Matt Rockwell, at mattrock.net, has a fascinating post on legends about witches in Whitewater. Not all small towns have stories like this, but some towns regale visitors with tales of a famous ghost, or fantastic creature.
(Roswell, New Mexico’s famous for a modern version of these tales.)
We market ourselves every which way, but sometimes the most potent tales are, initially, free of professional efforts. They begin as stories in town, and may be picked by a reporter, or novelist. Most towns market themselves – spooky stories often spread farther because they’re unique, and stand out among conventional descriptions of small-town life.
Matt tells the tale of our spooky past in his post entitled, The Witches of Whitewater
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Here’s just a taste, with more available on his website:
I was born and raised in Whitewater, WI, where my family still lives….Growing up in Whitewater, ghost stories where a dime a dozen, but it wasn’t until I attended World Affairs Seminar in 1985 that I realized that this was not typical. The seminar was held in Whitewater on campus, and I was one of two attendees from the home town. As our badges presented our home towns, I had some other students at the seminar come up to me and ask about Whitewater being the “Second Salem.” While ghost stories where not uncommon in my childhood, I had never heard the comparison to the infamous Salem. Now I see they are making a movie about “The Witches of Whitewater.”
I was able to take the curious up the hill to the haunted water tower in Starin Park which I had always known to be a haunted spot in town….
Matt links to the following trailer, too.
Enjoy.