Saturday, August 13, 2016

Legends of Candlewood Lake - Guest blog - Kristi Peterson Schoonover

For awhile we've been encouraging our members to guest blog on the site.  Is the first entry by Kristi Peterson Schoonover - do visit her site when you're done reading.






TAGS: legends of Candlewood Lake CT, urban legends, Chicken Rock accidents, Lynn Deming, the story of the Witch’s Circle, drowning deaths milfoil, towns buried under Candlewood Lake, lake monsters of the United States, town of Jerusalem CT, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Down the Hatch Brookfield 

Seven Creepy Tales of Candlewood Lake
by Kristi Petersen Schoonover
Many writers pull their inspiration from childhood; fortunately, I had a great many urban legends in mine.
The town of New Milford, Connecticut—where I grew up—has its share of unsettling lore. There is the inexhaustible mythos surrounding Lover’s Leap; there is also the Witch’s Circle, a stand of evergreens where, at midnight, an unseen spirit is said to whisper the date, time, and cause of a brave soul’s death in his ear. Lesser-known is the Glass Baby, the metallic statue of an infant in a clear coffin in Center Cemetery (which one of my friends adamantly claims he saw). As children, none of us doubted the validity of these tales, and the ones set in and around Candlewood Lake were no exception.
Candlewood Lake—which today borders five towns—was created in 1926 by the Connecticut Light & Power Company. Its purpose was to generate electricity, and its engineering is considered a feat. This status, however, came with more than a large price tag: whole communities were wiped out. CL&P, armed with eminent domain[1], secured property from families who had owned the land for generations. Homes, churches, and schools were burnt to the ground or left to flood.[2] Tobacco farms, bridges, and cemeteries were submerged.
All that loss was romantic, alluring, and fertile ground for storytelling.
These are the tales we whispered around the campfire and at sleepovers. As an adult, I view them as either provincially-colored incarnations of folklore found elsewhere in the country, or as cautionary tales intent on keeping brats in check.  When I was a kid, though, these stories were true and terrifying. They fueled my imagination, my love of the lake—and eventually, my career as a writer.
Special thanks to Kristina Hals, who helped me remember some details that had gotten fuzzy.
THE KIDS IN THE PIPE
The New Milford Town Beach—Lynn Deming Park—abuts one of the lake’s largest dams. While the beach area is cordoned in for safety, the ropes don’t do much to keep the adventurous from escaping. It’s said that three bored kids swam beneath the ropes, ventured too close to the dam, and were sucked into a pipe. Some say they were ground up in the turbines; others say they drowned while trying to claw free of the opposing current. Either way, their bodies never were found.
I have no idea how a dam works and I honestly still don’t, although from looking at diagrams this scenario seems entirely possible. What I do know is that our generation took this as a warning, and none of my friends who swam at the town park ever went beyond the ropes. Even at any of our private beaches—most of them miles from the nearest dams—hazarding beyond those thick yellow cords was out of the question.
A RITE OF PASSAGE
At the New Fairfield-Sherman border, on the southern tip of Green Island, looms 25-foot-high Chicken Rock, where you can either jump or rope-swing into the water. While tourists enjoy its quaintness—it harkens to the days when fun was more important than safety—for locals under 18, it’s a popular place for taking the leap into adulthood. There is even a T-shirt you can buy: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pirates-of-Candlewood-Lake-tm-T-shirt-Chicken-Rock-/150384205508). If you want to see the madness, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk1NS8hViHc
It’s also, however, the site of countless accidents, mostly caused by people not jumping out far enough and whacking their heads on the way down. While I can’t find any evidence of actual deaths, there is a story that anyone who really wants to test his mettle can sail to the rock in the dark of night, turn off his lights, and wait. Supposedly, one can either observe the spirits of those who have died as they repeatedly relive their last leap, or hear their final screams.
Just about everyone I grew up with has leapt from Chicken Rock. I never have. My high school buddies and I, though, piloted my Dad’s boat over there on an August night in 1989. We did hear screaming, but to this day we’re not sure if it wasn’t from some party happening elsewhere on the lake.
THOSE WHO REFUSED TO LEAVE
It’s tempting to speculate that despite eminent domain and rising waters, some folks refused to leave; the story goes that they chained themselves to their front porches and surrendered to the flood. Since it took many months to fill the lake, it would have been an agonizing, several-week wait depending on the location. It is said that their regretful ghosts, forlorn and freezing in the depths, reach for the light—and seize the ankles of unsuspecting swimmers, dragging new souls to their watery grave.          
Even the recent history of the lake is peppered with drownings, and in some cases, the bodies aren’t found for several days due to the murk. This fact, and the abundance of Eurasian milfoil—a tall, dense-growing invasive species that entangles the legs and has been suspected or blamed in several incidents—are at the root of this ghastly yarn. In my pre-awareness-of-seaweed-years, I took this legend very seriously; I had a few run-ins that were so traumatizing I avoided swimming in certain areas of the lake.
