Tag Archives: Monsters

Once more into the breach

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Dover Demon, The Eerie Creature That Allegedly Terrorized Massachusetts

Dover Demon

Once more into the breach, Dear Friends…

Before we put the cryptid mysteries to bed, I have to share the local tale of the Dover Demon. Who knew there were so many creepy creatures to consider? But this one is right here, in good ole Massachusetts.

👁️ The Dover Demon: Massachusetts’ Most Puzzling Cryptid

In the quiet town of Dover, Massachusetts, something strange stirred in the spring of 1977. It wasn’t the wind, or the rustling of leaves, or even the usual teenage mischief. It was something else—something no one could explain. A creature with glowing eyes, spindly limbs, and a head too large for its body. Locals would come to know it as the Dover Demon.

Sightings

The first sighting occurred on April 21st. Seventeen-year-old Bill Bartlett was driving with friends when his headlights caught something crawling along a stone wall. At first, he thought it was a dog—until it turned its head. Two glowing orange eyes stared back at him, set in a hairless, peach-colored head, with skin like wet sandpaper. Its long fingers curled around the rocks as it clung to the wall. Bill’s friends didn’t see it, but he swore it was real—and even sketched it later that night.

Just hours later, John Baxter, 15, encountered a similar figure while walking home. He called out to it, thinking it was a friend. The creature didn’t respond. Instead, it bolted into the woods, its movements unnatural, its silhouette barely human.

The next night, Abby Brabham saw it too—perched near a tree, glowing eyes fixed on her. Three sightings. Three different witnesses. All describing the same eerie entity.

THE DOVER DEMON Is Back! | Hunter Shea

 

Vanished

And then… nothing. No footprints… fur?…  bones?… Just stories. The Dover Demon vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind only questions.

Was it a cryptid? An alien? A figment of teenage imagination? Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, who coined the name, believes it’s one of the most unique cases in American folklore. Unlike Bigfoot or the Mothman, the Demon appeared only once, never to return.

But in Dover, whispers still linger. Some say it’s watching. Waiting. And if you drive those winding roads late at night, maybe—just maybe—you’ll see those glowing eyes staring back.

 

Desert Wings & Coal Mine Shadows

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More Creepy Cryptids

Have you heard of the Van Meter Monster? Another flying menace. Is it similar to The Tombstone Thunderbird is Arizona? Could they be the same creature? 

🦅  The Tombstone Thunderbird vs. The Van Meter Monster

In the dusty pages of American folklore, two winged beasts flap their way into legend: the Tombstone Thunderbird of Arizona and the Van Meter Monster of Iowa. Though separated by over a thousand miles and a decade in time, both creatures share eerie traits—massive wings, bulletproof hides, and a knack for vanishing into myth. Let’s dive into their stories and explore what makes each cryptid so captivating.

🌵 The Tombstone Thunderbird: Wild West Wonder

Date: April 26, 1890
Location: Tombstone, Arizona
Witnesses: Cowboys and prospectors
Legend: A giant bird—possibly featherless, with leathery wings like a pterodactyl—was allegedly shot down by six men and displayed against a barn wall. Its wingspan? Said to be 160 feet. The photo of this event? Never found, yet many swear they’ve seen it in old magazines.

In 1886, the Tombstone Epitaph (Arizona) published a ...

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Sensory Snapshot: Imagine the dry desert wind, the scent of gunpowder, and the awe of seeing a creature larger than a blue whale sprawled across a barn. The tale is stitched with Old West bravado and a hint of false memory syndrome—where vivid imaginations conjure images never truly seen.

🕳️ The Van Meter Monster: Coal Mine Cryptid

Date: September 29–October 3, 1903
Location: Van Meter, Iowa
Witnesses: Town doctor, banker, teacher, and other respected locals
Legend: A nine-foot-tall creature with bat-like wings, a glowing horn, and a sulfurous stench terrorized the town for several nights. Bullets bounced off it, and it emitted blinding light. Eventually, two creatures were spotted near an abandoned coal mine and sealed inside.

The Van Meter Visitor Greeting Card

Internet

Sensory Snapshot: Picture a quiet Midwestern town jolted awake by beams of unnatural light, the acrid smell of sulfur hanging in the air, and the thud of shotgun blasts echoing through the night. The Van Meter Monster feels more alien than avian—part devil, part dragon, part mystery.

🔍 Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tombstone Thunderbird Van Meter Monster
Wingspan Claimed 160 feet (likely exaggerated) Large bat-like wings
Appearance Pterodactyl-like, featherless Half-human, glowing horn, red eyes
Bulletproof? Allegedly shot and killed Immune to bullets
Smell Not mentioned Overwhelming sulfur stench
Setting Desert frontier Small-town coal mine
Legacy Photo legend persists Annual festival celebrates sightings

🧠 Folklore or False Memory?

Both legends thrive on the tension between belief and skepticism. The Tombstone Thunderbird’s tale is tangled in memory distortion—many claim to have seen a photo that likely never existed. The Van Meter Monster, meanwhile, boasts multiple eyewitnesses and consistent descriptions, yet no physical evidence remains.

🎪 Cryptid Culture Today

Van Meter hosts an annual festival celebrating its monster, complete with games, paranormal talks, and themed treats. Tombstone, ever the theatrical town, keeps its Thunderbird alive through ghost tours and Wild West reenactments. Both creatures have inspired books, podcasts, and cryptid merch—perfect for curious collectors or folklore fanatics.

Whether you’re drawn to the desert drama of Tombstone or the eerie glow of Van Meter’s visitor, these legends remind us that mystery thrives in the margins. They’re not just stories—they’re invitations to wonder.

 

Monsterland Massachusetts

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Monsterland!

Did you know there is a place called Monsterland in Massachusetts? It’s located in Leominster, MA in the state forest. Here you can look for Bigfoot and other strange activity.  Legend has it that the activity goes back to the 1800’s. Leominster is not alone with a reputation for strange happenings. We’ve also got the Bridgewater Triangle and New Hampshire has the Betty and Barney Hill Alien abduction. 

Sasquatch Sighting bigfoot stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

Bigfoot in the forest- Internet

Ronny LeBlanc

Ronny LeBlanc is a Native of Leominster who has made it to the little screen in the Travel Channels’ series “Expedition Bigfoot.”  LeBlanc tells of an experience in Leominster state forest when he was a boy that has impacted his whole life. He was 11 years old when he experienced his first Bigfoot.

“Within seconds the forest erupted in front of me. Trees and shrubs were moving. I started to feel these reverberations in the soles of my feet of something walking.”

“The experience of seeing that impression in the ground, six footprints. Something I’ve seen in a lot of books of the pacific northwest and here we are in Massachusetts.”
spuren im watt

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Bigfoot In the Berkshires

In the 1980’s  4 friends were having a cook out on the shore of Lake Felton near the small town of Washington, MA.  Apparently their BBQ had attracted something large. They could hear trees moving and branches snapping. When 2 of the friends decided to investigate.  “It stood on two legs, silhouetted on the trail in the moonlight, and it was huge.” One of the friends  told the Berkshire Eagle a few days later, “I don’t scare easily, but it scared me.” 

The Whitehall Bigfoot

But Western Massachusetts isn’t the only Bigfoot Hotspot.  For years there have been reports of Bigfoot in Whitehall NY. Whitehall isn’t that far from the Western MA border so some speculate that the Bigfoots have a migration trail that runs through Whitehall, NY and into Massachusetts.  I’m feeling kind of left out. I grew up very close to Whitehall in the Adirondacks and now I live in Massachusetts but I’ve never run into one of the hairy monsters myself. But then again, I am not sure I want to.Â