| Red Headed Hitchhiker of Route 44 update |
| The response has been overwhelming to my article on the red-headed hitchhiker on Route 44 in Rehoboth, MA. I have decided to create a clear listing of the information I have been given on the subject. As a writer, I struggle with not putting this material in a narrative form, but the majority of the responses I have had ask for the facts of the case. It is also difficult to put what people have written in that form because it consists mainly of fragments and tidbits. As always, I reiterate the best published source of the material is Charles Turek Robinson’s book New England Ghost Files, published in 1994 by Covered Bridge Press in North Attleboro. I have been asked many times about this book, and it is almost impossible to find a copy to purchase. I suggest going to your local library and getting it on Interlibrary Loan. You can request a copy of the chapter on this haunting by e-mailing me at alosa1066@masscrossroads.com, but you may not use the material it contains without citing the publisher and author. I thank those who have contributed to this update, and as promised, I do not cite you by name. For more detailed accounts, see my article at www.masscrossroads.com/redhead. I have included some without backing up what the people had said, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Several employees of the Cumberland farms spoke of the spirit. They had not seen it themselves, but had heard of the ghost. One’s brother had been driving alone when he saw him on the side of the road. He stopped and called out to the man who started to walk towards him. As he got closer, he faded until he had completely disappeared. One e-mail told of the hitchhiker appearing in the backseat of his car. He was alone and saw him in the rear view mirror. The radio started to scan the stations and then became so loud it shook the car. The man disappeared and began to laugh on the radio. Another e-mail offered some possible explanations and clarification on the source and nature of the haunting. A resident of Rehoboth, the women who sent the e-mail had seen a shadow in her rear view mirror near the area the hitchhiker is known to lurk. She had conducted interviews herself with people in the area. Her research found the identity of the spirit might be that of a local farmer who was hit while changing a tire on 44. His description matches that of the hitchhiker, although his actions during his death do not match traditional hitchhiker stories. She also identified another aspect of the story might contributes to the legend aspect of the story. Some people remember a ghost story involving a traveler seen on the road between Redway Plain and Wilmarth Bridge Road. The name of the street may have helped change the description of the ghost over time, creating the legend that endures today. Older information we have posted can be seen at: www.masscrossroads.com/sites3 www.masscrossroads.com/sites5 Please keep e-mailing information you hear or experience. |
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