One of the legends and folklore surrounding Hebron, Connecticut is Gay City State Park. Gay City State Park became an abandoned "ghost town" after its mills burned down shortly after the Civil War. A few people still settled in the village, but it was mostly abandoned throughout the early 1900's.
Emma Phelps Foster lived in the last house standing at Gay City State Park, which was the saltbox house by the entrance of the park. Upon her death in the 1940's, Emma ceded the park to the state, allowing it to become a state park. Since then, the saltbox house was moved to Coventry, Connecticut.
Now today, Gay City State Park remains a state park, but not without its past legends and folklore. Back when it was a 19th century mill town, some strange events happened. Legends and folklore dictate the credibility of what exactly happened. However, stories have been told (and several consistent stories) about the strange village and what went on at the time.
Below is a video about Gay City State Park. The third section highlights the legends and ghost stories about Gay City State Park.
After the Methodist village originated in 1797, legends say that there were religious gatherings that had led to feuding and fighting. Alcohol had been one of the main factors, as it was used routinely during religious gatherings, but brought little peace. Brawls erupted between families, which led to some disastrous and fatal events.
But it wasn't just brawls among families. There were some odd individuals who presided at the colony (now Gay City State Park), such as a circuit riding travelling preacher and community jester named Loomer. Loomer was known to impersonate others within the village. He took it upon himself to impersonate the travelling preacher, Reverend Colton. Reverend Colton then mimicked Loomer to see who the better impersonator was.
A legend also mentions that one of the workers during the construction at the mill refused to build a canal because he claimed he saw water running uphill and that it was the "work of the devil." He left the job site and never returned.
But the most alarming stories are the murders that weren't brought to justice. The first story is about a blacksmith who murdered his teenaged apprentice because the boy was late to work. There are variations to the story, but most are similar in that they claim the blacksmith beheaded his assistant. Legends say the boy still haunts the park today, running around and carrying his head in his hands.
Another legend states that a jewelry peddler was murdered (possibly robbed) and thrown into a charcoal pit. The murderer was never brought to justice.
Obviously there are variations with local spin offs to these stories and even additional stories and ghost sightings. Many people have their own stories about the park and they claim the park gives them an eerie feel. Some stories have been blogged on the website "Damned Connecticut" and can be read here: https://www.damnedct.com/gay-city-hebron
Not everything is known about Gay City State Park. Those familiar with the park and its stories have since perished and much of the information is lost. However, local folklore about the park still thrives and there are still parts about the park we can find out and learn about. The above video has a lot of info about the park as well as the "Damned Connecticut" website. Feel free to share your local Hebron ghost stories and Gay City State Park stories here, or email them to hebronmapleleaf@gmail.com.
