating the place is a window into the unexplained. His loaded gun sat neatly beside him, as if it was purposely put there. And yet, here she was. Because South Glastenbury sat at the confluent oftwo different branches of Bolles Brook, where the headwaters met and began their descent down the mountains, the small village became known as The Forks. It started with the native Americans, who refused to venture onto Glastenbury mountain. The railroad switched over tousingmore reliable trolley cars instead of traditional rail cars, because they were stronger and more reliable, especially given the elevation they would have to climb. She was not wearing a jacket during her journey; it was 50F outside, later dropping to 9F. Over the next two weeks, five searches were conducted, involving aircraft, helicopters, and up to 300 searchers. The college called the sheriffs department. But there are human things at work here as well, and those have been documented. That meant that somethingwas skulking nearby, and it might just be what made those tracks. He noticed the horses were beginning to get spooked, but he just couldnt stop thinking about those tracks. UVM Archives and The Landscape Change Program. Dave spent some time on Glastenbury mountain restoring the fire tower on the summit, and would work up there for extended periods of time. But by what? Last seen on Sunday, December 1, 1946, wearing easy-to-spot red and entering the Long Trail near Glastenbury Mountain, Welden never showed up for her Monday classes, spurring a massive search party of more than 1,000 people and a reward of $5,000. "Real paranormal activity seems fairly rare," said Smith in the days leading up to the investigation. Some speculated Panthers got to him, but others werent so sure. South Glastenbury became the heart of town, and the headquarters of the majority of the charcoaloperations, with 12 brick kilns erectedalong the cleared hillsides. And perhaps one of the most arcane disappearance took place on November 11, 1943. In southern Vermont, northeast of Bennington, lies an incredible area of backcountry. The police during that time were not familiar with serial killers or how they operated, so even if it was the work of such a killer, the facts would have gone undocumented. Even coast guard planes were brought in. That day, a 68-year-old man named James E. Tedford boarded a bus to Bennington after visiting relatives in St. Albans, Vermont. The weirdness continued when colonial settlers came to the area, whose vague and un-researchable accounts tell of weird sounds, noises and odorsthat would come from the mountain. His belongings were still in the luggage rack and an open bus timetable was on his vacant seat. It was said that there were pigs at the dumphis family were caretakers for. Much time and money were invested into retransforming the town turning the brawny old loggers boarding house into a hotel and the former company store into a casino. Halkias, Terry. Did he receive human help, possibly by the shooter? They could have fallen down an old well, or gotten lost and frozen to death, perhaps taking shelter in one of the numerous caves on the mountain which few people ever venture near. After looking for the boy in the immediate area, he was reported missing and hundreds of people assembled in a search party. But he never arrived. However, thebarren mountains stripped of all their trees, were very prone to flooding and soil erosion. Ranker.com Its a vast area, roughly 36 square miles of unbroken wilderness, with 12 peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation, the centerpiece being Glastenbury Mountain at 3,747 feet. 4 hikersdiddisappear, and peoplehaveclaimed to see weird things in the woods. Weird New England, 2005, p.74-75. Because of this, the state of Vermont disorgonized the town in 1937, the first time the state ever did such an act, and the area was reclaimed bythe wilderness. Whoever he was, he was eventually ran out of town and faded into obscurity. However, when they were just a few hundred yards from their campsite, Langer slipped and fell into a stream, soaking her clothes and shoes. As recently as 2003, Winooski resident Ray Dufresne saw something peculiar on his drive down Route 7, near Glastenbury. AKAs submission guide. To better understand the hysteria here, let me try to summarize the more colloquial regional portrait for you. Wentworth was quite the character granting as many towns in then unestablished Vermont as he could, with the intention to provocativelychallenge New York, which also claimed the same land. An odd footnote to all of this; the body ofFreida Langerdid eventually appear, seven months after she had vanished. Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls, and Unsolved Mysteries. Others speculate that Paul was actually abducted near East and Chapel Roads, carried away in a car. