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New book on the area:
Cursed in New England : Stories of Damned Yankees
by Joseph A. Citro
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/076272868X/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076272868X/
Some other books by the same author:
Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584653590/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584651121/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584651121/
Passing Strange : True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors
PB:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300595/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300595/
HB:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300188/
Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1881527506/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1881527506/
Green Mountains, Dark Tales
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874518636/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874518636/
The Vermont Ghost Guide
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584650095/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584650095/
Cursed in New England : Stories of Damned Yankees
by Joseph A. Citro
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/076272868X/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076272868X/
About the Author
Known alternately as "Vermont's Ghostmaster General" and "New England's Bard of the Bizarre," Joseph A. Citro is doing more than anyone else to keep the region's legends and lore alive in popular culture. He has written five Vermont-based thrillers and three collections of "strange-but-true" stories. Since 1992 his commentary series on public radio has featured the region's best-loved ghosts, monsters, madmen, and mysteries. He is an expert in New England's occult lore, including Spiritualism.
Excerpted from Cursed in New England : Stories of Damned Yankees by Joseph A. Citro. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Cheating the Devil?
Finally, in 1844, Paul Doran, who had donated the land, hit upon another simple scheme. "Look," he said to the assembled work crew, "you know the words of the curse as well as I do: 'The first man to break ground for the church will die a sudden death'."
He had the crowd's attention; all eyes stared expectantly at him.
"The curse clearly says, 'the first man'," he continued, emphasizing the word. "My wife Mary-who I assure you is no man-has volunteered to break ground so our work here may begin."
In was an inventive solution. The assembled workers cheered as Paul Doran made a big show of handing a spade to his wife.
With equal flourish Mary plunged the spade to the ground, modestly hiked up her skirt just a bit, and used her thick-soled shoe to drive the shovel into the earth. Nothing happened. The ground was much too hard. A laborer nearby handed her a crowbar with which she vigorously hacked at the earth, leaving a deep gash. At last, church ground was broken!
But perhaps the effort was too much for her.
For a moment Mary Doran stood there wide-eyed, as if something unseen had slapped her soundly on the backside. Then, slumping a little at the knees, she clutched the crowbar as if it were a cane. She tried to remain standing but her legs wouldn't hold. Rushing forward, her husband grabbed her just as she began to fall. He lowered her gently to the earth where she died moments later in his arms.
Book Description
New Englanders are always cursing. But a colorful profanity uttered by some sterotypically tactiturn old Yankee is usually more humorous than menacing. Yet, true maledictions (the opposite of benedicitons) have frequently been spoken on New England soil, curses intended to invoke evil, injury, or total destruction against other people.
Stories about preternatural revenge are numerous in Yankee lore, with each New England state providing its favorites. Some are well known, at least regionally. Others are nearly forgotten. Within these pages, renowned storyteller Joseph A. Citro vividly brings these tales to life, letting us decide if these tales of woe were bad luck or ... something else.
Some other books by the same author:
Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584653590/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584651121/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584651121/
Passing Strange : True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors
PB:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300595/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300595/
HB:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1576300188/
Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1881527506/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1881527506/
Green Mountains, Dark Tales
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874518636/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874518636/
The Vermont Ghost Guide
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584650095/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584650095/