Legendary tales and even eyewitness accounts of unknown beasts inhabiting a particular region can be found all over the world and throughout history. Some unidentified creature sightings end up having a lackluster logical explanation in the end. More often than not, however, the urban legends surrounding such claims continue to live on—fueling new speculations and forever romanticizing these myths.
The Mid-Atlantic region has been subject to its own fair share of creepy cryptid sightings and legends through the ages. Some are better known than others while others have altogether faded into the shadows of history. In keeping with the spirit of the Halloween season, this Flashback Friday Feature presents a brief survey of some of the legendary creepy cryptids that have been reportedly known to roam our region.
Bigfoot/Sasquatch
With widespread sightings spanning regions far and wide around the globe, bigfoot-like creatures tend to be just about everywhere. Derivatives of mysterious bipedal apelike encounters in the Mid-Atlantic, specifically, can even be traced back to the earliest North American settlements, largely concentrated in the wooded, mountainous areas of Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Appalachian Mountains continue to be a hotspot for reported accounts. But Delaware too, has its own regional reports, like the Selbyville Swamp Monster, for instance.
Werewolves
That’s right, there have even been historic accounts of werewolf-like creatures in these parts. Dating back to the Civil War era, Henrico County in Virginia has had several reported werewolf sightings. And then let’s not forget about that supposed legendary werewolf said to be roaming Brandywine Creek in Delaware. Beginning in the 1940s, Middletown in Frederick County, Maryland played host to a series of Dwayyo eyewitness accounts. This creature primarily resembles a wolf/dog but walks erect. And since the mid-1800s, Clinton County, Pennsylvania has been domain to the fabled Giwoggle. This creature is described as werewolf-like in nature but also sporting birdlike claws and hooves like a horse.
The Goatman
If you were living in the vicinity of Prince George’s County, Maryland during the 1970s then you probably heard that urban legend about a menacing Goatman. Storied accounts of the creature depict it as being a hybrid human-goat combo similar to fauns in Greek mythology. He was said to make his home in a wooded area near Bowie. While the bulk of the stories surrounding the Goatman occurred throughout the 1970s, the earliest reported accounts may go back to the 1950s.
Pukwudgie
Algonquian folklore has endowed us with several mythological beasts and creatures. And the legendary Pukwudgies remain one of the Delaware area’s claims to fame for such. Overlapping in similarities to gnomes, trolls, and fairies, Pukwudgies are short, shapeshifting, menacing creatures known to play nasty tricks on people. Other mythical creatures to stay away from are the cannibalistic Mhuwe—also sometimes alternately known as wendigo, windigo, and other derivatives.
Squonk
The earliest accounts for this strange-looking “ugly” creature, said to lurk in the hemlock forests of Northern Pennsylvania, can be traced back to 1910, with the first publication of the book Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods. A later edition suggested that these lonesome avoidant creatures migrated from deserts to swamps before settling in the forests they now inhabit. Whatever its origin, the creature has been reported to be alarmingly grotesque with warts and moles all over it. In fact, it is well aware of its hideous appearance and even bemoans it—crying out in agony and leaving tear-stained trails in its wake.
Snallygaster
This legendary creature, said to resemble a bird-like reptile (sometimes with tentacles) first started appearing in local folklore around the 1730s, when several German immigrants settled in Frederick County, Maryland. In fact, the term “snallygaster” originated from “Schneller Geist,” which translates to “quick ghost” in German. Early folklore denoted that the monster would fly through the skies, swooping to carry victims off. But superstition also deemed that the seven-pointed stars—still prevalent on barns today—helped to ward it off.
Rumored accounts for the snallygaster made a sensational comeback in the 19th century and early 20th century. These revived reports, however, were likely orchestrated to scare former enslaved black populations living in the area and dissuade them from going out to the polls to vote. All the same, it set off a new wave of hysteria. Some sources even suggest that U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once considered postponing a safari in Africa to go hunt for the snallygaster said to be roaming the Maryland wilds.
Chessie
Perhaps you heard that the Chesapeake Bay may be claim to its very own resident Loch Ness Monster. Accounts for the creature go back to the 1930s when military helicopters flying over the Bush River reported seeing something serpentine or plesiosaur-like. Over the last several decades, scattered accounts have continued to emerge all throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. From eyewitness reports near Calvert Cliffs in Maryland to the Potomac River in Westmoreland County, Virginia. There was even a compelling video recording in the 1980s taken near Kent Island. The most recent documented case was back in 2014 by observers parked on the side of Arundel Beach Road near the Magothy River.
Mothman
This is probably the best-known creature on this list. As sensationalized even further by the 2002 film The Mothman Prophesies, it’s probably safe to assume that most folks far and wide know at least the basics behind this West Virginia resident cryptid.
Assuming the likeness of a mothlike, winged, flying humanoid creature, the largest concentrated sightings came about during the 1960s. But the most telling accounts were those that emerged on the scene at Point Pleasant just prior to the now-infamous, fateful collapse of the Silver Bridge. This has fueled further speculation on whether or not the Mothman is really a prophet of doom. Though far and few between, there are even folks today who still claim to see a mysterious winged cryptid flying about in the greater surrounding region.
This is only a sampling of a much larger mysterious myriad of cryptid beasts said to inhabit the Mid-Atlantic. Pair these with all the well-documented historical hauntings in the area and you should be set and ready to go with the Halloween celebrations this coming week.