Tom Foster
It’s interesting to take a look at the mysteries and legends from every state, especially when they’re unique to each location. Some are obviously fabricated, but they still make for a good story.
Alabama-Huggin’ Molly
A lot of old stories are meant as tales of caution to get wayward children in line. Huggin’ Molly is no different since it’s said she’ll appear to children who stay out late and hold them tight before screaming in their ears.
Alaska-The Qalupalik
It’s not surprising that an Inuit legend, which is akin to a siren or mermaid, would be used in this state. But then again, the image of a green-skinned woman absconding into the waves with your kid is kind of terrifying.
Arizona-Slaughterhouse Canyon
This is a rather dark and dismal story of the wife of a gold miner who chopped her kids to pieces and tossed them in the river. People say her cries can still be heard up and down the canyon.
Arkansas-The Gurdon Light
There are several versions of this story, but they all revolve around the railroad. This legend has been documented, but it’s been left to interpretation by many.
California: Char Man of San Antonia Creek
After a father and son were trapped in a fire, the father perished, and the son lost his mind. Somehow, the legend goes that the son will attack motorists on Creek Road, seeking to skin them.
Colorado-The Ridge Home Asylum
Old asylums are scary places anyway thanks to the legends of what goes on behind the walls. But while this one is no different for that same reason, some people like to think that they can still hear the screams and see the apparitions walking about, even though the building was demolished long ago.
Connecticut-Dudleytown
Sometimes there’s enough evidence to state that a place is simply cursed. Dudleytown has seen so many ills and tragedies over the years that many people are convinced that this is the case.
Delaware-Fort Delaware
The Civil War was a horrible time in the history of the nation. But the death of so many Confederate soldiers has made this a haunted site where people are sure that the spirits still roam.
Florida-Captain Tony’s
A popular saloon in Key West, Captain Tony’s is home to a lot of unexplained phenomena. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the saloon was originally a morgue that was built around a tree used to hang pirates. Yeah, that’s an ideal location.
Georgia- “The Song of the Cell”
To make a long story short, this legend is based on a slave master who died while trying to assault one of his charges. The husband who fought him off was jailed despite his story, and his song can still be heard within the walls of the old jail today.
Hawaii-Pali Highway
As one of the more interesting legends, it’s intriguing to learn another legend about Pele, the volcano goddess. Her breakup with a half-pig, half-human affects a person’s car anytime they travel over Pali highway with pork anywhere near your person.
Idaho-The Water Babies of Massacre Rocks
Revenge is a great trope for a legend to build on, but it’s also rather negative. But then, when famine hit Pocatello the legend goes that mothers would drown their kids instead of letting them starve, and those babies became imps that would trick and even murder others.
Illinois-Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery
Cemeteries are creepy places for a reason. They have a lot of dead people in them. But this one in particular appears to be the most active.
Indiana-100 Steps Cemetery
So there are a couple of reasons why this place is so insanely popular. One is that it’s haunted, and the other is that if you take the 100 steps to the top of the hill, the ghostly caretaker will appear with a preview of your own demise.
Iowa-Stony Hollow Road
This legend has to do with a local legend named Lucinda, who threw herself off a bridge when she was stood up. Now it would appear that she shows herself to many people, and if she tosses a rose at your feet, you will die within a day.
Kansas-Molly’s Hollow
Racism has, unfortunately, touched a great deal of history. Molly was a woman of color who was in love with a white man and was subsequently lynched. Her spirit can still be heard screaming where she was hung.
Kentucky-Hogan’s Fountain
You might need to know a little something about the character of Pan before looking up this legend. But the statue located in Hogan’s Fountain is said to wander the park at midnight looking for mischief.
Louisiana-The Carter Brothers
If you want to believe in vampires then the tale of the Carter brothers is right for you. Somehow, Louisiana is a perfect spot for this type of legend to exist.
Maine-Seguin Island Lighthouse
The legend that deal with isolation are uniquely terrifying. But when it involves two people and one of them goes mad and chops the other up with an axe, well…
Maryland-Bigg Lizz and the Greenbrier Swamp
Among many legends, this one is interesting since the woman of color known as Big Lizz was tricked into digging her own grave before she was killed. Even worse, her spirit is said to lure people into the swamp where she died.
Massachusetts-The Ghost of Sheriff George Corwin
Mysteries and legends tend to focus on locations or people, or both. Sheriff George Corwin was known as a brutal interrogator when it came to accusing people of being witches. It’s said that people can still see his spirit wandering around his old home.
Michigan-The Nain Rouge
As mysteries and legends go, this one about a red dwarf, which is what Nain Rouge translates to from French, is kind of interesting. Apparently, he shows up when trouble or disaster is about to strike.
Minnesota-The Wendigo
Mysteries and legends among various cultures have been subject to different representations for years. But the creature that comes from Native American folklore has more to do with cannibalism, which will turn a person into this horrid creature.
Mississippi-The Witch of Yazoo
It’s interesting how in exploring mysteries and legends that some vile beings are seen as victims. The Witch of Yazoo was said to lure people to their deaths with magic but was petty enough to put a curse on the nearby town when she met her end.
Missouri-The Landers Theater
Misfortune has a way of happening at the Landers Theater in Springfield. Not only that, but adding to the list of mysteries and legends circulating around this place, people report to have seen the spirits of those who have died here.
