Local Myths and Urban Legends

[Gwyn]

What’s in your neck of the woods? 

[Gwyn]

I’ll start out with an experience a friend (who is a photographer) and I (who helps lug their equipment about) had.
After watching the movie 'The Village' (M.Night Shyamalan) we thought it might be fun to find the location where it was filmed and see if any of the buildings remained.
It had been filmed somewhere in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. I had been there before, to the Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford Day (faire) and the Brandywine battlefield.
Anyway, I attempted to find the exact location via the internet, but found only a vague description concerning the street sign at the road where it was located had been removed, but it was next to a field and briefly described the area.
So off we went.
After driving around a bit (it is an absolutely beautiful area) we found what we believed to be the road and proceeded down it.
It was a very narrow country road.
We noticed how oddly the trees that grew along it’s sides severely bent on an angle away from the road and commented to one another about it.
The only person we saw was a woman who was retrieving mail from her box, and sort of glared at us rather suspiciously as we passed.
We approached a drive, rather more of a wide dirt road that had some large boulders and a chain across, blocking access.
Having nowhere to actually park and besides it having a ‘No Trespassing’ sign on it, as did most of the property along the road, we just drove by, disappointed because that was most likely the road leading to the site, although from the road no buildings could be seen. They could have all been dismantled by then.
Anyway, as we continued down the road we noticed that a black SUV with dark tinted windshield, had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, following behind us. We slowed down, assuming it wanted to pass, but it slowed down as well and continued to follow until we saw a cross road ahead, where this road ended.
The SUV apparently had turned off, as it was gone, and at the end of the road sat a police car.
The officer, just sitting there in his patrol car, watching us.
We thought it a bit odd, and left the area thinking no more about it, only later to find out that what we had discovered, naively, was the infamous Cossart Road (also known as Devil’s Road.)
I had never heard of it before until stumbling across it while reading the book ‘Weird Pennsylvania’ (by the publishers of ‘Weird N.J’ magazine.) Noticing a section concerning Chadds Ford, I started reading about this ‘Cossart Road’ and was taken aback, that was where my friend and I were!!!!
We hadn’t known it at the time, but it all fit together! Pretty creepy! We were completely unaware.
Now I understand what others have said about how really sinister and just plain foreboding it is!

You can read more about it here- http://www.weirdus.com/states/pennsylvania/local_legends/devils_roa...
check out their entire site. You may find interesting locations near you, too!

(didn't know whether to place this as an urban legend or a strange encounter because it's a little of both!)

[Dr.Alexander Tarr]

Even if it isn't true, it's still a damn good story.

[Gwyn]

What my friend and I experienced is all true, whether or not there is any credence behind the rest- the cult house itself, the skull tree, etc., -I really have
no idea.
The trees did, however, grow outward, away from the road, we were followed by a black suv, and there was a cop in a patrol car parked at the end of the road.
Whether it was all coincidental, I dunno.
Perhaps, because of vandalism done by some, the residents along the road are more sensitive about people who are not locals (my friend’s car had Jersey tags) driving along it and alert the police. But, as stated, my friend and I didn’t even know until later, when I read about it in WNJ, and realized that is what we had stumbled upon.

[Dr.Alexander Tarr]

  A good story is rooted in the practical experiences of the Author.

[Dr.Alexander Tarr]

Growing up in the far west suburbs of Chicago. in the 70's and 80's. I had always heard the stories of, Peabody's Tomb.  A grotesquely wealthy man who lived in a castle not far from where I lived.  Stone Park. Oak Brook. was a wealthy neighborhood back then but in the time of, F.S. Peabody. it may as well have been the Hinterlands of, Chicago. Old man Peabody was stinking rich,yeah. but he was also family less.

So. thinking ahead, Mr Peabody. bequeathed everything he owned to some Monastic order. keeping only enough for himself to live in a small cottage on Mayslake. a small lake on the Peabody estate. Mayslake is also the site of the Tomb.

The Monks took possession of the castle and the ground's their on. the far south end of the property the monks constructed a lather large sanitarium. sometime in the late 1800's.

As the story goes. a particularly dangerous man escaped. like I said. Oak Brook. round about the turn of the century may as well have been the Hinterlands.  so it is by no stretch of the imagination that the escapee, find's himself on the doorstep of Mr Peabody's Cottage. and soon inside. quietly creeping up behind the old man siting in his chair by the fire. with one well practiced movement.......Mr Peabody is grasping his own throat in a hopeless effort too contain his life's blood from spilling into his lap.

It wasn't until a few days later that it was discovered the man missing from the Sanitarium and with very few places too seek him out. the particularly dangerous man was found in the cottage and returned to the sanitarium. the peaces of the old man that were found, mere bones. were of course interred in said Tomb.