At least that I can find, there is no record of owners remaining behind with their property, let alone chaining themselves to it; there are people who would not, however, turn over their land, and because of that, there are some in the town of Sherman who still pay taxes on submerged acreage.[3]
CANDY
Contrary to what you’re probably thinking, Candy—the Candlewood Lake monster—has no connection to Nessie or Champ.
Candy is a twenty or thirty foot giant walleye[4] or bluegill (depending on who’s telling it) who prowls the shallows around the tip of Vaughn’s Neck—a bucolic, uninhabited spit of land which juts between the towns of New Milford and New Fairfield. On the New Milford side, opposite the Candlewood Terrace beach, there’s a perfect spot for a shaded, private picnic, mostly because it’s got a gradual slope toward shore and plenty of sturdy trees for boat tie-up; yet, rarely anyone takes advantage of it. Candy, who capsizes boats and feasts on their passengers just before they reach the shoal, is why.
It’s no surprise that this story didn’t start circulating until the late 1970s (Jaws had captivated the nation a few years earlier), and since that particular spot on Vaughn’s Neck would’ve made for a prime party location, it may have been a way to discourage troublemakers. All I know is that, in the summer of 1984, my friends and I went over there to camp—and the ghost stories we told were nowhere near as scary as the loud splashing of an obviously large something in the shallows just beyond the scope of our flashlights.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
While it’s true that a few structures were left standing, most were burnt to the ground after the owners were gone.[5] It’s long been gossiped, however, that the village of Jerusalem, which now lies at the bottom between New Milford’s Lynn Deming Park and Birch Point, was left intact; that those exploring beneath the surface will see houses, barns, and meeting halls emerge from the gloom like apparitions.
This narrative contends that on the final day of the school year, students who stand on the shore of the cove and burn their papers will, after the burning is complete, hear the distant toll of the village’s schoolhouse bell.
It seems that most of the schoolhouses were actually relocated to higher ground, and I’m not even sure that Jerusalem village had its own schoolhouse. It is true, though, that some homes were left standing (such as the Tudor Haviland home)[6], and that there are still some structures, such as the Orchard Point Bridge, that divers can behold today. If you’re interested, you can see that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx1atqN1Sm8
STEEPLECHASE
Squantz Pond, which is in New Fairfield and is part of the lake even though there is a berm that separates it, supposedly harbors a still-standing church, complete with steeple. People say that sometimes, due to drought or intentional draw-down, the steeple isn’t far enough under the waterline to stay clear of boaters; it can make for a scary obstacle if someone isn’t paying attention.
Folklore says accidentally clipping the church’s steeple will result in a curse on the vessel; shortly after something breaks and is repaired, something else will break and be in need of repair. Long story short, the boat will never run right again, and the pattern will persist until the boat is destroyed (not sold; destroyed. I had a friend whose father was convinced that his used Chris-Craft had been involved with the steeple: he got it for a song, but he barely enjoyed it because it was always in the shop).
Recently, I found a comment posted under an article on Candlewood Lake that made a reference to hitting the steeple and what happened afterward. You can read that here: http://www.damnedct.com/what-lurks-beneath
THE BIG CHILL
Cemeteries weren’t exempt from the power of progress. While many bodies were disinterred and relocated to graveyards outside the flood zone, some families opted not to remove their loved ones’ remains.[7] In addition, it’s likely that many small family plots which dotted the landscape were never emptied.
The legend goes that every year in February—the month they began filling the lake in 1928—the spirits of the abandoned dead roam the ice, crying for someone to dig them up so they will no longer be forgotten.
The lake usually gets drawn down in winter in an effort to kill the milfoil (and possibly for other reasons), and standing on sand that would normally be several feet underwater is surreal. Still, the lake is active in winter—if the ice is thick enough, there are fishermen and skaters, as well as a few curiosity seekers hoping to spot old foundations and chimneys. Toward sunset, though—especially in the throes of February—there is almost a preternatural quiet, broken every once in a while by a mournful wail, the source of which is difficult to identify.
#
Despite the scary tales of the lake she grew up on, Kristi Petersen Schoonover is a water rat. Her short fiction has been featured in several magazines and anthologies; Dark Alley Press published her novel, Bad Apple, in 2012, and a novelette, “This Poisoned Ground,” in 2014. She holds an MFA from Goddard College, is the recipient of three Norman Mailer Writers Colony residencies, and is a co-host on the Dark Discussions podcast. Recently named Guest of Awesome for 2017’s Ro-Con 3, she also serves as co-editor of Read Short Fiction and creates the This Writing Life YouTube series. Find out more at http://www.kristipetersenschoonover.com/





