Bennington Triangle, Vermont – Legends of America
The Bennington Triangle, a region nestled around Glastenbury Mountain in the picturesque state of Vermont, has captivated imaginations and sparked countless tales of the unexplained. This area has earned a reputation for its unusual occurrences, ranging from alleged UFO sightings and elusive Bigfoot encounters to mysterious lights, eerie sounds, and the haunting disappearances of five individuals between the 1940s and 1950s. Rooted in Native American lore, the area is believed by some to be under a curse, adding to its mystique and allure.
The indigenous people of the region, particularly the Algonquin tribes, have long held a deep-seated apprehension towards the Glastenbury Mountain area. Their ancient legends speak of a malevolent stone hidden within the mountains, capable of opening up and swallowing anyone unfortunate enough to set foot upon it. This enduring belief has contributed to the area’s ominous reputation and has kept many away from its depths.
The term "Bennington Triangle" was coined in 1992 by New England author Joseph A. Citro, who observed striking similarities between this area and the infamous Bridgewater Triangle in neighboring Massachusetts. Both regions share a history of unexplained phenomena, making them focal points for paranormal enthusiasts and researchers.
The Bennington Triangle encompasses a sprawling expanse of woodlands surrounding Glastenbury Mountain, including the towns of Bennington, Woodford, and Shaftsbury, as well as the ghost towns of Somerset and Glastenbury. These abandoned settlements stand as silent witnesses to the area’s rich history and the enigmatic events that have unfolded within its borders.
For over two centuries, reports of a Bigfoot-like creature roaming the Glastenbury Mountain area have persisted, giving rise to the legend of "The Bennington Monster." One of the earliest recorded sightings dates back to the early 1800s when a stagecoach carrying passengers was forced to halt due to a washed-out road. The stage driver noticed massive footprints in the mud, far too large to belong to any human. Suddenly, a colossal creature attacked the coach, tipping it onto its side. The terrified passengers glimpsed only a pair of eyes before the monster emitted a deafening roar and vanished into the forest. Later sightings described the creature as a towering, hairy, black figure standing over six feet tall, further fueling the legend and sparking both fear and fascination.
Adding to the area’s eerie reputation are numerous accounts of individuals vanishing without a trace. One such case involves Carol Herrick, who disappeared during a hunting trip in 1943, approximately 10 miles northeast of the ghost town of Glastonbury. Three days later, Herrick’s lifeless body was discovered, surrounded by colossal, enigmatic footprints, suggesting a struggle with an unknown entity. The cause of death was determined to be crushing, leaving investigators baffled and fueling speculation about the involvement of a supernatural force.
Between 1945 and 1950, a series of unsettling disappearances occurred, further cementing the Bennington Triangle’s reputation as a place of mystery and peril.
The first to vanish was Middie Rivers, a 74-year-old hunting guide with extensive knowledge of the area. On November 12, 1945, Rivers was leading a group of four hunters through the Hell Hollow region in the southwestern woods of Glastonbury. As he guided the group back to their camp, he moved ahead of them and never returned. Initially, the other hunters were not overly concerned, as Rivers was a seasoned woodsman. However, when he failed to reappear, an extensive search was launched, involving 300 locals and U.S. Army soldiers dispatched from Fort Devens in Massachusetts. Despite combing through the vast wilderness for eight days, the only evidence found was a rifle cartridge of the same type used by Rivers. There were no signs of an animal attack, and his body was never found. Even after the exhaustive search, many locals believed that the knowledgeable woodsman would be able to survive and would soon resurface in town. Sadly, he never did. Rivers disappeared along the Long Trail Road area and Vermont Route 9, leaving behind an enduring mystery.
A year later, on December 1, 1946, 18-year-old college student Paula Welden went hiking on the Long Trail. Several people saw her that day, including a store employee in Bennington who provided directions and an elderly couple who hiked approximately 100 yards behind her for a time. Wearing a bright red jacket, Welden’s disappearance sparked immediate concern when she failed to attend her classes at Bennington College the following morning. A massive search was conducted, involving over 1,000 people, aircraft surveillance, a $5,000 reward, and assistance from the FBI. The elderly couple who had seen her on the trail reported that she seemingly vanished after rounding a corner. Despite the extensive search efforts, no clues to her fate were ever discovered, leaving her disappearance shrouded in mystery.
Exactly three years after Paula Welden’s disappearance, on December 1, 1949, James Tedford, a veteran resident of the Bennington Soldiers’ Home, vanished without a trace. Tedford had been visiting relatives in St. Albans and was returning home on a bus. According to witnesses, he was one of 14 passengers on the bus at the last stop before arriving in Bennington. However, when the bus reached its destination, Tedford had seemingly disappeared. His belongings were still in the luggage rack, and an open bus timetable lay on his vacant seat. No one had seen him disembark the bus, and no suspicious incidents were reported. Despite a thorough investigation, no one could provide any information about his whereabouts, adding to the enigma surrounding his disappearance.
On October 12, 1950, eight-year-old Paul Jepson went missing in the Bennington area. Jepson was playing in the cab of a pickup truck while his mother briefly tended to her pigs. When she returned, the boy was gone. After searching the immediate area, she reported him missing, and hundreds of people assembled in a search party. Bloodhounds were brought in, and they tracked his scent toward Glastenbury Mountain, but it was lost at a nearby crossroads, suggesting a possible abduction by a motorist. The boy’s father mentioned that Paul had been talking about visiting the mountains for several days. Despite days of searching, no clues or remains of the boy were ever found, leaving his fate a haunting mystery.
Just 16 days later, on October 28, 1950, Frieda Langer disappeared while camping with family members near Glastenbury Mountain. The 53-year-old Langer and her cousin, Herbert Elsner, left their campsite near the Somerset Reservoir for a hike. However, just a few hundred yards from their campsite, Langer slipped and fell into a stream, soaking her clothes and shoes. She asked her cousin to wait while she returned to the camp to change. After Elsner waited for a while and Langer did not return, he went back to the camp to check on her. She had not returned and had seemingly disappeared in broad daylight. A search party of about 400 people, including police, volunteers, firefighters, soldiers, and aircraft, searched for her over the next few weeks, but they found nothing. The search was finally called off. Then, seven months later, on May 12, 1951, her body was discovered near Somerset Reservoir, in an area that had previously been extensively searched. Due to the body’s decomposition, no cause of death could be determined. Langer was the last person to disappear in the Bennington Triangle, and her case remains unsolved.
Langer was the last person to disappear in the Bennington Triangle, and she was the only one whose body was found. While no direct connections have been established between these cases, beyond their geographic proximity and timeframe, theories abound. Some speculate that these disappearances were the work of a serial killer, while others attribute them to the Indian curse or paranormal phenomena, suggesting that the area serves as a "window" into the unexplained. Some propose that the area’s unstable wind patterns, characterized by unusual chaos and confusion, can cause individuals to become easily lost.
Regardless of the explanation, the Bennington Triangle remains a focal point for strange phenomena. In addition to Bigfoot sightings and disappearances, reports of strange floating lights, mysterious woodland creatures, and UFO activity continue to surface, adding to the area’s mystique and allure.
The Bennington Triangle, with its rich history, eerie legends, and unexplained events, continues to captivate and intrigue. Whether attributed to natural phenomena, paranormal forces, or human activity, the mysteries surrounding this region remain unsolved, leaving visitors and locals alike to ponder the secrets hidden within its enigmatic landscape.