| Freetown, Massachusetts: The Paranormal Dumping Ground |
| Freetown's place in Massachusetts folklore and paranormal history is quickly becoming as famous as its coastal sisters and metro cousins. As more stories come out that focus on that part of the state, the more people will turn their heads to what is happening there and the history of this rural town. Freetown is one of the three corners of the Bridgewater Triangle, an area that covers several towns with a history of paranormal activity including UFO sighting, odd creatures and ghosts. The town was purchased in 1659 from the Wampanoag Tribe (more on that later) and became a town in 1683. Fall River, which was originally part of the town, broke off in 1803. The focus of the activity in Freetown seems to be in the state forest there. The forest is 5,441acres (about 15 square miles) and lies in a town of little more then 30 square miles with not 10,000 citizens. The majority is dedicated to a forest reserve and Wampanoag reservation. One of the attractions of the forest is Profile Rock which, as legend says, is the profile of the great chief Massasoit. The reservation has open tribal meetings and seems to be a meeting ground of different tribes. This relationship between the people of Freetown and the Wampanoag Tribe is seen as one of the potential causes for the activity in the forest. Native Americans already believed the area was a highly scared area, and although I have not been able to find anything solid, it sounds as if Wamitta, who sold the land, might not have had the backing of the tribe. Whatever the cause, many feel the event of the area have turn the once gentle spirit violent, attracting evil to it and it return being fed by the evil. Psychics who have visited the area and Native American both feel the horrible crimes and hauntings will not stop until the tribe is given back the land. Like other cities in the Triangle, Freetown has lights that appear over the forest. There are also strange animals and unseen things watching you while you hike and enjoy the scenery. One such watcher might be the Puk-wudgees, a normally gentle spirit that the Native Americans in the area believe seek out murders and put them into a deep sleep, often causing death. The area is also a haven for evil that can be seen. Waves of Satanist and cult made the forest their home in the late sixties and continued to actively before ceremonies there until at least the early nineties. In 1978 a teenager was found tied to a tree. In '79 three prostitutes were killed by a cult in ritualistic fashion. The leader of the cult, Carl Drew, was a pimp and was said to hold satanic powers over his followers. In 1988 an old woman's grave was dug up and her body stolen. The head was later recovered and the two youth who stole it claimed to need the head for the power it gave their rituals. In 1998 there were two instances of mutilated cattle found, and the area surrounding them were said to be the work of a cult. Then there are the sexual assaults, car burnings and attempted murders. In 1983 a newborn baby was found dead there. In '87 a drifter was found shot and burned to death. 1988-two men were found naked and shot. 1998- a boy was found beaten and left to die. The list goes on, and the more the cycle continues, the more the energy is built up in the forest. Police believe one reason for the activity is the town’s rural setting mixed with its proximity to some major town in Massachusetts. People use the park as a dumping ground for crimes committed in nearby Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River, as well as Brockton and Rhode Island. People who walk into the forest can feel the emotions there, a reflection of the betrayal of the past and the dishonor of the present. Native American voices are heard when no one is there. Several people have just disappeared after going hiking or dirt biking. One of the other interesting aspects of the town is an old police officer there, Alan Alves. He was once considered an authority on Satanism and the occult and sought out by police from other states. Many of the cases landed on his desk, forcing him to look deeper at what seemed to be a becoming an epidemic. Alves claims the forest to once be the home of several different levels of Satanists, from the dabbler to highly organized and influential people throughout the area. He retired and now runs a hypnosis healing center, not the job most ex-cops get. We are currently working on a book chronicling his old cases. |