Although many things divide or bring people closer together, one thing that almost always invokes an opinion is ghosts. For some, there’s no possible way that ghosts could be real. Meanwhile, others swear that they’ve been in the presence of one. Either way, it’s fun to speculate. However, a haunted town in Connecticut has been deemed in such despair that it’s illegal to visit.

Twisted History of a Haunted Town

The haunted town in Connecticut has an interesting and complex history that some have speculated dates as far back as the 1500s. However, Dudleytown, Connecticut, wasn’t settled until the 1740’s and 50’s, eerily in a valley called Dark Entry Forest, perhaps a coincidence. Perhaps not. Interestingly, the haunted town was abandoned in the 1800s.

A Story of Legend

Dudleytown was first settled by Thomas Griffis who was later joined by Gideon Dudley. His family followed shortly after, and by 1753, the Dudleys were on a mission to find a fresh start. Some even believe that the story began, tracing all Dudley lineage back to one “a Saxon named Dudd” Legend has it, Gideon Dudley fled to America hoping to avoid a longtime family curse after his father was beheaded. Unfortunately, the Dudleys are believed to have been partaking in a sort of dark magic involving a mythical book thought to open the gates of hell.

As a result, some have speculated they and anyone with whom they came into contact were doomed. Therefore, onlookers attribute the town’s numerous, unexplainable tragedies to the curse that the Dudleys had so desperately tried to outrun. Throughout its short-lived history, the haunted town had a reputation for repeated murders, suicides, or failed businesses.

Bizarre Circumstances in a Haunted Town

While there are countless unexplained phenomena, a few of the most interesting include a family who all faced sudden doom after their relative Nathaniel Carter moved to Dudleytown. Six of his relatives died of cholera and the rest were killed upon fleeing town and settling in New York. Meanwhile, another resident, William Tanner, is rumored to have been plagued by “creatures coming out of the woods at night”. Nearly 50 years later, General Herman Swift lost his wife when she was unexpectedly struck by lightning. It’s said that the “grief-stricken” general died shortly after. With more and more strange reportings, deaths, and failed businesses, the town had become virtually abandoned by 1900.

In contrast, the 1920’s brought about a potential glimmer of positivity for the desolate and seemingly haunted town. Philanthropists began using the land to reforest after decades of agricultural use had damaged the soil. Although it’s still used for that purpose today, the town’s reputation took another bizarre turn. In the 1970’s the seemingly haunted town’s reputation took another bizarre turn, declared demonically possessed in the 1970’s.