Yes. It has indeed. And you can read about it at JARETT KOBEK's blog. (Click Here).
There are many images. Kobek begins ...
The footprint of Howard Phillips Lovecraft in Rhode Island is surprisingly shallow: a plaque on the campus of Brown, a headstone & not much else.
But the discerning eye will find many traces of the gent from Angell Street. Often it happens with your knowledge– like returning home as a new Ulysses and being offered Lovecraft’s apartment at 10 Barnes Street and instead taking the one where Donald Wandrei wrote part of The Web of Easter Island. Other times, you find out years later– like discovering that your high school was on the same grounds as Lovecraft’s grammar school.
It accumulates over the years and then there’s nary a thing Lovecraftian you haven’t seen or done.
But there’s always more. We had, in particular, focused on the Dark Swamp of Chepachet, RI, the hardest to find of all Lovecraftian locations.
More ... Click.
Showing posts with label Chepachet Rhode Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chepachet Rhode Island. Show all posts
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Black Swamp: Part 13 Finale
Chrispy had to end this series with 13 !
The swamp exists today. It is claimed to be as hard to reach as it was 80 or more years ago.
The Eddys claimed in their memoirs that HPL virtually collapsed in the heat, but the letter to Long shows little evidence of this. Lovecraft tended to tolerate heat well - the Eddy's say so in their memoirs. In fact, Lovecraft speaks that the legend of the Dark Swamp was located "in the autumn". The Long letter is dated 8 November ! One does wonder when this trip took place!
The exciting part is that only a short time after meeting CM Eddy - a mere few weeks - they are off on many adventures of enormous portent - including to locate the beast of the Dark Swamp.
Lovecraft clearly is endeared by CM Eddy and his family as he uses the affectionate, " So on that Sunday my son and I took the stage ...". Lovecraft, the elder statesman in his demeanor and posture, refers to Eddy as "son". This clearly means, that for better or worse, CM Eddy was respected and befriended by HPL!
The swamp exists today. It is claimed to be as hard to reach as it was 80 or more years ago.
The Eddys claimed in their memoirs that HPL virtually collapsed in the heat, but the letter to Long shows little evidence of this. Lovecraft tended to tolerate heat well - the Eddy's say so in their memoirs. In fact, Lovecraft speaks that the legend of the Dark Swamp was located "in the autumn". The Long letter is dated 8 November ! One does wonder when this trip took place!
The exciting part is that only a short time after meeting CM Eddy - a mere few weeks - they are off on many adventures of enormous portent - including to locate the beast of the Dark Swamp.
Lovecraft clearly is endeared by CM Eddy and his family as he uses the affectionate, " So on that Sunday my son and I took the stage ...". Lovecraft, the elder statesman in his demeanor and posture, refers to Eddy as "son". This clearly means, that for better or worse, CM Eddy was respected and befriended by HPL!
The Black Swamp: Part 12
Here is the major portion of a letter that decribes the episode:
"So on that Sunday my son and I took the stage for Chepachet, and in due time alighted before the Tavern ... In the tap-room they had never heard of Dark Swamp, but the landlord told us to ask the Town Clerk, two houses down the road beyond the White Church {Chepachet Union Church}, who knows everything in the parish. He told us, that the Dark Swamp had a very queer reputation, and that men had gone in who never came out; but confest he knew little of it, and had never been near it. At his suggestion we went across the road to the cottage of a very intelligent yeoman nam’d Sprague, whom he reported to have guided a party of gentlemen from Brown University thro’ parts of the swamp in a quest of botanick specimens some twelve years gone."
"Sprague dwells in a trim colonial with pleasing doorway and good interior mantels and paneling; and tho’ it turned out that ‘twas not he who guided the gentlemen, he prov’d uncommon genial and drew us a map by which we might reach the house of Fred Barnes, who did guide them. After a long walk over the same highroad travers’d by Mortonius [ James F. Morton and H.P.L. set out on the September journey to climb Durfee Hill but finding it too late, they decided to go to Pascoag instead.] and me, we came to Goodman Barnes’ place; and found him after waiting all of thirty-five minutes in his squalid kitchen. When he did arrive, he had not much to say; but told us to find ‘Squire James Reynolds, who dwells at the fork of the back road beyond the great reservoir, {Bowdish Reservoir} south of the turnpike."
"Again in motion, we stopt not till we came to Cody’s Tavern, built in 1683, and still affording best entertainment for man and beast. Tho’ Eddy much feared that the coach-passengers wou’d engross all the landlord’s attention, in preference to mere foot travellers, we were receiv’d with proper civility and given excellent food … The tavern lyes on the main Putnam Pike; but shortly after quitting it and passing the reservoir we turn’d south into the backwoods, coming in proper season to Squire Reynolds’ estate. He told us, that we had better take the right fork of the road, over the hills to Ernest Law’s farm; declaring that Mr. Law owns Dark Swamp, and that it was his son who had cut wood at the edge of it."
"Following the Squire’s directions, we ascended a narrow rutted road betwixt picturesque woods and stone walls; coming at last to a crest that stood mysteriously limned against the fire and gold of a late afternoon sky. Another moment and we had spied the stretch beyond it: to the right the antient farmhouse of Mr. Law, and to the left the most gorgeous and spectacular agrestic panorama that either of us had been beheld or indeed conceiv’d to exist."
"Were this Prodigious prospect anywhere within the easie reach and knowledge of the town, ‘twould be flockt with and noisy revellers on every Sunday and bank-holiday; but obscurity hath effected that unusually’d preservation which is impotent to achieve, this region being far from any great road, and north of a district very flat and notable for its want of pleasing scenes. I doubt that ten men in Providence are sensible it is on the globe. Here, surely, is the inmost spirit of antient New-England; that vivid woos of Mother Earth which our forefathers, and the Indian savages before them, knew and understood so well. We found Mr. Law … [who]…informed us, that Dark Swamp lyes in the distant bowl betwixt two of the hills we saw; and that ‘tis two miles from his house to the nearest part of it, by a winding road and a cart-path. He said, the peasants have a little exaggerated its fearful singularities, tho’ it is yet a very odd place, and ill to visit at night."
{HPL's Poem written at top of hill}
Far as the Eye can see, behold outspread
The serried Hills that own no Traveler’s Tread;
Dome behind Dome, and on each flaming Side
The hanging Forests in their virgin Pride.
Here dips a Vale, and here a Mead extends,
Whilst tho’ the piny Strath a Brooklet bends:
Yon farther Slopes to violet Aether fade,
And sunset Splendour gilds the nearer Glade:
Rude Walls of Stone in pleasing Zig-zag run
Where well-plac’d Trees salute the parting Sun;
Vext with the Arts that puny Men proclaim,
Nature speaks once, and puts them all the shame!
