In 1971, a small town Vermont school dance started just like any other.  Like many teenagers, one group was enjoying some drinks in a sand pit before going to the dance.  When they came rushing into the dance, some crying and all panicked, the town could not believe what had gotten them so upset.

They described sitting at the sand pit, laughing and joking, when all of a sudden, out of the woods jumped a creature.  The thing was tall, naked and covered in white hair.  It walked on its back legs and had the head of a pig.

(images:cwohlers/flickr)

Many thought the teens were pulling a prank, or just confused and drunk.  Some traveled back to the sand pit to see if they could spot the creature themselves.  While they did not find the pig man, they did see where the grass was trampled down, seeming to go off into the woods.

The Pig Man of Northfield, Vermont, as he came to be called, was seen again.  Usually, sightings occurred near an area known as the Devil’s Washbowl.  The area was near a river and waterfalls and was littered with caves.  Upon inspection of one of the caves, it was found to be filled with animal bones and cloven footprints.  The courageous trespassers found a pile of hay, but no fire.  Rumors spread that the Pig Man must eat the animals raw as there was no source of heat to cook.

Other rumors speculated that the Pig Man was actually Sam Harris, a seventeen year old boy who had went missing in the hills in 1951.  Late one Halloween night, he set off with a carton of eggs to do some Halloween tricking, and never came back.  Some say he was possessed by the Devil that fateful night.  They say that after his possession, he spent his days slaughtering pigs, eating everything but their bones.  When he was done, he hollowed out their heads and wore it on his own.  They say he caused his mother such a fright one night after she found him on her porch.  He was rumored to have left her the bloody entrails of a pig, that he sat eating with glee.  She was so upset she took her own life.

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Other stories surfaced involving interactions with the Pig Man.  One group was investigating the cave rumored to be his home when the Pig Man attacked one of the men of the group.  While the Pig Man carried the man off, his girlfriend cowered in a ball, screaming in fear.  Her screams sent her friends running to the cave the duo had been investigating, but never saw their friend being carried off.

A search team was put together and the man’s picture was placed on signs, littering the town.  A K-9 team was established to try to trace his scent.  They found his tattered clothes, but never found the man’s body.  A local farmer came forward a few days later and claimed to have seen a naked man rummaging through his garbage.  When he made eye contact with the garbage looter, he claimed to have been identical to the posted photos of the missing man.

Others reported being startled by the Pig Man as they were out in the woods enjoying drinks or sharing steamy kisses with their loves as the the sun went down.  Another unfortunate teen was attacked as he was urinating in the woods.  He claims he was attacked by the Pig Man.  He had long, clawlike deep gashes on his chest and arms.