Welcome to Easton.s Hockomock Swamp.
This is the begininning and top corner of the "Brigewater 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", as well as the mutilation of cattle and other livestock.
Location
Specific boundaries of the Bridgewater Triangle were first defined by paranormal researcher Loren Coleman in his book Mysterious America,[2] and said to encompass 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.[dead link][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,[dead link][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.[dead link][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.[dead link][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.[dead link][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.[dead link][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][