"So on that Sunday my son and I took the stage for Chepachet, and in due time alighted before the Tavern ... In the tap-room they had never heard of Dark Swamp, but the landlord told us to ask the Town Clerk, two houses down the road beyond the White Church {Chepachet Union Church}, who knows everything in the parish. He told us, that the Dark Swamp had a very queer reputation, and that men had gone in who never came out; but confest he knew little of it, and had never been near it. At his suggestion we went across the road to the cottage of a very intelligent yeoman nam’d Sprague, whom he reported to have guided a party of gentlemen from Brown University thro’ parts of the swamp in a quest of botanick specimens some twelve years gone."
"Sprague dwells in a trim colonial with pleasing doorway and good interior mantels and paneling; and tho’ it turned out that ‘twas not he who guided the gentlemen, he prov’d uncommon genial and drew us a map by which we might reach the house of Fred Barnes, who did guide them. After a long walk over the same highroad travers’d by Mortonius [ James F. Morton and H.P.L. set out on the September journey to climb Durfee Hill but finding it too late, they decided to go to Pascoag instead.] and me, we came to Goodman Barnes’ place; and found him after waiting all of thirty-five minutes in his squalid kitchen. When he did arrive, he had not much to say; but told us to find ‘Squire James Reynolds, who dwells at the fork of the back road beyond the great reservoir, {Bowdish Reservoir} south of the turnpike."
"Again in motion, we stopt not till we came to Cody’s Tavern, built in 1683, and still affording best entertainment for man and beast. Tho’ Eddy much feared that the coach-passengers wou’d engross all the landlord’s attention, in preference to mere foot travellers, we were receiv’d with proper civility and given excellent food … The tavern lyes on the main Putnam Pike; but shortly after quitting it and passing the reservoir we turn’d south into the backwoods, coming in proper season to Squire Reynolds’ estate. He told us, that we had better take the right fork of the road, over the hills to Ernest Law’s farm; declaring that Mr. Law owns Dark Swamp, and that it was his son who had cut wood at the edge of it."
"Following the Squire’s directions, we ascended a narrow rutted road betwixt picturesque woods and stone walls; coming at last to a crest that stood mysteriously limned against the fire and gold of a late afternoon sky. Another moment and we had spied the stretch beyond it: to the right the antient farmhouse of Mr. Law, and to the left the most gorgeous and spectacular agrestic panorama that either of us had been beheld or indeed conceiv’d to exist."
"Were this Prodigious prospect anywhere within the easie reach and knowledge of the town, ‘twould be flockt with and noisy revellers on every Sunday and bank-holiday; but obscurity hath effected that unusually’d preservation which is impotent to achieve, this region being far from any great road, and north of a district very flat and notable for its want of pleasing scenes. I doubt that ten men in Providence are sensible it is on the globe. Here, surely, is the inmost spirit of antient New-England; that vivid woos of Mother Earth which our forefathers, and the Indian savages before them, knew and understood so well. We found Mr. Law … [who]…informed us, that Dark Swamp lyes in the distant bowl betwixt two of the hills we saw; and that ‘tis two miles from his house to the nearest part of it, by a winding road and a cart-path. He said, the peasants have a little exaggerated its fearful singularities, tho’ it is yet a very odd place, and ill to visit at night."
{HPL's Poem written at top of hill}
Far as the Eye can see, behold outspread
The serried Hills that own no Traveler’s Tread;
Dome behind Dome, and on each flaming Side
The hanging Forests in their virgin Pride.
Here dips a Vale, and here a Mead extends,
Whilst tho’ the piny Strath a Brooklet bends:
Yon farther Slopes to violet Aether fade,
And sunset Splendour gilds the nearer Glade:
Rude Walls of Stone in pleasing Zig-zag run
Where well-plac’d Trees salute the parting Sun;
Vext with the Arts that puny Men proclaim,
Nature speaks once, and puts them all the shame!
The Black Swamp of Chepatchet: Part 11
"It was a quest of the grotesque and terrible – a search for Dark Swamp, in Northwestern
Rhode-Island, of which Eddy had heard sinister whispers among the rusticks. They whisper
that it is very remote and very strange, and that no one has ever been completely thro’ it
because of the treacherous and unfathomable potholes, and the antient trees whose thick
boles grow so closely together that passage is difficult and darkness omnipresent even at
noon, and other things, of which bobcats – whose half-human howls and heard in the
night by peasants near the edge – are the very least. It is a very peculiar place, and no house
was ever built within two miles of it. The rural swains refer to it with much evasiveness,
and not one of them can be induc’d to guide a traveler through it; altho’ a few intrepid hunters
and wood-cutters have plied their vocations on its fringes. It lyes in a natural bowl surrounded
by low ranges of beautiful hills; far from any frequented road, and known to scarce a dozen persons outside the immediate country. Even in Chepachet, the nearest village, there are but two men who ever heard of it. Eddy discover’d its rumour at the Chepachet Post Office one bleak autumn evening when huntsmen gather’d about the fire and told tales and exprest wonder why all the squirrels and rabbits had left the hills and fled across the plain into Connecticut. One very antient man with a flintlock said that IT had moved in Dark Swamp, and had cran’d ITS neck out of the abysmal pothole beneath which IT has ITS immemorial lair.
And he said his grandfather had told him in 1849, when he was a very little boy, that IT
had been there when the first settlers cam; and that the Indians believed that IT had always
been there. The antient man with the flintlock was the only one present who had ever heard of Dark Swamp."
—Letter to Frank Belknap Long, November 8, 1923
Rhode-Island, of which Eddy had heard sinister whispers among the rusticks. They whisper
that it is very remote and very strange, and that no one has ever been completely thro’ it
because of the treacherous and unfathomable potholes, and the antient trees whose thick
boles grow so closely together that passage is difficult and darkness omnipresent even at
noon, and other things, of which bobcats – whose half-human howls and heard in the
night by peasants near the edge – are the very least. It is a very peculiar place, and no house
was ever built within two miles of it. The rural swains refer to it with much evasiveness,
and not one of them can be induc’d to guide a traveler through it; altho’ a few intrepid hunters
and wood-cutters have plied their vocations on its fringes. It lyes in a natural bowl surrounded
by low ranges of beautiful hills; far from any frequented road, and known to scarce a dozen persons outside the immediate country. Even in Chepachet, the nearest village, there are but two men who ever heard of it. Eddy discover’d its rumour at the Chepachet Post Office one bleak autumn evening when huntsmen gather’d about the fire and told tales and exprest wonder why all the squirrels and rabbits had left the hills and fled across the plain into Connecticut. One very antient man with a flintlock said that IT had moved in Dark Swamp, and had cran’d ITS neck out of the abysmal pothole beneath which IT has ITS immemorial lair.
