New England Oddities

Dana, Ghosts Of A Lost Town

Our trip to Dana, Massachusetts took place on a rainy morning in May. The vibrations of this small community’s final days seemed to resonate through every dark cloud and sporadic shower we encountered. Though the skies seemed ready to open up at any second, we were determined to see it through, lured by the stories we’ve heard of Dana’s ghosts. This is an account of our first paranormal investigation at the discontinued township.

The air was heavy with moisture and the old knotty trees lining our path seemed to shed tears in silent remembrance of their lost community. It was hard to believe that this roadway was the town’s main travel route. What was once the gateway to the outside world now only served as a foot path for leisurely-paced hikers and those curious about the past.

The first cellar hole we came upon was located on the left side of the road. Katie took photos while I operated the audio recorder. At the time of our visit, we noticed nothing out of the ordinary, but later analysis of the photographic evidence revealed a unusual looking mist. In the first frame, this mist crosses the ground from the left and dives into the foundation. In the next frame, the mist comes up on the right side of the foundation and proceeds in an upward direction out of the hole. What this is exactly remains unclear, and is the only unusual phenomena recorded by any of our team at this site. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Our next stop was the plot of land where the town’s poor house once stood. This building was also dismantled during Quabbin’s construction. All that remained was a rather large recess in the earth, lined with field stones. We stayed for a time photographing, recording EVPs and monitoring for any EMF fields. None of our investigative team reported any personal experiences, and later, when we reviewed the evidence, there was nothing of significance to report at this location.

When we finally reached Dana’s common we realized that we were not alone. Despite the poor weather, some other (living) souls came out to view the disincorporated town. We waited for the visitors to move on, then fanned out trying to cover as much ground as possible. To the right side of Dana’s Main Street were the locations of the town’s school house and community church. Directly behind these two cellar holes, we noticed several freely standing stone posts. These obelisks, the remains of a fence, were the only visible markers telling us that this is where Dana’s cemetery once was. All the headstones and graves have long since been relocated.

The cellar holes for both buildings are easily visible and accessible from the road. We went about monitoring these locations as we had previously; after some time we moved on from this location, and directed our attention across the street, to the blacksmith’s former residence.

Our research revealed that a town blacksmith shot his wife twice before killing himself. She survived the attack and stayed in the town for some time after. I was anxious to see if the husband was still lurking around his old homestead. After we extensively photographed, monitored for unusual EMF readings, and recorded EVPs we decided to head out before the weather turned even worse. None of the investigative team had any personal experiences, and our instrument readings stayed within normal parameters.

This visit to Dana did not yield any conclusive evidence of paranormal activity, but we do plan to make a few more visits to this site. Check back soon for our follow-up investigations of Dana, Massachusetts.