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. But Dave had a weird story to tell of his own. According to witnesses, Weldon was one of 14 passengers on the bus at the last stop before arriving in Bennington. I dont really see a connection here to the other disappearances, but I guess because it happened around the same time frame and James did live in the area, it has just been lumped into the big picture. As for me, Im one of the skeptics. [4], James E. Tedford, a veteran, allegedly went missing on December 1, 1949, three years to the day after Welden was last seen. He boarded a bus in St. Albans, en route to the Bennington Soldiers home, where he lived. My first act of familiarizing myself with Glastenbury was to make the trip down to that curious place on the map called Fayville. Countless internet searches have dug up numerous unusualtales posted on message boards and blogs from hikers, hunters and curiosity seekers. Carl was reportedly squeezed to death, his lung was found to be punctured by his own ribs. Yet when the bus finally pulled into Bennington, Tedford was nowhere to be found. Langer was the last person to disappear and the only one whose body was found. Welden, a sophomore at Bennington College, had set out for a hike on the Long Trail. No one had seen him get off the bus, and he didnt disembark in Bennington. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. An extensive search was conducted, which included the posting of a $5,000 reward and help from the FBI, but no evidence of her was ever found. Youtuber Matt Garland made this awesome documentary on the Bennington Triangle, which is in my opinion, a great watch. Starting with a string of missing persons over 70 years ago, the now-abandoned town has been the eerie setting of numerous unexplained disappearances, unsolved murders, and bizarre sightings that continue to this day. As dusk began to fall and Carl still hadnt arrived, Henry immediately contacted law enforcement, just as the snow began to fall. During a five-year span, beginning in 1945, people began to disappear regularly. The search was finally called off. It's approximately 36 squares miles of unbroken wilderness with 12 peaks of over 3,000 feet in its Mountain range. Even for rural Vermont standards,this was pretty desolate. Because of the vast scope of the wilderness area and its inaccessibility, the task of finding a body is difficult. 186: The Bennington Triangle (2022 Podcast Episode) Quotes It looks like we don't have any Quotes for this title yet. Welden was an 18-year-old student at Bennington College who decided to hike a leg of the Long Trail during Thanksgiving break when most of her peers had returned home for the holiday. Many are quick to glamorize the region without being objective, only further propelling it into the blurred hazeof fact and embellishment. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Joseph Citro, the Vermont author who coined the term "Bennington Triangle" in 1992, has also written extensively about the area. On October 12, 1950, an eight-year-old boy named Paul Jepson went missing in the area. But towards duskon the third day, Henry stumbled upon Carls body. The boys father said that Paul had been talking about visiting the mountains for several days. Glastenbury is where one of Vermonts most frightening mysteries took place, and whats more captivating is that it really didnt happen all that long ago. The oldest legends about the Bennington Triangle came from Native Americans in the region, who believed Glastenbury Mountain was cursed. Join us as we discuss what may have happened to Middie Rivers, Paula Jean Weldon, James Tedford, Paul Jephson. James was last seen by a friend of his when his bus made a stop in Burlington, and guessed he might have gotten off there, offering another possible explanation to his whereabouts. That day, a 68-year-old man named James E. Tedford boarded a bus to Bennington after visiting relatives in St. Albans, Vermont. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Thank you! Bennington Triangle / Glastenbury, VT - Documentary. The Bennington Triangle Unexplained Disappearances. [5] According to witnesses, Tedford got on the bus and was still aboard at the last stop before arriving in Bennington. These include a trail guide who vanished in 1945 while leading a hunting party, college student Paula Jean Weldon, who disappeared the following year from a hiking trail, and James Tedford, who seemingly vanished from a bus headed for Bennington. Over the years, I began to dive into research, and soon would discover that I had stumbled upon one of the most interesting stories I had ever heard, which remains as one of the earliest examples of what got me interested in Vermont curio. The rest