And he said his grandfather had told him in 1849, when he was a very little boy, that IT
had been there when the first settlers cam; and that the Indians believed that IT had always
been there. The antient man with the flintlock was the only one present who had ever heard of Dark Swamp."
—Letter to Frank Belknap Long, November 8, 1923
Monday, February 26, 2007
Update
Sorry, Chrispy has been away! A little R&R, along with getting new stories ready and meeting other obligations. The new HorrorLirary story will be a near-novelette King in Yellow story. It has been months in writing, and I hope you enjoy it - if you are so inclined to read my fiction.
As always, I and my writer circle can be found featured at www.horrorlibrary.net.
I hope to get more on the Black Swamp trip up soon, and some details on alchemy and Lovecraft in the Alchemist and Charles Dexter Ward.
Thank each of you for making this a record breaking month on reads.
As always, I and my writer circle can be found featured at www.horrorlibrary.net.
I hope to get more on the Black Swamp trip up soon, and some details on alchemy and Lovecraft in the Alchemist and Charles Dexter Ward.
Thank each of you for making this a record breaking month on reads.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
The Cthulhu Prayer Society !!
The online newsletters seem to have been discontinued, but you must read their archives. Perhaps the principal editor is the poet Brett Rutherford, but in event, the layout and content is of the first class caliber.
Please go visit ... click here.
And whie you are there, enjoy the poetry and the experience of these wonderful aesthetes.
Salute !!
P.S. There is a triumphant expedition to the Dark Swamp with a long letter published to Frank Belknap Long. I will blog on it soon and add it to our Black Swamp HPLblog exposition.
Please go visit ... click here.
And whie you are there, enjoy the poetry and the experience of these wonderful aesthetes.
Salute !!
P.S. There is a triumphant expedition to the Dark Swamp with a long letter published to Frank Belknap Long. I will blog on it soon and add it to our Black Swamp HPLblog exposition.
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Black Swamp of Chepachet: Part 10
There are a few modern day places in the wet areas of Chepachet that may have led to the legend of the Dark Swamp. CM Eddy and Lovecraft had gotten about 3 miles down Putnam Pike and saw a number of farms before they stopped looking.
HAWKINS POND (On Putnam Pike (Rte. 44) in West Glocester)
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 6 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; right onto Pulaski Road; use trail on immediate left.
Hawkins' Pond, nearly 10 acres in extent, and its system of streams are the most prominent features of this 71-acre site. There are also areas of mature pine forest, with some exceeding 75 feet in height. (80 years ago, these may have not been so pronounced - CP) At the upper (northeast) end of the pond, there are extensive wetlands which support an impressive variety of plant species. Below the spillway are numerous natural seeps which have been enhanced by the impounding of the pond to a depth exceeding 22 feet. These seeps cause local variation in the habitat for both plants and animals within a relatively small area, and they support a diversity of ferns and flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring well into the summer.
The pond features an abundance of fish and water fowl, and its environs are frequented by deer, fox, coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, otters, muskrats, woodchucks, and opossum. Pheasant and partridge are present, and wild turkey thrive at the pond.
Beginning around 1750, the water provided by the pond powered a sawmill. (This makes it of antiquarian interst, too - CP) In 1873 a cotton mill was erected on the property. Succeeding years saw the pond used to power a woodworking mill and, again, a sawmill. Around 1924, Walter A. Hawkins, a self-educated mechanic, fashioned a generator and electrical system, and generated electricity for the area until 1936. (Perhaps this also intrigued Lovecraft in late 1923 had he heard about it).
***
ROBERT HUCKINS WOODLAND
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44, passing Pine Orchard Road; the area is across from pole #458, approximately 1/2 mile east of Sprague Hill Road.
On Route 44 in ChepachetThis 176-acre area abuts both Sprague Farm and Burton Woodland. Many of the trees have reached full maturity, resulting in a canopy that reaches 100 feet in some places. Dotted with streams and ponds, the area features a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island.
Within this three-site area a pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers.
***
SPRAGUE FARM
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 2 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; left onto Pine Orchard Road; use Haystack Trail on right at Pole #33.
On Pine Orchard Road in Chepachet( at telephone pole #33, across from 162 Pine Orchard Road) Sprague Farm abuts both Burton Woodland and Robert Huckins Woodland. It includes within its nearly 250 acres a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island. Many of the trees have reached full maturity; among these is an impressive stand of Striped Maple. A pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. A grove of Atlantic White Cedar occupies a permanent swamp in the north-central region of the site.
Approximately 200 years of agricultural activity (which may have been of antiquarian interest to Lovecraft - CP) has left several open fields which help to diversify the habitat, as well as a clearly defined set of trails. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers. (Definitely antuquarian -CP)
HAWKINS POND (On Putnam Pike (Rte. 44) in West Glocester)
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 6 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; right onto Pulaski Road; use trail on immediate left.
Hawkins' Pond, nearly 10 acres in extent, and its system of streams are the most prominent features of this 71-acre site. There are also areas of mature pine forest, with some exceeding 75 feet in height. (80 years ago, these may have not been so pronounced - CP) At the upper (northeast) end of the pond, there are extensive wetlands which support an impressive variety of plant species. Below the spillway are numerous natural seeps which have been enhanced by the impounding of the pond to a depth exceeding 22 feet. These seeps cause local variation in the habitat for both plants and animals within a relatively small area, and they support a diversity of ferns and flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring well into the summer.
The pond features an abundance of fish and water fowl, and its environs are frequented by deer, fox, coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, otters, muskrats, woodchucks, and opossum. Pheasant and partridge are present, and wild turkey thrive at the pond.
Beginning around 1750, the water provided by the pond powered a sawmill. (This makes it of antiquarian interst, too - CP) In 1873 a cotton mill was erected on the property. Succeeding years saw the pond used to power a woodworking mill and, again, a sawmill. Around 1924, Walter A. Hawkins, a self-educated mechanic, fashioned a generator and electrical system, and generated electricity for the area until 1936. (Perhaps this also intrigued Lovecraft in late 1923 had he heard about it).
***
ROBERT HUCKINS WOODLAND
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44, passing Pine Orchard Road; the area is across from pole #458, approximately 1/2 mile east of Sprague Hill Road.
On Route 44 in ChepachetThis 176-acre area abuts both Sprague Farm and Burton Woodland. Many of the trees have reached full maturity, resulting in a canopy that reaches 100 feet in some places. Dotted with streams and ponds, the area features a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island.
