Weird U.S. Series (New York Edition)
This is the second in a series of articles highlighting chilling and thought-provoking local legends from different states around the country. The goal behind this series is to introduce you to horror tales that you can use to inspire your work and exercise your creative muscles. Our first article in this series included local legends from California, which you can read here. This time, we’re focusing on creepy tales from The Empire State: New York.
So, if you want to submit a short horror screenplay to the Killer Shorts Contest but you’ve run short on ideas and everything you write down just seems bland or cliché, look no further for some chilling inspiration that is sure to get you writing. The following tales come from the well known Weird U.S. website, filled with America’s weirdest and scariest local legends and secrets.
The Bloody Bride of 13 Curves Road
In the early 90s, a brutal car accident occurred on Cedarvale Road in Onodonga, NY. Legend says that the road, known for its nickname, “13 Curves” is haunted by the souls of those who died in the tragic crash. There are several sides of the story that explain how the road is haunted, but they all include the death of a newly married couple. The most popular legend states that the couple was driving down the road on their wedding night, and while driving around one of the thirteen curves, the car veered out of control into a nearby creek, killing the bride and groom instantly.
Since that tragic night, there have been many sightings of a ghostly image of the bride with glowing eyes, and sometimes covered in blood. She is also sometimes seen either holding an orange lantern wandering the curves of the road, supposedly looking for her groom, standing on the hills of the road, walking along the shoulder, or even jumping towards cars, causing vehicles to crash. Some travelers who have encountered the bride say that she physically entered their cars. While driving down the road, drivers suddenly see a woman in white, covered in blood in the review mirror. But when they turn around, she vanishes.
The Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma
Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest freshwater lake in Long Island, and a very popular summer destination. The lake is also supposedly cursed. It is said that Ronkonkoma was the name of an Indian princess who fell in love with a white settler who lived near the lake. Because their love was forbidden, they would sneak out to send love messages to each other across the lake. One day, the princess couldn’t deal with the arrangement anymore and sent a final letter to her lover in a canoe, where she killed herself while crossing the lake to her lover.
Since then, the lake has become haunted by her spirit. Legend says that she now drags one man into the lake each year, angry that she wasn’t allowed to love in her lifetime. It’s said that at least 1 person has drowned each year in Lake Ronkonkoma for the past 200 years, the majority of them being male. Other visitors have reported being drawn by some kind of force out to the center of the lake like something was trying to drag them in.
Another legend also says the lake is bottomless and the depths consist of caverns and subterranean passageways. Many of the bodies never surface on the lake’s shores and it’s said that they are sucked into underground tunnels where they later turn up in the Long Island Sound, on the shores of the East River, and even Connecticut. Bodies have disappeared for as long as 3 months before turning up miles away from where the victim drowned.
The Tweed Tunnels/Camp Bluefields of Clausland Mountain
These evil, haunted tunnels are located at the top of Clausland Mountain in Orangeburg, New York. The tunnels were supposedly built as an army base during World War I in case of an invasion. The tunnels were used for drills and training and run for miles throughout the mountain. There are tunnels underneath each tunnel and many secret caverns and rooms throughout the passageways.
According to the tales, dead bodies are often found here and suicides are common in the tunnels, as well as dumped homicide victims. There has also been satanic evidence like fire rings and is linked to satanic rituals and cults. One report says there is a specific tunnel where you have to crawl through a rotted tree to get to. Some ways down this tunnel is said to be a wormhole or portal of sorts. Standing beside it, you can feel a wind blowing out from the wall, where there is no hole.
There are many more terrifying reports and chilling first-hand accounts of the strange, eerie, and evil phenomena that have happened in these mountains which you can read here.
The Tragedy of the Clawfoot People of Zoar Valley
Zoar Valley is located near Gowanda, New York and has been associated with strange and bizarre tales. The tale that stands out is the tragedy of the Clawfoot People.
It’s said that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of the people of Zoar Valley were all descendants of the same woman, an English prostitute who settled in the area in the 1800s. There were over 200 relatives of this woman and were all known for their strange appearances. Due to an exposure to syphilis, the prostitute passed a genetic abnormality to her offspring that caused their hands and feet to be deformed into claw-like shape. As the family grew, the Clawfoot People became legendary in the area and were shunned and cast aside from society.
After many severe psychological effects, the Clawfoot People took action in a tragic way in the 1920s. Every member of the family got together and made a secret pact. No member of the family would marry or have children in an effort to stop the deformity from being passed on to future generations. The Clawfoot People chose to exterminate themselves and one by one, they grew old and passed away. No member of their lineage remains alive to this day. A condition that is easily corrected with surgery today, caused this family so much agony and lead to them being outcast and to eventually choose extinction.
The Mushroom House of Powder Mill Park
Powder Mill Park is located in Perinton, southeast of Rochester, and was originally a hidden location where gun powder, dynamite, and artillery shells were manufactured. There is a private residence in the park that rises above a stream at the entrance that acts as a “head-scratcher” of a sight for generations. The residence appears to be a collection of huge mushrooms growing out of the hillside. The architect behind the residence, James H. Johnson, fashioned the home after a stem of Queen Anne’s Lace and was built in 1970 for Robert and Marguerite Antell.
The retro “pod” design earned it a designation as a Perinton landmark in 1989. Johnson combined unusual materials to create buildings that were futuristic but also plant-like.
Although not a creepy or terrifying tale, The Mushroom House is bizarre nonetheless, and would definitely make for a stunning and unique setting for a horror story.
The Lincoln Tunnel Vortex
Internet conspiracy theorists have said that the Lincoln Tunnel, connecting New York and New Jersey, was the site of a very mysterious incident in an unknown timeframe that was immediately covered up.
Legend says that while driving during a sudden and severe snowstorm, a couple stopped in the middle of the tunnel to remove snow from their windshield. The couple mysteriously disappeared without a trace. The car remained in the tunnel but the passengers were never seen or heard from again. The identities of those involved remain unknown and the incident was quickly swept under the rug by government officials.
These weird, haunting tales are only the tip of the iceberg, but they should be a great start to help you scrape that rust off of your creative gears and start getting words on the page. For more local legends, visit the Weird U.S. website.
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