PHOTO CAPTIONS
Candlewood Terrace Beach
My childhood beach. It’s one of many locations on the lake where, in winter, unidentifiable sounds echo across the ice. On another note, in the winter, the dock with the diving board is about where the water level starts; everything between there and the shore is dry land. It’s creepy walking on the bottom.
Chicken Rock
There’s more than one way to test your mettle at Chicken Rock.
History of the Lake
Down the Hatch is a well-known lakeside bar and restaurant famous for its “dock-your-boat-and-eat” culture. It’s been around since the 1940s (and to this day is a favorite summer haunt of mine) and featured this history of the lake on its menu for the 2010 season.
Kristi & Chuck
My brother, right, and I swimming in Candlewood Lake, circa 1982. I would’ve been about 11 here, right around the age when these stories were all the rage among my group of friends.
Urban Legends Map
This map shows the tales’ (approximate) locations.
Vaughn’s Neck
We’re looking at Vaughn’s Neck on the New Milford side. Candy is said to prowl off a small beach a little further south.



[1] Susan Murphy and Gary Smolen, Images of America: Candlewood Lake (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005), 7
[2] Ibid., 48.
[3] Ibid., 52.
[4] Their teeth are quite nasty. Take a gander here:  http://www.outdoorcentral.com/mc/pr/03/06/25a1.asp
[5] Ibid., 48.
[6] Ibid., 49.
[7] Ibid., 59.
 

17 comments:

Walt Giersbach said...

These are wonderful stories! I lived in Bethel for 13 years and regularly visited Candlewood. There was at least one drowning a year in Squantz Pond (where swimming is prohibited)from New Yorkers who think swimming there is a lark. But I was more intrigued by the Legend of the Black Dog. It's said, "If a man shall meet the Black Dog once, it shall be for joy; and if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time, he shall die.” My fictional take on this, "Black Grammie," was published by Liquid Imagination at http://liquidimagination.silverpen.org/article/black-grammie-by-walt-giersbach/

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

Thank you, Walt! That means so much coming from you. I've always been fascinated by any type of urban legend, but these from Candlewood haven't even been written down anywhere that I can tell, which is insanely cool. Anyhow, I will read "Black Grammie" when I get a minute. I still have to read your Jersey Devil piece...I just haven't had a spare minute! Talk to you soon! -- Kaye

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Dallas Rockford said...

I just discovered this , so I am pretty late to the "dance".

I've been a resident for over 30 years and now visitor to Candlewood Lake for the last 25. My family still has a house in a Candlewood Lake community.

You have a very vivid imagination - I never heard any of these stories. No one ever died at Chicken Rock, and I believe the tip is actually 32 feet - or so we had been told. There was once a rope swing across from the Candlewood Lake Club in the early 1980's. It was really exhilarating and extremely dangerous. When you reached your apex over the water, you were easily 30 feet in the air. One day, my friends and I went to use the rope - but it was cut down. In fact, the tall tree it was affixed to was also cut down into pieces. The story we heard was that a girl let go too soon, landing on the rocks a few feet into the shore. We were told the injuries were severe - though not fatal.

The sounds you hear under the ice, while possibly ghosts can also be explained - but who knows? Maybe they are ghosts so I'll keep my mouth shut on that one.