Within this three-site area a pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers.
***
SPRAGUE FARM
How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 2 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; left onto Pine Orchard Road; use Haystack Trail on right at Pole #33.
On Pine Orchard Road in Chepachet( at telephone pole #33, across from 162 Pine Orchard Road) Sprague Farm abuts both Burton Woodland and Robert Huckins Woodland. It includes within its nearly 250 acres a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island. Many of the trees have reached full maturity; among these is an impressive stand of Striped Maple. A pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. A grove of Atlantic White Cedar occupies a permanent swamp in the north-central region of the site.
Approximately 200 years of agricultural activity (which may have been of antiquarian interest to Lovecraft - CP) has left several open fields which help to diversify the habitat, as well as a clearly defined set of trails. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers. (Definitely antuquarian -CP)
The Black Swamp of Chepachet: Part 9
King Philip's War & the Great Swamp.
King Philips' War was a traumatic colonial event that is virtually forgotten today. It rarely shows up in history texts, even. About 20 June 1675 along the southern border of the Plymouth Colony bands of Pokanoket-Wampanoag Nativesleft now-Warren, Rhode Islandto raid farms. In a year, 680 settlers (out of 52,000) {twise the % of the Civil War and 7 times that of WWII} were killed. Probably 3,000 of the 20,000 Natives were killed in the war. {10 times the English losses}.
The area south of Pawtuxett was virtually evacualted, and 72 houses in Providence were destroyed.
King Philip was the adopted name of the chief (sachem) and reluctant leader of the conflict which not only reshaped Rhode Island, but also deeply influenced the Salem paranoia leading to the witch trials.
In the month of December 1675, an intersetion of a Narangasett warrior band with Nipmuc and Wampanoag allies passed Providence, and set up fortifications and supplies in now-South Kingston at "the Great Swamp". On 19 December 1675, 1150 Mohawk and English attacked and routed the Narrangasett, who regrouped and scoured Rhode Island and elsewhere with a guerilla fury until the war finally exhausted itself.
Unfortunately, there seems no connection to Lovecraft, nor is this swamp the Dark Swamp of Chepachet.
King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict, Eric B Schultz and Michael J Tougias, Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT 1999.
King Philips' War was a traumatic colonial event that is virtually forgotten today. It rarely shows up in history texts, even. About 20 June 1675 along the southern border of the Plymouth Colony bands of Pokanoket-Wampanoag Nativesleft now-Warren, Rhode Islandto raid farms. In a year, 680 settlers (out of 52,000) {twise the % of the Civil War and 7 times that of WWII} were killed. Probably 3,000 of the 20,000 Natives were killed in the war. {10 times the English losses}.
The area south of Pawtuxett was virtually evacualted, and 72 houses in Providence were destroyed.
King Philip was the adopted name of the chief (sachem) and reluctant leader of the conflict which not only reshaped Rhode Island, but also deeply influenced the Salem paranoia leading to the witch trials.
In the month of December 1675, an intersetion of a Narangasett warrior band with Nipmuc and Wampanoag allies passed Providence, and set up fortifications and supplies in now-South Kingston at "the Great Swamp". On 19 December 1675, 1150 Mohawk and English attacked and routed the Narrangasett, who regrouped and scoured Rhode Island and elsewhere with a guerilla fury until the war finally exhausted itself.
Unfortunately, there seems no connection to Lovecraft, nor is this swamp the Dark Swamp of Chepachet.
King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict, Eric B Schultz and Michael J Tougias, Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT 1999.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The Black Swamp of Chepachet: Part 8
Chrispy has tried to be diligent to search out how Lovecraft and CM Eddy would have heard about the swamp, why it was interesting to them, and what might have compelled them to ride off in search of it.
CM Eddy certainly, many years later, used it in a story.
Lovecraft would have been interested in the antiquities and antiquarian nature of quaint Chepachet. But a swamp? It did not seem his style.
However, there is a clear character to HPL's manner when he met a new writer. He was very much into noblesse oblige, and may have seen in CM Eddy a person that not only who he would bond with, but someone who he could "train" and "teach".
There are references in HPL's letters that indicate he considered CM Eddy more impoverished than himself, a lesser writer, and yet they seemed to hit it off immediately - these two men who had nothing in common except a chance to enjoy "the weird story".
From their (apparently) meeting in August 1923, they went on several day trips, one of the last on 27 December 1923.
In a few short months, Lovecraft would be in New York, married.
... next ... Part 9: King Phillips War?
CM Eddy certainly, many years later, used it in a story.
Lovecraft would have been interested in the antiquities and antiquarian nature of quaint Chepachet. But a swamp? It did not seem his style.
However, there is a clear character to HPL's manner when he met a new writer. He was very much into noblesse oblige, and may have seen in CM Eddy a person that not only who he would bond with, but someone who he could "train" and "teach".
There are references in HPL's letters that indicate he considered CM Eddy more impoverished than himself, a lesser writer, and yet they seemed to hit it off immediately - these two men who had nothing in common except a chance to enjoy "the weird story".
From their (apparently) meeting in August 1923, they went on several day trips, one of the last on 27 December 1923.
In a few short months, Lovecraft would be in New York, married.
... next ... Part 9: King Phillips War?
The Black Swamp of Chepachet: Part 7
Sorry to make this a travelogue, but this story is too interesting to pass up. Lovecraft, who knew nearly all folklore of Providence, would surely have heard of this. Surely.
No history of the village of Chepachet would be complete without, at least, a brief mention of 'The Scouts of Glocester, or the Elephant Hunt in the Jungles of Chepachet'. It was in the summer of 1825, {1825 is stated, but unsure if it is the correct date ... CP} when Messrs. June, Titus, & Englebourne, three 'gripers of the people's cash', were perambulating the State, exhibiting a wonderful quadrupled for the amusement of the people, and the replenishing of their 'once fat pocket-books'. It was a large elephant, and the value of the aforesaid animile, trunk and all, was set down at the remarkably low figure of $16,000. On a beautiful day in June, this rich-caparisoned cavalcade, bedecked with all the paraphernalia of Eastern custom, might have been seen wending its 'slow length along' into the suburban precincts of Chepachet, or the 'Devil's Bag', in disguise. Soon a white canvas arose, like Aladdin's palace, an addition to the gable-end of a barn, and into this shelter from the gaping gaze of a motley crowd, the wonderful quadruped was thrust, and soon, at the half-concealed entrance, appeared the crier of the merits of the show: 'Pass right up on the inside, and see the greatest wonder of the age!' Not all, however were prepared with the necessary scrip to indulge their desire, or feast their eyes in wonderment upon this huge monster of the tropics. 'But where there's a will there's a way', and soon several parties were safely secreted within the aforesaid barn, and before the managers of the hippodrome were aware of their design, they had effected an aperture in the side of the barn against which the tent rested, and were enjoying the exhibition with as much zest of their more favored neighbors. This, of course, aroused the righteous indignation of the bosses of the show, and the landlord was persuaded to vacate the stable of its intruders. This was accordingly done, and the insatiate greediness of the 'Scouts' found expression in a determination to deprive the managers of the show of further livelihood, by killing the elephant. Threats of this character were made during the remainder of the day, but the proprietors gave it but a passing thought, and kept up the exaltation of the entertainment, and passing patrons upon the inside to see the wonders of the show.
