Spooky Essex-Middle River Legends on Halloween

Halloween, a night where most little boys and girls dress up in costumes and go door to door in their neighborhood in search of candy and treats.

Also known as All Hallows Eve, a night of spooks, goblins, ghosts, witches, and the undead. A night celebrated by the Sanderson sisters, the Witches of Eastwick and even friendly little Casper. A night where Michael Meyers did his most infamous work.

It is also a time for the telling of urban legends. Those quirky little local tales, mostly scary in nature and believed by the tellers and listeners to be true. We here in the Essex-Middle River community are not lacking in the urban legend area.

Their origins remain unknown, but the stories are still told today. Are they real? Are they true? I will leave that up to you to decide. If you have no plans on Halloween, go to these locations and find the truth for yourselves.

'The Monster of the Woods'

On the lower Back River Neck peninsula, just off Holly Neck Road lays the community of Cedar Beach. It is a quiet little area where I was born and raised.

My first introduction to the monster came in the early 1960’s when I was about 9 or 10 years old. Like most kids of that age, I was very inquisitive and had a tendency to try to tag along with my older brothers.

This particular summer, I was mesmerized by the stories I heard from my brother and his friends about the monster that lived in the woods behind Maple Road on the property owned by the Middleborough Rod & Gun Club. The club had constructed a block building on the site with large openings where they shot at targets on the outside. In later years, it was used as an archery range.

Near the end of the summer, my brother and his friends had devised a plan to see this monster that “shook large trees, knocked over little trees, made terrifying noises, and left large tracks.”

They were going to hide on the roof of the block building and wait until the monster appeared.

Well I had to see this monster for myself, so about five minutes after they left, I stealth fully made my way into the woods and hid near the building. It was not long before I was spotted and repeatedly told to go home.

I refused to do so until much later when it was really getting dark. I gathered my courage and slowly made my way back down the trail toward my house, always looking behind me for the monster.

Unbeknownst to me, Steven had climbed off the roof and made his way around me and hid on the trail waiting. When I reached him, he jumped out of the weeds. You would be surprised at how powerful and loud the voice of a frightened 10-year-old boy can be. Neighbors from more than a mile away said that they heard my screams.

The monster has made many other visits since that time. Just a few months ago, the son of a neighbor I grew up with told me of his experience. Patrick and his friends Ernie and Bobby were in Ernie’s backyard (which bordered the woods) a few years ago. It was late at night when they heard strange noises coming from the woods.

Without warning, the metal shed in Ernie’s yard began to shake violently and sounds of metal bending were heard. Of course this caused the boys to take off, running away scared.

The next day they went back to look at the shed and found many dents and what looked like scratch marks made by claws which were not there before.

The Monster of the Woods survives!

'Ghost Road'

Just off Carroll Island Road in Middle River is a side road named Keeners Road. It is a long and dark road surrounded by trees — once you get past the town home development—with a large and very old house near the end.

For years, this road has had the nickname of Ghost Road.

The story goes that if you drive down the road at night, many strange and unexplainable things happen. As you approach the railroad tracks that cross the road, car headlights go out, car radio’s stop playing and in many cases car engines just go dead.

There have been reports of ghosts being spotted at the old house (which was abandoned for many years). Literally hundreds of people over the years have sworn these things have happened to them.

Of course, there are other stories that pop up now and then.

For example: being haunted, Bengies Road being another Ghost Road and deceased former owners showing up at houses throughout the community.

So, while you are out there this Halloween having your party or going trick or treating, think about these stories and make up your own mind. Are the real or just urban legends?

Happy Halloween from the staff of Essex-Middle River Patch.