Dudley Town, in Cornwall, Connecticut, otherwise known as the Village of the Damned[1] is a ghost town, founded as a small settlement in the mid-1740s.[2]
History
The town was founded in the mid-1740s by a family of woodcutters known as the Dudleys. The town quickly flourished and was well established with schools, a blacksmiths and a church.[3] Between that time and the 1900s, there were reported strange sightings, murders and suicides in the town.[2][4] In 1774, six settlers contracted cholera and a founding member of the Dudley family went mad.[3] In 1792 a woman was murdered and in 1804 another was struck by lightning.[3] Many newer settlers believed the founding family were cursed and by the 1850s they had fled.[2][3]
Legend states that the founders of the town were cursed by the British Royal Family, as their ancestor was beheaded for having tried to usurp the crown.[1][3] However, contemporary researchers have noted that the town was built far from a source of clean water, and with land that was not suited to cultivation; and that this probably had a large impact on the town's demise.[1] It has been suggested that the town succumbed to mass hysteria, and that was the cause of many deaths.[1] Alternatively, it has been suggested that the groundwater is contamined with lead, which could also offer an explanation for the number of deaths.[1]
In 1892, John Brophy attempted to set up his residence in the town and moved their with a flock of sheep and his wife. Both the sheep and his wife died of unknown causes within the subsequent months.[3] In the 1920s Dr William C Clark set up his summer home in the ghost town, only to have his wife commit suicide soon after.[2] She had complained to him of seeing demons before her death.[2]
Contemporary sightings
Footage has purportedly been captured of restless spirits in the area[5] and hikers have reported seeing orbs in the area.[1] Visitors claim that the area is unusually quiet and without wildlife.[1]
The town's abandonment has meant that barely any ruins stand.[6] The land on which it used to stand is now in private ownership and visitors are not allowed; fan sites state that trespassers have been arrested for trying to visit the ruins.[1][7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Susan Campbell; Ray Bendici; Bill Heald (9 November 2010). Connecticut Curiosities, 3rd: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Globe Pequot. pp. 3–. ISBN 9780762759880. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Cheung, Theresa (2006). The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World. Harper Element. pp. 174–175. ISBN 13 978-0-00-721148-7.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Weekly World News (11 June 1991). Weekly World News. Weekly World News. pp. 43–. ISSN 0199574X Parameter error in {{issn}}: Invalid ISSN.. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Yeadon, David (September 03, 1995). "FAST FALL FORWARD; In New England, a Rural Ramble in Connecticut's Litchfield Hills". The Washington Post. pp. E01.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Catlin, Roger (July 15, 2010). "On Tonight: No Dudley Town for 'Paranormal Files'". TV Eye.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Samuel Chamberlain (1962). The New England image. Hastings House. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Dudley, Rev. Fr. Gary P. "The Legend of Dudleytown". Retrieved 30 August 2011.