At last the day was spent, and preparations were being made to pull up and move toward Woonsocket, where they were to open on the following day. Everything being in readiness, the elephant's trunk packed, tent safely secured, and bills paid, the unsuspecting showmen started, about twelve o'clock at night, for their morrow's field of action. Slowly, but bravely, they took up their line of march, and all 'went merry as a marriage-bell'. Meanwhile, the 'Scouts of the Jungle' had secretly concealed themselves in a building that stood near the bridge, and patiently awaited the approach of the huge monster of the glen. Stealthily the prey approaches, and, as the bridge is reached, the quick, red glare of the hunter's unerring rifle is seen, a volley of leaden hail pierces the brain of this 'greatest wonder of the age', and when the dense, dark cloud of smoke ascends, the writhing monster was seen in the last agonies of death. The indignation of the showmen knew no bounds, and the 'expletives their feeble aid to join' made 'night hideous', as they witnessed the last throbbing pulsations of that noble beast, and saw their avocation vanish in that last expiring breath. Morn came at last, and o'er the scene the sun poured his lurid rays, and the bending heavens hung with ghastly broodings. The owners of the defunct elephant set about the task of skinning the monster, while the vultures of the jungle hovered near,ready to pounce upon the mangled carcass. The 'Scouts' were subsequently apprehended, tried, and a verdict of heavy damages obtained against them.
This is an event to be remembered by the generations of Chepachet, and she claims to-day the honor of 'bagging the biggest game ever killed in the State of Rhode Island.'
No history of the village of Chepachet would be complete without, at least, a brief mention of 'The Scouts of Glocester, or the Elephant Hunt in the Jungles of Chepachet'. It was in the summer of 1825, {1825 is stated, but unsure if it is the correct date ... CP} when Messrs. June, Titus, & Englebourne, three 'gripers of the people's cash', were perambulating the State, exhibiting a wonderful quadrupled for the amusement of the people, and the replenishing of their 'once fat pocket-books'. It was a large elephant, and the value of the aforesaid animile, trunk and all, was set down at the remarkably low figure of $16,000. On a beautiful day in June, this rich-caparisoned cavalcade, bedecked with all the paraphernalia of Eastern custom, might have been seen wending its 'slow length along' into the suburban precincts of Chepachet, or the 'Devil's Bag', in disguise. Soon a white canvas arose, like Aladdin's palace, an addition to the gable-end of a barn, and into this shelter from the gaping gaze of a motley crowd, the wonderful quadruped was thrust, and soon, at the half-concealed entrance, appeared the crier of the merits of the show: 'Pass right up on the inside, and see the greatest wonder of the age!' Not all, however were prepared with the necessary scrip to indulge their desire, or feast their eyes in wonderment upon this huge monster of the tropics. 'But where there's a will there's a way', and soon several parties were safely secreted within the aforesaid barn, and before the managers of the hippodrome were aware of their design, they had effected an aperture in the side of the barn against which the tent rested, and were enjoying the exhibition with as much zest of their more favored neighbors. This, of course, aroused the righteous indignation of the bosses of the show, and the landlord was persuaded to vacate the stable of its intruders. This was accordingly done, and the insatiate greediness of the 'Scouts' found expression in a determination to deprive the managers of the show of further livelihood, by killing the elephant. Threats of this character were made during the remainder of the day, but the proprietors gave it but a passing thought, and kept up the exaltation of the entertainment, and passing patrons upon the inside to see the wonders of the show.
At last the day was spent, and preparations were being made to pull up and move toward Woonsocket, where they were to open on the following day. Everything being in readiness, the elephant's trunk packed, tent safely secured, and bills paid, the unsuspecting showmen started, about twelve o'clock at night, for their morrow's field of action. Slowly, but bravely, they took up their line of march, and all 'went merry as a marriage-bell'. Meanwhile, the 'Scouts of the Jungle' had secretly concealed themselves in a building that stood near the bridge, and patiently awaited the approach of the huge monster of the glen. Stealthily the prey approaches, and, as the bridge is reached, the quick, red glare of the hunter's unerring rifle is seen, a volley of leaden hail pierces the brain of this 'greatest wonder of the age', and when the dense, dark cloud of smoke ascends, the writhing monster was seen in the last agonies of death. The indignation of the showmen knew no bounds, and the 'expletives their feeble aid to join' made 'night hideous', as they witnessed the last throbbing pulsations of that noble beast, and saw their avocation vanish in that last expiring breath. Morn came at last, and o'er the scene the sun poured his lurid rays, and the bending heavens hung with ghastly broodings. The owners of the defunct elephant set about the task of skinning the monster, while the vultures of the jungle hovered near,ready to pounce upon the mangled carcass. The 'Scouts' were subsequently apprehended, tried, and a verdict of heavy damages obtained against them.
This is an event to be remembered by the generations of Chepachet, and she claims to-day the honor of 'bagging the biggest game ever killed in the State of Rhode Island.'
The Black Swamp of Chepachet : Part 6
Now that we are far down this path, it might be of interest to see what CM Eddy and HP Lovecraft saw on their walk down Putnam Pike (Route 44).
Chepachet was basically a suburb (or bedroom community of Providence, and a town withing the greater Glocester.
Historic Chepachet was founded in the early 1700s when descendants of Providence Plantations' English Dissenters came to this distant wilderness. Often known as Seekers or Friends, and sometimes as Separatists or the New Lights, sought to worship simply and freely. This strong sense of independence and justice was recognized nationally during the Dorr Rebellion in 1842 when gunfire ripped through the historic Inn (presently the Stagecoach Inn) as the battle for expanded voter rights was waged against the entrenched Providence landowners.
Here are a few online notes of still existing structures they might or would have seen.
