Horrors of Haynesville Woods

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Horrors of Haynesville Woods

In northern Maine, off US Route 2, hides the Haynesville Woods.  The route was previously the most used route for truckers hauling potatoes out of Maine.  It is also the subject of the hit song “Tombstone at Every Mile” by Dick Curless.  The road is notorious for accidents and even has some 90 degree turns, making travel for semis difficult and dangerous.

Another dangerous part of traveling on this stretch of lonely road is the appearance of a young woman, seemingly out of nowhere.  Truckers who aren’t careful may miss the young woman appearing suddenly in front of travelers or stumbling along the side of the highway.  Some truckers have offered the girl a ride.  They report immediately feeling chill or coldness when she is in the cab.  When truckers reach the end of the woods, the woman disappears.  Rumor has it that the woman was the victim of a car accident.  She died of exposure to freezing temperatures before she was able to be rescued.

(images:kjn5683/flickr)

(images:kjn5683/flickr)

If truckers don’t find the woman, they have encountered a child on the side of the road.  When offered a ride, the child will get inside the cab, only to immediately disappear.  Her story has been verified by local records.  On August 22, 1967, a young girl matching the spirit’s description was killed by a trucker as she walked along the side of the road.  Perhaps she continues her search for help or a way to escape her untimely end.

Truckers are not the only travelers who have experienced a darkness in the Haynesville Woods.  Unlucky hikers have come face to face with the woman who has been dubbed the Flesher Witch.  The Flesher Witch, originally 8 year old Annie Wilcox, moved to the area in the 1800s with her family.

One night, she complained to her father, John, that she heard scratching outside her window.  Though she continued to complain of the increasing intensity, John could never find the source of the noise.  Eventually, the scratching escalated to Annie feeling nibbling in the night, having her bed sheets pulled off, and whispers in the night.  Annie’s problems culminated in one fateful night when she was brutally attacked in her sleep.  She woke up with deep scratches left in her cheeks.  She insisted her attacker was an old woman with a melting face.  Annie described it as appearing to be melting candle wax.

Things seemed to quiet down for Annie.  A month later, as she and her family were hiking in the woods, a scream rang out.  When Annie’s family ran to the spot they last heard her cries, she was gone.  Annie Wilcox’s body was later discovered by hunters, miles away, deep in the Haynesville Woods.  The skin on her face was missing, and lying next to her was the body of an old woman with a facial deformity.

(images:davidjdalley/flickr)

(images:davidjdalley/flickr)

The sad ending continued for the rest of Annie Wilcox’s family.  Her mother hung herself soon after losing her daughter.  Both of Annie’s brothers died shortly thereafter in a freak swimming accident.  Left devastated and alone, John Wilcox was finally driven insane a year later.  He mutilated his own face, cutting his skin away and scratching violently.  He was last spotted going into Haynesville Woods.  John’s body was never found.

Hikers and campers describe seeing a girl with a face that looks like melted wax running through the forest.  People credit the “Flesher Witch” for the disappearance of children and animals, or their skin lacerations if lucky enough to return home.

Megan Borchert
Megan Borchert
Lover of all things unusual, Megan is a staff attorney for the state of South Dakota. When she's not stuffed in an office writing case synopses, you can find her at home with her army of Schnauzers, snuggled up with some strong wine and a good book.

1 Comment

  1. Stefan says:

    I’ve lived in northern Maine and travelled through it’s peaceful and bucolic rural highways. It’s especially sad that such a beautiful place is haunted by silly folklore.

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