As for Lynn Deming - you are correct. I would never jump out of my boat up there or swim anywhere near that dam. Over the years, it has claimed more than one person - and it is my belief that several swimmers from the 1970's and 1980's were never found.

I'm really happy you have made this site. Great job - it's nice to see stuff about Candlewood.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

Hello, Dallas! Nice to meet you. You probably don't live too far from me. I'm about a mile from Nimer's White Turkey Deli.

What's interesting is that the more I talk to people who live around the lake, the more I'm finding we all heard different stories growing up, so they are all, in a way, tales of the vivid imagination. A few of my friends who lived on the lake in New Fairfield claim there's one area that's haunted by a Native American chief (I have yet to pick up the details on this), and that's definitely a story I never heard.

Yes -- I remember the tree you're talking about across from the Candlewood Lake Club. My dad would NEVER let us go there, because of exactly what you described! I remember seeing it only once, though, from the water on our boat. Do you know if you could see it from the road? I honestly can't recall. I've driven that road my entire life so much that everything, past and present, has become a blur.

You are absolutely correct about swimmers never being found. LOTS of people around here who don't know each other told me that, so there's definitely some truth to it. There was one girl I know of who drowned at LD when I was in middle school, but I don't think she was near the dam. They DID find her, but it was like two weeks later, and she was tangled up in some debris at the bottom of the lake, as I recall. I'd have to ask someone else with a better memory or do some research.

Thanks so much for chiming in! I hope we get to talk again soon.

Kristi

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

PS -- I don't remember the story about the girl dying off the rope swing. I DO remember my dad telling me they took it down because it was dangerous. I wish the New Milford Times archives were still around with easy access (I think I can still search on microfiche at the library, but I'd have to look). I used to work for them, and they used to have an entire room full of these giant journals with every single issue going way back to forever. I wonder if those still exist.

East End Taste Magazine said...

Wow great post.
Milford Ghost Walk in Connecticut

Kevin said...

The Native American chief was Chief Squants , He was buried in a cave overlooking Squantz Pond long before Candlewood Lake was created , His resting place is now submerged under the much larger Squantz Pond.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

Thank you, Kevin!! I truly appreciate this information! I'm sure there's an additional legend connected to that as well. Apparently, it depends which town you grew up in--each town had different legends.

Dallas Rockford said...

Kevin has a vivid imagination. Chief Squants? C'mon, man!

Did you see Sasquatch swimming there?
Loch Ness Monster?
Squantz Devil?
Chupacabra?

PT Barnum would be proud of you!

Dallas Rockford said...

Squantz was created at the same time as Candlewood, a small conflict with the attempted Chief Squants fable.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

Hi, Dallas!!

Yes, there are sooo many legends connected with the lake, and some of them may sound silly or invented--but in truth, most of them probably were. Many of them were stories our parents "made up" to keep us from getting into trouble. In a sense, they were more like folktales, like "Hansel & Gretel." That's why they're so endlessly fascinating. There isn't any kid who grew up on this lake that didn't hear some ridiculous story. I know for a fact the Chicken Rock one was intended to keep us from getting hurt. Jumping off that thing was beyond dangerous--and we were of the generation that was largely unsupervised.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

...and yes. Maybe there's something to be said for PT Barnum, here. :)

it me said...

I grew up and still live in NF. The "indian chief" story I was always told was about Fog Man - if you're driving on Shortwoods Road (near Squantz Pond) on a foggy night and you glance away from the road to change the music or something, you'll look up and see that you're about to hit a Native American man standing in the road. There's no way to avoid hitting him but you actually drive through him because he's made of fog. My friend and used to drive around looking for him and scared ourselves when we saw a man walking his dog and that ended that.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing this blog. Although I only swam here once in my childhood years, It was absolutely fascinating to read about the legends. My aunt,uncle and cousins lived in New Fairfield for years and swam here regularly but I never heard the stories Thank you again for sharing. MARSHA

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

You are welcome, Marsha! I'm glad it brought back happy memories.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover said...

"it me" -- Thank YOU for the Fog Man story!! That's AWESOME!! I have heard a couple of variations of that from a couple of other NF residents, but not with the fog! Thank you so much for sharing!!