is up for debate. Some say he returned to Glastenbury, and others claim that he still remains hiding on the slopes to this very day. Note: There is currently no scientific method to prove that vortexes exist. She was easy to spot, because of her bright red coat. It was well past dark and a violent rain storm was washing out the road. The question was, what to do with it? They implemented a double check system, where as soon as one group finished searching an area, another group would search the same area. Somewhere between the last stop and Bennington, he vanished. Be the first to contribute! But Glastenbury is perplexing and complex, and something I found a little difficult to write about, mostly because there was so much information to take in. Only about two weeks later, 53-year-old Frieda Langer, an experienced hiker and survivalist familiar with the area, went missing on the Somerset area of the Long Trail bordering east Glastenbury. "When my group goes into a paranormal investigation we really go with the intent of trying to disprove. Gofundme:https://www.gofundme.com/b5jp97d4. ; Zeller, J. At this point, the horses were going wild, which was spooking the driver. Local lore says that Pauls scent was actually lost at the same place Paula Welden was last seen. Triangles: Horrible to figure out using math, horrible to find in real life. The population of Glastenbury dwindled down to almost nothing, which later got the attention of Ripleys Believe It Or Not in the 1930s when they learned that all 3 members of the Mattison Family were the entire town, and held every office. But the sheer lack of evidence to back this up as well as the variety in the victims ages and genders (defying the usual patterns of serial killers) likely rules out that theory as well. If you take these other accounts into consideration, this raises the number of disappearances from four to nine, which begs the question, what happened here? He was laying on the ground in the woods, motionless, his loaded rifle found leaning against a tree seventy feet away. Glastenbury was unincorporated by the state in 1937, its status as "ghost town" perhaps intensifying later missing persons reports. Chance of rain 80%. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. The rain hadnt washed them away yet, so they had to be fresh tracks the driver reckoned. Paul had mentioned that he had aninexplicable yen to go into the mountains lately. We were suddenly at the mercy of a freak ferocious thunderstorm that seemed to emanate out of nowhere, and became so violent that we literally retreated down the mountainside, in fear of the dirt trail washing out, leaving us stranded in the middle of the national forest. A massive search party of 1,000 people, bloodhounds, helicopters and even a clairvoyant, combed the area diligently for weeks. Though many people who write about ghost towns robotically love to use descriptive terms such as hub or thriving, Glastenbury was really neither its peak population climbed to around241. That would explain why the bloodhounds lost his scent. University of New England/ Vermont Life, 1994, Citro, Joseph A. But neither her husband nor her cousin ever saw her again. Between the years 1920 and 1950, a number of people vanished without a trace. The term, "Bennington Triangle," was introduced by author Joseph A. Citri in 1992. It's time for a creepy bedtime story. "The Strange Disappearances at Mt. Precisely what area is encompassed in this hypothetical "mystery triangle" is not clear, but it is purportedly centered on Glastenbury Mountain and would include some or most of the area of the towns immediately surrounding it, especially Bennington, Woodford, Shaftsbury, and Somerset. Followers of folklore and aficionados of the paranormal are likely familiar with the Bermuda Triangle and perhaps even southeastern Massachusetts Bridgewater Triangle. Any donation would not only be greatly appreciated and help keep this blog going, it would also keep me doing what I love. Theyve always helped me make sense of my thoughts and ideas, and even draw ideas from things that havent been categorized or plotted yet. But well never know for sure. To make things far stranger, gas station attendants in Arlington were baffled that a thunderstorm especially one of that magnitude had passed through the area without them noticing it. Bloodhounds borrowed from the New Hampshire State Police lost Pauls scent at the intersection of East and Chapel Roads. Saturday, they planned to hike down the Long Trail to the Melville Nauheim Shelter, the last known location in one missing persons case. Bennington Triangle / Glastenbury, VT - Documentary (Part 1 of 2) MSG 802 209K views 12 years ago Etan Patz Went Missing, Our Scariest Fears || True Crime Recaps Podcast True Crime Recaps. The 53-year-old Langer, along with her cousin, Herbert Elsner, left their family campsite near the Somerset Reservoir to go on a hike. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated August 2022. The Indians of the area had long been wary of the area and avoided it. The third person to disappear was on Columbus Day in 1950. The quality of Paula Weldons search party was met with scrutiny, and because of this, it lead to the formation of the Vermont State Police. Herrick went missing during a hunting trip about 10 miles northeast of the ghost town of Glastenbury. As he led the group back to their camp, he got ahead of them and never returned to camp. Henry eventually made it back to camp, but Carl didnt show up. 2/27/2023. According to Citro's books, stories of strange happenings had been told about Glastonbury and the surrounding area for many years, the best-known of which is probably that of the disappearance of Paula Jean Welden. The first one to disappear was 74 year oldMiddie Rivers. It had a mystery to it, and I wanted to know more. In the Glastenbury wilderness, Smith said that his team would look for "anything anomalous, anything that can't be explained, any possible trace of these people that have gone missing. The Bennington Triangle (2021 Podcast Episode) Plot Showing all 0 items Jump to: Summaries It looks like we don't have any Plot Summaries for this title yet. They started talking about the mountains reputation, which at this point seems almost impossible not to do if youre visiting. The first was a 75-year-old man named Middie Rivers, who often served as a mountain guide. Hundreds of townsfolk joined the search, scanning the dump and the surrounding roads, even the mountains. They love its obscurity, and I can see why. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. It was a wild town, sort of a last frontier in Vermont. Then, seven months later, on May 12, 1951, her body was found near Somerset Reservoir, in an area that had previously been extensively searched. In that five-year span, several people went missing on or near Glastenbury Mountain. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Quotes submission guide. It wasnt. Between 1945 and 1950, five people disappeared in the area surrounding Bennington, Vermont. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Dave was considered a down to earth and smart guy, so this behavior had his friends extremely concerned, and disturbed. As many as 400 people, including the Massachusetts National Guard, meticulously searched the surrounding areas yet found nothing. Tucked away near the borders of Vermont and Massachusetts is a small area of land believed to be the focal point for a wide variety of unexplained and mysterious phenomena. Maps tell us how things in this world relate to one another, they take data and turn it into something tangible, something understandable, and maybe something that provokes thought or feelings. GLASTENBURY -- A team of paranormal investigators hiked into Glastenbury over the weekend to survey the area known as the "Bennington Triangle.". Another reason they avoided the place. Because of his job, he was completely familiar with the woods. [citation needed], The events of 1945 to 1950 are told in episode 67 of Lore, titled "The Red Coats". Though Glastenbury tips its hat toa legendary place in England, Vermonts titular community seemed to be ill fated from the very beginning. What sort of bear squeezes a human to death? Search parties were formed to look for the child. But Im getting ahead of myself. The Bennington Triangle, centered around Glastenbury Mountain in Vermont, has long been known for strange events, including UFO activity, bigfoot sightings, strange lights and sounds, and the location where five people disappeared in the 1940s and 1950s. Even today, hunters will tell you that because of the disorienting winds, its very easy to get lost in the woods. Join us as we discuss what may have happened to Middie Rivers, Paula Jean Weldon, James Tedford, Paul Jephson and Frieda Langer. anabundanceofsheep 6 yr. ago. Crypto Paranormal Investigations' Glastenbury documentary is scheduled to be completed some time next year. New book explores ghost town Glastenbury, Vermont, Citro, Joseph A. Tedford, a resident of the Bennington Soldiers' Home, had been in St. Albans visiting relatives and was accompanied to a local bus station, which was the last location where he was seen. Bloodhounds were also brought in to search for the boy, which picked up his scent and followed it toward Glastenbury Mountain, but it was lost at a nearby crossroads, suggesting a possible abduction by a motorist. According to Citri, the triangle, which according to Legends of America, extends in the region surrounding Glastenbury Mountain, and includes the cities of Bennington, Shaftesbury, Woodford, and