Bridgewater Triangle

The Bridgewater Triangle refers to an area of about 200 square miles (520 km²) within southeastern Massachusetts in the United States,^[1] claimed to be a site of alleged paranormal phenomena, ranging from UFOs to poltergeists and orbs, balls of fire and other spectral phenomena, various "bigfoot" sightings, giant snakes and "thunderbirds".

Location

Specific boundaries of the Bridgewater Triangle were first defined by cryptozoologist Loren Coleman (who coined the term) in the 1970s, and then in his book Mysterious America.^[2] He wrote that the Bridgewater Triangle encompasses the towns of Abington, Rehoboth and Freetown at the points of the triangle, and Brockton, Whitman, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater, Middleboro, Dighton, Berkley, Raynham, Norton, Easton, Lakeville, Seekonk, and Taunton inside the triangle. Similar claims have been made about an area in neighboring Vermont called the Bennington Triangle.

Historic places and landmarks

Hockomock Swamp - Central to the area is Hockomock Swamp, which means "the place where spirits dwell".^[3]

Dighton Rock - Also found within the boundaries of the Bridgewater Triangle is the Dighton Rock.

Freetown-Fall River State Forest- The Freetown-Fall River State Forest has reportedly been the site of various cult activity including animal sacrifice, ritualistic murders committed by admitted Satanists, as well as a number of gangland murders and a number of suicides.^[4]

Profile Rock- The supposed site of where Wampanoag historical figure Anawan received the lost wampum belt from Philip. It is said that a ghost of a man can be seen sitting on the rock with his legs crossed or with outstretched arms. Located within the Freetown-Fall River State Forest.^[5]

Paranormal Claims

Common to most of these areas is a mix of reported phenomena that includes reports of UFOs, mysterious animals and hominids,^[6] ghosts and poltergeists, and animal mutilations.

• Bigfoot sightings: There have been several reported sightings of a bigfoot-like creature in the triangle, usually near the Hockomock swamp. Joseph DeAndrade claimed to see a half man and half ape creature entering the woods near the swamp in 1978. Local resident John Baker also reported seeing a large hairy beast in a river in the swamp while canoeing.^[3]
• Thunderbird sightings: Giant birds or pterodactyl-like flying creature with wingspans 8–12 feet are claimed to have been seen in Hockomock Swamp and neighboring Taunton, including a report by Norton Police Sergeant Thomas Downy.^[6]
• Animal mutilations: Various incidents of animal mutilation have been reported, particularly in Freetown and Fall River, where local police were called to investigate mutilated animals believed to be the work of a cult. Two specific incidents in 1998 were reported: one in which a single adult cow was found butchered in the woods; the other in which a group of calves were discovered in a clearing, grotesquely mutilated as if part of a ritual sacrifice.^[4]
• Indian curses: According to one tale, the Native Americans had cursed the swamp centuries ago because of the poor treatment they received from the Colonial settlers.^[7] A revered object of the Wampanoag people, a belt known as the wampum belt, was lost during King Philip's War. Legend says that the area owes its paranormal unrest to the fact that this belt was lost from the Native people.^[5]

References

External links

• "Historical Tidbits", Bridgewater Public Library website
• "Tales from the Swamp", by Ross A. Muscato, The Boston Globe
• "The Old Haunting Grounds" Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe, October 30, 2006
• "Swamp monsters: Strange sightings are routine in the Bridgewater Triangle", Jean Porrazzo, Brockton Enterprise
• "Can't See the Forest Through the Trees" archived from original, Mary Jo Curtis, South Coast Today
• "Enigma of the Dighton Rock", American Heritage Magazine

See also

• Lovecraft Country