Inside the Bridgewater Triangle

For years, ghost hunters and paranormal experts alike have flocked to the Bridgewater Triangle, a 200 square-mile area in Eastern Massachusetts that many believe to be the breeding ground for the unexplainable. From Bigfoot and UFO sightings to ghosts and strange voices, the area from Abington south to Freetown, west to Seekonk, and north back to Abington, features a number of sites said to possess an energy unlike any other area in the state. Here are a few of them.

At the center of the triangle is Hockomock Swamp, the largest swampland in New England, and one that is rich in animal, plant, and geologic diversity. The dense surroundings mean that it’s a very difficulty place to navigate, which leads some to believe that certain creatures could lurk in the swamp undetected. The Wampanoag tribe gave the spot the name Hockomock, which means “place where spirits dwell, and Colonial settlers called it “Devil’s Swamp.’’ Some of the strange sightings reported here include various flying creatures and ghosts.

According to the book, “Weird New England,’’ Bigfoot sightings have also occurred in the swamp. The book contends that the creatures are generally calm, but that at one point in the 1970s, one went “haywire,’’ killing pigs and sheep belonging to local farmers. Police with attack dogs searched the swamp for two days, but found no sign of the Bigfoot creature.

Visitors to the Taunton State Hospital have reported strange happenings, including having their shoulders and legs touched and pulled when entering certain areas of the hospital. There were areas of the hospital that were allegedly used by satanic cults in the 1960s and 70s.

Visitors to the Taunton State Hospital have reported strange happenings, including having their shoulders and legs touched and pulled when entering certain areas of the hospital. There were areas of the hospital that were allegedly used by satanic cults in the 1960s and 70s.

At the opposite end of the forest, the Assonet Ledge has its own set of legends. The remote location has reportedly been the site of ghosts standing atop the ledge and leaping before disappearing. In a recent presentation in Dighton, John Brightman, from the New England Paranormal Research Group, reported that he broke down atop the ledge, later realizing a spirit had told him to “jump or leave.’’

Nearby, on Copicut Road, travelers have reported a truck driver following them too closely and honking his horn, making wild motions with his arms. The truck then disappears. The legend is somewhat obscure, according to some. In a 2006 article on the Bridgewater Triangle, a local resident who owns a farm off the road told Globe reporter Brian MacQuarrie, “It’s news to me.’’

The one-room Horbine School, located in Rehoboth, is said to be haunted by its former inhabitants. Built in the 1840s, the school was in active use until 1937. However, visitors are allowed to visit the school on certain Sundays during the summer and by appointment. Over the years, visitors have reported hearing voices and other spectra in the school. Some believe the spirits were awakened when the structure was renovated in 1968 to celebrate the town’s anniversary.

There is a stretch along Route 44 in Seekonk where the “red-headed hitchhiker’’ has become a phenomenon. Motorists have reported seeing a man with long, red hair and a full beard walking along the roadside, but when they stop to pick him up, the man disappears. Others have allegedly reported driving through the spirit, and even having picked him up before his disappearance.