Ghost hunter and founder of the Cosmic Society, Donna Kent, said a mysterious "White Lady" travels between the Union Cemetery in Easton and the Stepney Graveyard, less than 10 miles away.
Kent, who is also the tour guide for Haunted
ConneCTicut tours, said that the "white lady" is
a ghostly figure that appears in a white
nightgown, but her identity is unknown. She
believes that it had something to do with a love
triangle. Rumor has it that it could be Ellen
Smathers, wife of John Smathers, whose body was
found in a sink-hole behind the Easton Baptist
Church, weighed down with iron chunks in his
pockets. And yet another body was found in the
sink-hole around the turn of the century, that
of Mrs. Knott, who was supposedly murdered by
her lover, Elwood Wade.
But Kent also believes that the Union Cemetery
is not necessarily haunted by those souls who
were buried there, but by spirits that are
simply attracted to the negative energy that
seems to surround the area.
According to Kent, a local fireman was said to
have struck the "white lady" as he was driving
near the Union Cemetery, after the road in front
of him morphed into an old cobblestone street.
He claimed that he saw her in the road, reaching
out to him. He heard a thump, and there was a
dent in his truck, but no evidence was ever
found of anybody being injured, killed, or
anywhere around. And, as folklore has it, he saw
a man sitting next to him in the truck, wearing
a straw hat.
Wayne Crossman of the Easton Fire Department
laughed when asked about the mystery surrounding
the white lady, although he did say he heard
about the firefighter who claimed to have seen
her, and that he worked with a different
firehouse.
As it turns out, the firefighter was reportedly
with The Stepney Fire Department, but he is no
longer with the company. "I've heard rumors, but
I'm not into that superstitious stuff," Fire
Marshall Carl Lewis said. Not at liberty to
reveal the identity of the firefighter, Lewis
simply stated, "He's no longer here."
So, if the firefighter in question had seen the
white lady, and none of his fellow firefighters
believed him, it would be no surprise that he's
no longer with the company. Or perhaps after
having such a fright, he was no longer able to
serve and carry out his duties as a firefighter?
Or, did he simply hit at white-tailed deer that
ran off wounded into the woods and claim to have
seen a ghost?
Kent is the author of "Ghosts and Legends of
Eastern Connecticut," published by Haunted
America/History Press, and she has written
stories and taken photos of ghostly images all
over the state, including the Union Cemetery and
Easton Baptist Church. For more information
about her book, or the Cosmic Society, visit the
Web site,
www.CosmicSociety.com.
If you're really brave, you might want to take a
Haunted ConneCTicut Tour, where you can explore
haunted places throughout the state to discover
more about historical and contemporary lore and
phenomena. Some of the spooky tours offered
include journeys of Southwestern, Northwestern
and Eastern Connecticut, with some featuring
lunch, brunch or dinner at allegedly haunted
locations. Some tours offer an overnight stay,
or you could even venture on a lantern light
walk through a graveyard. All tours are geared
for adults and older children.
Highlights of the Southwestern tour are the
Union Cemetery, the Booth Homestead in Stratford
and the Carousel Gardens restaurant in Seymour,
where you will hear menacing tales about the
white lady, the legend of "Hanna Cranna," and
the ghost of Ruth Wooster. For more information,
visit
www.connectionsgrouptours.com
But as far as the Easton Police Department is
concerned, the white lady is simply a myth that
keeps them busy chasing kids out of the Union
Cemetery, nobody has actually seen anything.
The Union Cemetery closes at dusk, so if you
should dare to stop for a look, if you chose to
decide for yourself if the white lady really
exists, it is recommended you visit on a sunny
afternoon.