several ghost towns, has an unusual, and potentially dangerous, energy. I wanted to be tactful with how I approached it, balancing the resilient history, excellent folklore, and my own thoughts. It was the kind of place where men out numbered the women, and the law often didnt exist. In 'Bennington Triangle,' Be afraid, be very afraid. In the next few weeks, several search parties, which included some 400 people comprised of police, volunteers, firefighters, soldiers, and aircraft, searched for her and turned up nothing. An eight-year-old boy vanished from his mother's truck in 1950. The search for Carl lasted three days without finding a trace. There are aseries of inexplicable cairnsscattered around the mountain, and no one is quite sure why they exist. According to one story, bloodhounds tracked the boy to a local highway where, according to local legend, Welden had disappeared four years earlier.[3]. Then the creature came into view. [9], The Bennington Triangle is discussed in Episode 374 of the podcast My Favorite Murder. [10] Robert Singley, a 27 year old Bennington College student got lost in Bennington Triangle but found safe by Vermont State Police in 2008.[11][12]. The victims ages ranged between 8 and 74 and were evenly divided between men and women. Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Another interesting theory suggeststhat the Bennington Monster is actually the horrifying transformation of the Glastenbury Wild Man. As 3pm had come and gone, the rest of the hunting party would begin searching before getting authorities. After he was chased out of the region, he took back tothe woods and dwelled, becoming cannibalistic, deformed and insane, wearing animal firs and attacking lone stagecoaches coming over the mountains. Its focus, length, and even title remain heavily dependent on this weekend's investigation. From the paranormal to the supernatural, unsolved mysteries and strange deaths to cryptids, conspiracy theories and the most disturbing of true crimes, all told in a unique and creepy way. TheBennington Bannerpicked up on the story, and raised a disturbing question: How did Langer disappear completely in an area she was so familiar with? Things were going fine, until their trek back to camp. When she returned, her son was nowhere in sight. Rural scene outside Bennington, Vermont by Carol Highsmith. True Horror: The DISTURBING Disappearances Of People In the Missing 411 Documentary. But Wentworth had no idea of the local geography, and simply drew lines on a map. The Indians of the area had long been wary of the area and avoided it. Wikipedia, Legends, Ghosts, Myths and Mysteries Main Page, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Easy Travel Organization Tips You Will Love, Bidwell-Bartleson Party Blazing the California Trail. One of them was never seen again. Nothing was ever found, though Jepson was wearing a bright red jacket that should have made him more visible. Andy ArthurGrout Pond and Glastenbury Mountain, at the heart of the Bennington Triangle. In 1867, there was an alleged wild man sighting, where a mysteriousmisanthropic specter would venture down from the woods (some accounts say he lived in a cave in Somerset) pull back his coat, and expose himself to unsuspecting women in Glastenburyand nearby Bennington. An Algonquin legend warned of a malevolent stone in the mountains that would open up and devour anyone unlucky enough to step on it. I still have no explanation to this day. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. In Joseph Citros Passing Strange, (which was another heavy source for this article) he further mentioned aBurlington Free Pressarticle dated October 25, 1981 reported that a trio of hunters disappeared somewhere near Glastenbury, and not surprisingly, that too remainsunsolved. There was no body, no clothes, no evidence, nothing. One day, Rivers led four hunters up onto the mountain. But nothing adds up. All Thats Interesting During the height of the disappearances, the local media ran wild with the stories and theories, which not surprisingly, got out of hand, creating vicious accusations and conspiracy theories. In 1992, local author and folklorist Joseph Citro coined the term "The Bennington Triangle" to describe the area, and the designation not only stuck, it grew immensely in popularity. Maybe. Others still contend that the disappeared met their demise at the claws of an indigenous mountain cat such as a lynx, bobcat, or cougar. A myriad of outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, snowmobiliers, college students, history buffs, paranormal investigators and hunters all flock here to the undisturbed wilderness trekking up the expansivenetwork of forest roads, hiking trails or silent waterways, all realizing just how special it is here.