With its rugged buildings, rain-soaked back roads, and isolated beauty, Allegany State Park in Salamanca, N.Y., can at times be utterly eerie.
Unknown to many who live in the area, the park is associated with its fair share of mysterious occurrences, from Native American legend to the decrepit ruins of what was once a tight-knit settlement hidden in the woods. Throughout the park’s nearly 100 years of history, there have been several distinct instances and locations that have proven the park to be more than meets the eye.
Although an abandoned village in the forest sounds like something out of a dark fairy tale, for those living near Allegany State Park, it is but a stone’s throw away. New Ireland, sometimes called Little Ireland, was the settlement of families hailing from County Clare, Ireland, in the 1850s. In their homeland, they were smothered by a repressive government and a great famine throughout the land. So, they tried their luck in the United States, settling in the eastern side of what would eventually become Allegany State Park. They built houses and a working community, joining the lumber and oil businesses.
In present day, of course, neither the houses nor families remain in this spot. However, the shadows of their lives here still loom, casting a mysterious darkness over the area. For instance, the gloomy, ghostly figure of a man is sometimes spotted crossing the road near the settlement, and several accounts have reported the spirit of a young woman, dressed appropriately for the 1800s, still wandering the community she held dear until her dying day.
To reach New Ireland, one must hike through the woods until a hand-laid stone foundation, consumed by moss and the life of the forest, comes into view. By simply standing at the edge of this foundation, any passerby is overwhelmed by the heavy echoes of joy and sorrow that resounded in what was once a family home. Though the walls of the house are long-gone — taken for lumber during the Great Depression — and the stairs to the cellar have been swallowed by the earth, remnants of the Irish families who settled this land still remain. It is shown by the rusty metal plow blade resting on the foundation, as if it had just been set down by a farmer finishing up a day’s work. If one listens closely, one may hear the sounds of the birds chirping, or perhaps something more sinister — the sound of a woman, perhaps the mournful ghost so many have seen, screaming in the distance.
Elsewhere in the park, the spectre of a bearded man wearing flannel and jeans has been spotted numerous times throughout the years, with many referring to him as “The Flannel Man.” Though he also fits the description of a modern hipster, it is believed that he is the ghost of a man killed at a lumber camp around 1908, and is typically spotted on the Quaker side of the park. The Flannel Man has not been sighted in recent years, although he is inclined to disappear once seen. This elusive haunt has spent many a night around a campfire, keeping guests in the park company, whether they know it or not.
Although it sounds like the stuff of legends, the Witches’ Walk is a very real — and very dangerous — place. Located on a mountaintop called Ga’hai, there have been reports of glowing orbs on the hill, as well as stories of the ghost of a Native American man appearing in travellers’ cars. One particular anecdote proposes that the fiery orbs are the ghostly lanterns of Confederate soldiers searching for gold they buried, while others suggest that it is witches traveling through the night, their faces visible in the spheres. In addition to the witches’ orbs, many believe that beings from Seneca folklore call Ga’hai home, adopting the cursed hill as their refuge. Stories of heart-pounding drumming coming from the hilltop are not uncommon, those who have borne witness to the event unsure of its origin. With all of this activity, it is clear why the Witches’ Walk is considered to be one of the most distinctly haunted places in the region, some even fearing the influence Ga’hai may have.
To many, hauntings are a foreign and outlandish concept. Whether or not one believes in the paranormal, it is often difficult to comprehend how close to home mysterious instances such as the ones detailed above are. Just outside the door, hidden in the trees and trails of Allegany State Park, is a world of hair-raising speculation free to all those who dare to explore
