A nice place to visit, a better place to live.”
Founded in 1758 by Native Americans, Helltown, Ohio seemed as if it was doomed from the beginning. It didn’t take long for the massacres to start; when in 1782 a battle erupted between opposing sides disagreed on siding with colonials. Later it was resettled in 1806 officially as Helltown; consisting of 3 towns in one.
The story that put a celebrity title to Helltown began in 1974. A man named William Birdsell was the National Recreational Superintendent at the time under then President Ford. The president assigned William the task of establish a recreational area in the Cayuga Valley where Helltown was located. Immediately, things took a dark turn for the town. William held a town meeting with the residents and informed them that they will be forced to vacate their homes, but not before selling their properties at an insultingly low rate. It was a non-negotiable fire sale that didn’t even come with a reason why this was happening.
The army came in and forcibly removed the residents and proceeded to burn and demolish the homes. Not long afterwards, the townspeople took their case to court and it was quickly determined that the homes were purchased illegally. Unfortunately, by that time the damage had already been done and the residents had no homes to return to. Helltown was officially declared “abandoned.” After a few weeks go by, William Birdsell got notice that he was being transferred to another job and as he was packing up his office; he dropped dead of a heart attack. Keeping his soul confined to the wreckage of Helltown, Ohio, as some say.
It didn’t take long for the squatters, criminals, and serial killers began to use the abandoned area as their own personal playground. The army had a hell of a time dealing with people who they say just simply refused to leave their homes and became hostile. There is a road called the “End of the World,” where it dead ends into a steep drop off into the woods where serial killers were known to hide bodies.
Other abandoned buildings such as the VA hospital, the town morgue, and the slaughterhouse was known to be populated by extreme haunting and paranormal activity.
It also became a haven for Satanic cults that would use the isolated woods to conduct their rituals and ceremonies. Some say at night you can hear their chants and see them walking around in their black hooded robes.
Then there’s Gore Orphanage, where in the early 1900s, around 172 chil dren and 4 adults were caught in a mysterious fire that burned the place to the ground. There’s also a dimly lit house known as the “Ghost House” that can be seen through the fog at night. If one makes it to the front door, do NOT open it. It’s said that if you enter, you’ll be trapped forever.
Helltown is also known for its mutated creatures roaming around the area. This stems from the so-called “real reason” the government wanted the land. Supposedly, there are underground tunnels that lead in and out of laboratories that the army used to conduct experiments on people and animals. This is due to the lingering smell of sulfur in the air coming from the ground. But it’s more likely from the illegal waste dumping that was happening unknowingly to its citizens.
There are a lot of stories that surround the history of Helltown, Ohio. Some are true and some have been debunked as fiction…or have they? You decide for yourself; is Helltown, Ohio a haunted wasteland cursed by its dark past?