{We already saw this in Part 5, but here is a bit more} Sayles House - Rte 44, west side. Built in 1860, this house was owned by Leonard Sayles a decade later and then his brother, Henry Sayles by 1895. These brothers were capital owners of the Smith and Sayles Mill which manufactured woolen twill. The structure is of Italian Villa style, quickly becoming popular at the time with its symmetry and heavily bracketed cornice. There are few Victorian houses in Chepachet as the economy was declining when this architectural era gained prominence in New England.
Acote Hill, Rte 44, seen before entering the village. Site of Chepachet Cemetery containing graves of many Civil War veterans. In 1842, this hill was the site of the final Dorr Rebellion battle. On June 28, 1842, Governor Samuel Ward King sent a force of militia men to uphold the elected government legitimacy to confront the rebellious Dorrites. Only a cow was killed.
Chepachet Union Church - Rte 44 west side - built in 1846, this Greek Revival style has a portico resting on four fluted Doric columns. In 1938, the top story of the steeple was forever lost in the Hurricane.
Jeremiah Sheldon House - Rte 44 west side. In 1790, this gable roof house was built for Captain Israel Inman who ran it as an Inn. Ten years later, the owner was Simeon Sweet and by 1833, this Inn was known as the Jeremiah Sheldon House. In 1842, many of the Dorr rebels were housed here and a window still has the name of a Dorr follwer etched in it. A handsome doorway was added to enhance this stylish structure.
The Masonic Hall - Rte 44, east side. This attractive Federal style structure, erected in 1802, was used as a lodge upstairs while the main floor housed the Farmer's Exchange Bank. This was the first bank to open in the village, though its life was short running only from 1804-9. A dentilled cornice, large proportions, quoins add elegance to this building along with its tall doorway and fanlight.
Central Hotel, Franklin Bank- Rte 44, east side. These buildings were erected around 1800 and demonstrate the modest architecture found throughout much of the village. Porches were added towards the end of the 19th century.
Kimball House, Rte 44 east side. The oldest house in Chepachet Village demonstrates a slanted chimney with a pyramid cone marking in this 2 ½ story house. Built in 1750, it was owned by Asa Kimball in 1790 who was a colonel in the American Revolution.
Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church, Rte 44 east side. Constructed in 1821 by Clark Sayles, this church represents two architectural styles with its double pediments, three arched doorways, steeple. The mix of Greek Revival and classic reminder of Providence's Baptist Meeting House is interesting.
Chepachet was basically a suburb (or bedroom community of Providence, and a town withing the greater Glocester.
Historic Chepachet was founded in the early 1700s when descendants of Providence Plantations' English Dissenters came to this distant wilderness. Often known as Seekers or Friends, and sometimes as Separatists or the New Lights, sought to worship simply and freely. This strong sense of independence and justice was recognized nationally during the Dorr Rebellion in 1842 when gunfire ripped through the historic Inn (presently the Stagecoach Inn) as the battle for expanded voter rights was waged against the entrenched Providence landowners.
Here are a few online notes of still existing structures they might or would have seen.
{We already saw this in Part 5, but here is a bit more} Sayles House - Rte 44, west side. Built in 1860, this house was owned by Leonard Sayles a decade later and then his brother, Henry Sayles by 1895. These brothers were capital owners of the Smith and Sayles Mill which manufactured woolen twill. The structure is of Italian Villa style, quickly becoming popular at the time with its symmetry and heavily bracketed cornice. There are few Victorian houses in Chepachet as the economy was declining when this architectural era gained prominence in New England.
Acote Hill, Rte 44, seen before entering the village. Site of Chepachet Cemetery containing graves of many Civil War veterans. In 1842, this hill was the site of the final Dorr Rebellion battle. On June 28, 1842, Governor Samuel Ward King sent a force of militia men to uphold the elected government legitimacy to confront the rebellious Dorrites. Only a cow was killed.
Chepachet Union Church - Rte 44 west side - built in 1846, this Greek Revival style has a portico resting on four fluted Doric columns. In 1938, the top story of the steeple was forever lost in the Hurricane.
Jeremiah Sheldon House - Rte 44 west side. In 1790, this gable roof house was built for Captain Israel Inman who ran it as an Inn. Ten years later, the owner was Simeon Sweet and by 1833, this Inn was known as the Jeremiah Sheldon House. In 1842, many of the Dorr rebels were housed here and a window still has the name of a Dorr follwer etched in it. A handsome doorway was added to enhance this stylish structure.
The Masonic Hall - Rte 44, east side. This attractive Federal style structure, erected in 1802, was used as a lodge upstairs while the main floor housed the Farmer's Exchange Bank. This was the first bank to open in the village, though its life was short running only from 1804-9. A dentilled cornice, large proportions, quoins add elegance to this building along with its tall doorway and fanlight.
Central Hotel, Franklin Bank- Rte 44, east side. These buildings were erected around 1800 and demonstrate the modest architecture found throughout much of the village. Porches were added towards the end of the 19th century.
Kimball House, Rte 44 east side. The oldest house in Chepachet Village demonstrates a slanted chimney with a pyramid cone marking in this 2 ½ story house. Built in 1750, it was owned by Asa Kimball in 1790 who was a colonel in the American Revolution.
Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church, Rte 44 east side. Constructed in 1821 by Clark Sayles, this church represents two architectural styles with its double pediments, three arched doorways, steeple. The mix of Greek Revival and classic reminder of Providence's Baptist Meeting House is interesting.
The Black Swamp of Chepachet : Part 5
Chrispy has uncovered an online anecdote that reinforces the "trip to find the black swamp".
LEONARD SAYLES HOUSE (c. 1850)This is the only example of Mediterranean Villa architecture in Glocester. Three generations of the Sayles family resided there. Henry Sayles became Town Clerk around 1912 and it was he who directed H. P. Lovecraft on his quest for the Dark Swamp in 1923.
So, there you have a local Glocester anecdote about the "dark swamp" !
...continued...
Reference here (click).
Click here to read more on-line about H. P. Lovecraft and his visit to Glocester.
LEONARD SAYLES HOUSE (c. 1850)This is the only example of Mediterranean Villa architecture in Glocester. Three generations of the Sayles family resided there. Henry Sayles became Town Clerk around 1912 and it was he who directed H. P. Lovecraft on his quest for the Dark Swamp in 1923.
So, there you have a local Glocester anecdote about the "dark swamp" !
...continued...
Reference here (click).
Click here to read more on-line about H. P. Lovecraft and his visit to Glocester.
The Black Swamp of Chepachet : Part 3
Remember, When HPL and CM Eddy went out in search of the Black Swamp, they were not Teddy Roosevelt on the Amazon. Rhode Island was interlaced with modern (albeit 1923 era) roads and trolleys and there were many amenities all along the road. Perhaps they even saw this hotel.