Montana-The Haunting of Chico Hot Springs Hotel
It’s amazing how many mysteries and legends have to do with a white lady that roams around. But in Chico Hot Springs, this spirit is seen heading toward room 349, as well as other rooms, where she disappears.
Nebraska-The Hatchet House
This grisly urban legend is kind of gory since it involves a teacher hacking her students to pieces and tossing their hearts in the river. There’s even a legend about Heartbeat Bridge.
Nevada-Area 51
This one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise since it’s been handed down through generations much like many other mysteries and legends. From advanced weapons to alien encounters, many people believe that Area 51 is more than just a military base.
New Hampshire-The Legend of Chocorua
Curses doled out by those who have been wronged and in turn, wronged others are powerful enough to last for a while. That’s the case with this legend since Mount Chocura was named after a Native American chief who cursed the land.
New Jersey-The Ghost Boy of Clinton Road
There’s not much else to say about this ghost boy other than that he will help those in need if they drop a coin in the water. It’s said that his spirit resides under one of the bridges in Passaic County.
New Mexico-UFO Crash at Roswell
People were convinced, and still are, that something big crashed just northwest of Roswell. There are plenty of anecdotes and stories to go along with what the military found, but to this day, the legend persists.
New York-The Legend of Cropsey
The legend of Cropsey, or rather, the man with the hook, has been used in numerous ways over the years. But the fact remains that several murders did take place in the 70s and 80s.
North Carolina-The Beast of Bladenboro
It’s amazing how many towns and cities have an unknown beast in the darkness that kills indiscriminately. This one in particular sounds like a type of panther and has a serious lust for blood.
North Dakota-The Miniwashitu
This creature, the Miniwashitu, sounds almost like something from some long-forgotten mythological realm. But the saying goes that if you look at it’s one eye, you can go insane and even die.
Ohio-Gore Orphanage
People certainly get into the spirit when it comes to describing mysteries and legends they’ve grown up with. The fire that took the lives of so many in the Gore Orphanage has done this beautifully since many people believe that one can still hear the children playing, or even smell them burning.
Oklahoma-Shaman’s Portal
This part of the world has been labeled as Oklahoma’s Bermuda Triangle since people tend to disappear. The belief that there’s an opening to another world is kind of creepy though.
Oregon-The Bandage Man
Sawmills are a big thing in Oregon and have been for a while. But the tale of a man being chopped to bits is terrifying since when he appears he’s wrapped entirely in bloody bandages.
Pennsylvania-Eastern State Penitentiary
If you can even imagine what went on in several old penitentiaries then you can grasp the idea behind this legend. Strangely enough, you can pay to take a tour of this place during the Halloween season…if you sign a waiver.
Rhode Island-Fingernail Freddie
There’s a hint that this legend was the inspiration for The Nightmare on Elm Street. But in this legend, the perpetrator is a woodsman with long fingernails that attacked campers. Kind of like Jason mixed with Freddy, yeah?
South Carolina-The Legend of Lavinia Fisher
Lauded as America’s first female serial killer, Lavinia Fisher is said to haunt the jail where she met her end. But given that she and her husband killed so many people, it’s fair to think that her spirit is confined to her final resting place.
South Dakota-Walking Sam
While it doesn’t sound as though this character is that dangerous, there are a few things about him that are disturbing. Namely, the idea that those who cross his path are inspired to take their own lives.
Tennessee-Skinned Tom
It’s interesting how the names of these mysterious legends come up. But apparently, back in the 20s, a young man named Tom was murdered by a jealous husband who skinned him alive. Talk about a cautionary story for adultery…
Texas-The Lechuza
A large owl is what this legend is said to look like. It’s also rumored to be the familiar of a witch that targets those who think about driving drunk.
Utah-The Curse of the Escalante Petrified Forest
While I’ve covered this before, it’s worth mentioning again since the Escalante Petrified Forest in the Black Hills is an interesting place. Don’t think about taking a souvenir from the forest unless you’re ready to deal with a curse.
Vermont-The Brattleboro Retreat Tower
Insane asylums are like dirty secrets in some areas. But this one is dark since apparently several patients committed suicide by flinging themselves off the tower, and some state that they can still be seen doing this over and over.
Virginia-Bunny Man Bridge
Another legend about an insane asylum, this one is about a man who escaped after a bus crashed and left a trail of dead rabbits hanging from the bridge where the crash occurred. On Halloween night, a group of teens supposedly met the same fate as the bunnies.
Washington-Maltby’s 13 Steps to Hell
There’s a reason why you don’t mess with graveyards. In Maltby Cemetery there is supposedly a crypt that offers a vision of hell so terrifying that it will drive a person insane.
West Virginia-The Mothman
The really creepy part of this legend is that it actually happened back in the 60s. The Silver Bridge collapsed, and it was attributed by many to this mysterious character.
Wisconsin-The Bloody Headstone at Riverside Cemetery
The headstone of Kate Blood, who killed her family, apparently drips blood during a full moon. Unfortunately for this legend, it’s been debunked, but people still hold onto it.
Wyoming-The Jackalope
You might see a copy of this on many walls across the nation as it’s become kind of a running joke. But many people will vehemently argue that they’ve seen one in real life.
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