Helltown (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Helltown is an area in Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio
, known formally as "Boston, Ohio". Local legend associates the area with Satanists and hauntings. These stories are generally considered fakelore
, resulting from the empty buildings that stood as a result of a mass eminent domain
seizure of homes in the area during the designation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
.
that allowed the National Park Service
to create a National Park
in the county. On December 27th, the National Park service bought several houses with the intent to demolish them. The homes were boarded up and listed as property of the government, some standing for years before being demolished.
Rumors began to surface that the government was trying to conceal a chemical spill. Other people, especially tourists, did not know of the eminent domain proceedings, and mistook the empty buildings for a long-standing ghost town. Today the village no longer exists, as all the buildings have been destroyed due to safety issues. The only thing left is a wooded area that is blocked off to all visitors.
.
at a Presbyterian
church off of Boston Mills Road. More recently, the myth has included the KKK
in the place of Satanists. It's also said that an escaped mental patient roams the woods at night looking for victims.
plant is the cause. This is often used to explain the local legend of the "Peninsula
Python", a gigantic snake that wanders the area's woods. However, there has never been a chemical plant or chemical spill in the area; the "Peninsula python" myth dates back to the 1940s.
and is based largely on many of the legends surrounding Helltown. In the film, the name of the haunted town is Boston Mills.
Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio
Boston Township is one of the nine townships of Summit County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,664 people in the township, 1,062 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, known formally as "Boston, Ohio". Local legend associates the area with Satanists and hauntings. These stories are generally considered fakelore
Fakelore
Fakelore or Pseudo-folklore is inauthentic, manufactured folklore presented as if it were genuinely traditional. The term can refer to new stories or songs made up, or to folklore that is reworked and modified for modern tastes...
, resulting from the empty buildings that stood as a result of a mass eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
seizure of homes in the area during the designation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. The park is the only national park in Ohio.Cuyahoga means "crooked river" in Mohawk....
.
History
Boston Village was founded in 1806, and apparently flourished until 1974, when a bill was passed by Gerald FordGerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
that allowed the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
to create a National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the county. On December 27th, the National Park service bought several houses with the intent to demolish them. The homes were boarded up and listed as property of the government, some standing for years before being demolished.
Rumors began to surface that the government was trying to conceal a chemical spill. Other people, especially tourists, did not know of the eminent domain proceedings, and mistook the empty buildings for a long-standing ghost town. Today the village no longer exists, as all the buildings have been destroyed due to safety issues. The only thing left is a wooded area that is blocked off to all visitors.
Legends
There are many legends regarding Helltown. The most popular ones regard satanists and an abandoned house in the middle of the woods. Others regard the Boston Cemetery and the Boston Mills Road bridge, which is believed to be a crybaby bridgeCrybaby Bridge
Crybaby Bridge is a nickname given to some bridges. The name often reflects an urban legend that the sound of a baby can be, or has been, heard from the bridge...
.
Stanford Road
Stanford Road, nicknamed "The Highway to Hell," features prominently in Helltown's myths and legends. A steep hill and sharp dropoff on the road, leading to a barricade, is known as "The End of the World."Cemetery
Another popular place for legends is the Boston cemetery, which is said to be haunted. Reports claim sightings of a ghostly man, a moving tree, and grave robbers.Satanists
Satanists have been said to practice rituals involving animal sacrificeAnimal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
at a Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
church off of Boston Mills Road. More recently, the myth has included the KKK
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
in the place of Satanists. It's also said that an escaped mental patient roams the woods at night looking for victims.
Mutants
As mentioned above, a rumor persists about the town being the site of a chemical spill or a chemical plant explosion in the area. Usually, a butaneButane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
plant is the cause. This is often used to explain the local legend of the "Peninsula
Peninsula, Ohio
Peninsula is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 602 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Python", a gigantic snake that wanders the area's woods. However, there has never been a chemical plant or chemical spill in the area; the "Peninsula python" myth dates back to the 1940s.
Popular Media
In 2008, T. Michael Conroy's independent horror film "June 9" was released. The film was shot largely around Boston and Cuyahoga FallsCuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
and is based largely on many of the legends surrounding Helltown. In the film, the name of the haunted town is Boston Mills.