... continued ...
Chepachet 1908 Hotel
... continued ...
The Black Swamp of Chepachet : Part 2
Perhaps HPL and CM Eddy saw this structure as they cruised through Chepachet?
Here it is described ... from vintage magazine - 1968 - AMERICA'S OLDEST (Continuously operated) GROCERY STORE
by William P. Fallon
This is a fascinating vintage article - about this store in Rhode Island - giving its history and its previous owners - just filled with interesting facts, details, names and narratives..... The ILLUSTRATIONS include: (shown here) The store as it looked in DECEMBER 1967
As it looked in 1867 - (sign at the front says HORACE KIMBALL)
ROSCOE STEERE, present owner of the CHEPACHET GENERAL STORE stated,
"..in 1799 Timothy Wilmarth erected a dwelling on a lot which was part of his deceased father's Chepachet land holdings and sold it to Benjamin Cozzens, who was a hatter by trade.....A hatter's shop soon began operating and the village 'where the singing rivers meet' now had a new industry that would further add to the growing affluence of their community......"
"..Ira P. Evans bought the real estate from Anan in 1809, thus giving birth to the nation's oldest grocery store......."
".....Walter Read then operated the business alone until 1899...later records do now show how the transition was arranged with his new partner, Mr. Potter....."
"..it is also said that supporters of Thomas Dorr, Governor-elect of the Suffrage Movement, anticipating a long and bitter struggle with the state militia, were reported to have stocked large food supplies from the historic store...."
..the interior of Brown and Hopkins' general store has undergone little change since its founding.....Mr. Roscoe Steere, its present owner, is a man dedicated to preserving the antiquity of the historic establishment ..... sweet barrel old-fashioned New Orleans molasses remains a great favorite with Mr. Steere's customers.......another outstanding feature is the large assortment of penny candies - in aged glass top show case displays......"
The Black Swamp of Chepachet : Part 4
This insight from 1966's memoir by CM Eddy describes the trip to Chepachet.
One other jaunt with Lovecraft is retained rather vividly in memory, for all that it was in a way a frustrating one. It was a trip made into the country in August 1923, in search of a blighted area called, "The Dark Swamp", - a place of such stygian darkness that the sun reputedly never shone there, never penetrated its fastnesses, even at high noon. Lovecraft had no very clear idea of its setting, but had been told that it was located off the Putnam Pike, about halfway between Chepachet, Rhode Island and Putnam, Connecticutt.
The day we set out was blistering hot; though we took the first trolley in the morning to the end of the line in Chepachet, it was already very warm at that hour. In Chepachet, we started out on foot on the road to Putnam. The heat increased as the day wore on. We had brought sandwiches with us, and from time to time we stopped at farmhouses along the way fro water and to inquire about the Dark Swamp. But no one seemed to have heard of it, and after four miles, Lovecraft, considerably wilted by the heat, decided reluctantly that we would have to give up the quest. So we found some reasonably comfortable stones at the side of the road and sat there until one of the Putnam - Providence cars stopped for us and put an end to our search. We never afterward took it up again, though, despite the discomfort of the summer day, it was as rewarding as any walk with Lovecraft, in that he found many of the old farm buildings fascinating and conveyed that fascination to me.
This is a fascinating tale, but a bit questionable.
Muriel relates (2), "HPL seemed unaware of the great heat as he approached the porch ... he wore a Panama hat, and when he removed it that roasting hot Sunday in August we noticed that his hair was as dark as a raven's wing ... although it was insufferably hot, his hands were cold, almsot clammy; and I recall wondering how anyone's hands could be so frigid in an atmosphere of almost a hundred degrees. He told us he walked ... a distance of three miles, and he had enjoyed it."
So, gentle blog reader, eh, go figure ! How could one hot day he be cold, the other he fainted from the heat?
1. p. 49, Walks with HP Lovecraft, In The Gentleman From Angell Street: Memories of HP Lovecraft, Fenham, 2001
2. p. 6, The Gentleman From Angell Street, In The Gentleman From Angell Street: Memories of HP Lovecraft, Fenham, 2001
One other jaunt with Lovecraft is retained rather vividly in memory, for all that it was in a way a frustrating one. It was a trip made into the country in August 1923, in search of a blighted area called, "The Dark Swamp", - a place of such stygian darkness that the sun reputedly never shone there, never penetrated its fastnesses, even at high noon. Lovecraft had no very clear idea of its setting, but had been told that it was located off the Putnam Pike, about halfway between Chepachet, Rhode Island and Putnam, Connecticutt.
The day we set out was blistering hot; though we took the first trolley in the morning to the end of the line in Chepachet, it was already very warm at that hour. In Chepachet, we started out on foot on the road to Putnam. The heat increased as the day wore on. We had brought sandwiches with us, and from time to time we stopped at farmhouses along the way fro water and to inquire about the Dark Swamp. But no one seemed to have heard of it, and after four miles, Lovecraft, considerably wilted by the heat, decided reluctantly that we would have to give up the quest. So we found some reasonably comfortable stones at the side of the road and sat there until one of the Putnam - Providence cars stopped for us and put an end to our search. We never afterward took it up again, though, despite the discomfort of the summer day, it was as rewarding as any walk with Lovecraft, in that he found many of the old farm buildings fascinating and conveyed that fascination to me.
This is a fascinating tale, but a bit questionable.
Muriel relates (2), "HPL seemed unaware of the great heat as he approached the porch ... he wore a Panama hat, and when he removed it that roasting hot Sunday in August we noticed that his hair was as dark as a raven's wing ... although it was insufferably hot, his hands were cold, almsot clammy; and I recall wondering how anyone's hands could be so frigid in an atmosphere of almost a hundred degrees. He told us he walked ... a distance of three miles, and he had enjoyed it."
So, gentle blog reader, eh, go figure ! How could one hot day he be cold, the other he fainted from the heat?
1. p. 49, Walks with HP Lovecraft, In The Gentleman From Angell Street: Memories of HP Lovecraft, Fenham, 2001
2. p. 6, The Gentleman From Angell Street, In The Gentleman From Angell Street: Memories of HP Lovecraft, Fenham, 2001
Monday, February 05, 2007
On The Trail of The Black Swamp of Chepachet: Part 1
Muriel Eddy (1945) declared that CM Eddy and HP Lovecraft went in search of a weird swamp. We will explore that in a series of several posts.
Lovecraft Visits Chepachet
In 1923 H. P. Lovecraft made a day trip to Glocester, stopping briefly at Chepachet, in search of material for his stories. He apparently was much impressed by what he saw ...
"Here, surely, is the inmost spirit of antient New England; that vivid Mother Earth which our forefathers, and the Indian savages before them, knew and understood so well.
"Chepachet itself ... is a veritable poem - a study in antient New England village atmosphere, with its deep, grass bordered gorge, its venerable bridge, and its picturesque centuried houses."
Continuing west towards Reynolds Road (Route 94), he came upon a scene so lovely he was compelled to write:
"Far as the Eye can see,behold outspread
The serried Hills that own no Traveller's Tread;
Dome beyond Dome,and on each flaming side
The hanging Forests in their virgin Pride.
Here dips a Vale,and here a Mead extends,
Whilst thro' the piny Strath a brooklet bends:
Yon farther Slopesto violet AEther fade,
And sunset Splendorgilds the nearer Glade:
Rude Walls of Stonecin pleasing Zig-zag run
Where well-plac'd Treessalute the parting Sun;
Vext with the Artsthat puny men proclaim,
Nature speaks once,and puts them all to Shame!"
"Selected Letters"H. P. Lovecraft
November 4, 1923
Lovecraft Visits Chepachet
In 1923 H. P. Lovecraft made a day trip to Glocester, stopping briefly at Chepachet, in search of material for his stories. He apparently was much impressed by what he saw ...
"Here, surely, is the inmost spirit of antient New England; that vivid Mother Earth which our forefathers, and the Indian savages before them, knew and understood so well.
"Chepachet itself ... is a veritable poem - a study in antient New England village atmosphere, with its deep, grass bordered gorge, its venerable bridge, and its picturesque centuried houses."
Continuing west towards Reynolds Road (Route 94), he came upon a scene so lovely he was compelled to write:
"Far as the Eye can see,behold outspread
The serried Hills that own no Traveller's Tread;
Dome beyond Dome,and on each flaming side
The hanging Forests in their virgin Pride.
Here dips a Vale,and here a Mead extends,
Whilst thro' the piny Strath a brooklet bends:
Yon farther Slopesto violet AEther fade,
And sunset Splendorgilds the nearer Glade:
Rude Walls of Stonecin pleasing Zig-zag run
Where well-plac'd Treessalute the parting Sun;
Vext with the Artsthat puny men proclaim,
Nature speaks once,and puts them all to Shame!"
"Selected Letters"H. P. Lovecraft
November 4, 1923
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Black Swamp: CM Eddy And HPL Go Legend Tripping - and a Modern Parallel
On or about 4 November 1923 (1) CM Eddy and Lovecraft went on a trip to the Chepacet area. HPL and Morton had toured this area 6 weeks earlier. CM Eddy and Lovecraft - somehow on foot - follow the trail of "the Dark Swamp" of which CM Edddy had heard "sinister whispers from the rusticks".
They went to the town clerk who confirmed the rumors, but did not know where the place was. Farmers and others were contacted to no avail but collected rumors that "people entered the swamp but never came out".
Folklorists refer to this as legend tripping - an exhilierating expedition by (usually) a group of people to find some mysterious event or location steeped in mythology. It is also well known, by folklorists, that most of these are oral stories told as "having happened by a friend of a friend" and therefore are notoriously difficult to locate in real space and time.
They found a swamp on the farm of Ernest Law but were unable - because it was dark? - to enter and investigate. Lovecraft had nearly collapsed (2) and CM Eddy carried him back to a trolley stop. More Here.
Now, from Strange Maine & Michelle we read:
I was in the Strange Maine store the other day, interviewing Brendan Evans, the owner, for Angioplasty Media's upcoming re-launch, when a very pleasant older man came up to the counter. He was very happy to have found yet another classic horror film on Brendan's shelves, and proceeded to tell us a rural legend from his younger days.
He told us about a road that runs between Hiram and Cornish, Maine, that is partially unpaved, near the old Durgintown area. He swore that the locals from either town avoid that road when they are alone late at night. He claimed it ran through a bog, and that strange things would happen on the road from time to time, including the sensation that something was holding down the back of your car as you drove along in the dark, and that you were not alone.
Two of his younger coworkers had taken him up on his stories and had driven down the road very late one night (or early in the morning, as I believe it was after midnight). They thought they saw something in the bog coming out at them, and took off without a second look, terrified.Heck, sounds good to me!!!
Anyone else out there with any information about this location?
So !! here we have two wonderful FOAF legend trips over 80 years apart ! CM Eddy went on later to write a story based on this, and HPL did a poem shortly after this to commemorate the Fall setting.
1. H. P. Lovecraft: A Life, S. T. Joshi, Necronomicon Press, 1996, p. 307.
2. Chrispy has tried in vain to find out the weather report for this day. If it were cold, HPL could have been chiolled and collapsed - but it was likely NOT a frigid day
They went to the town clerk who confirmed the rumors, but did not know where the place was. Farmers and others were contacted to no avail but collected rumors that "people entered the swamp but never came out".
Folklorists refer to this as legend tripping - an exhilierating expedition by (usually) a group of people to find some mysterious event or location steeped in mythology. It is also well known, by folklorists, that most of these are oral stories told as "having happened by a friend of a friend" and therefore are notoriously difficult to locate in real space and time.
They found a swamp on the farm of Ernest Law but were unable - because it was dark? - to enter and investigate. Lovecraft had nearly collapsed (2) and CM Eddy carried him back to a trolley stop. More Here.
Now, from Strange Maine & Michelle we read:
I was in the Strange Maine store the other day, interviewing Brendan Evans, the owner, for Angioplasty Media's upcoming re-launch, when a very pleasant older man came up to the counter. He was very happy to have found yet another classic horror film on Brendan's shelves, and proceeded to tell us a rural legend from his younger days.
He told us about a road that runs between Hiram and Cornish, Maine, that is partially unpaved, near the old Durgintown area. He swore that the locals from either town avoid that road when they are alone late at night. He claimed it ran through a bog, and that strange things would happen on the road from time to time, including the sensation that something was holding down the back of your car as you drove along in the dark, and that you were not alone.
Two of his younger coworkers had taken him up on his stories and had driven down the road very late one night (or early in the morning, as I believe it was after midnight). They thought they saw something in the bog coming out at them, and took off without a second look, terrified.Heck, sounds good to me!!!
Anyone else out there with any information about this location?
So !! here we have two wonderful FOAF legend trips over 80 years apart ! CM Eddy went on later to write a story based on this, and HPL did a poem shortly after this to commemorate the Fall setting.
1. H. P. Lovecraft: A Life, S. T. Joshi, Necronomicon Press, 1996, p. 307.
2. Chrispy has tried in vain to find out the weather report for this day. If it were cold, HPL could have been chiolled and collapsed - but it was likely NOT a frigid day
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