Wilmarth's Changing Belief

This flow follows Albert N. Wilmarth from confident folklore skeptic to a man fleeing the possibility that the Vermont legends are true.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Skeptical Explanation

The Folklorist's Position Reports from the Rivers Wilmarth hears claims of strange bodies in flooded Vermont rivers and treats them as folklore shaped by panic. Public Debate He argues that familiar legends explain the reports better than any hidden nonhuman population.

Akeley's Challenge

Evidence Reopens the Question A Letter from Vermont Henry Wentworth Akeley claims to have found tracks, heard strange voices, and discovered evidence of hidden beings. Reluctant Interest Wilmarth remains unconvinced of Akeley’s explanation, but takes his intelligence and sincerity seriously enough to investigate.

The Recorded Voice

Sound Against Skepticism An Uncanny Recording Akeley sends a phonograph record that includes a buzzing voice responding to a human speaker. A Shift in Confidence The sound and accompanying evidence weaken Wilmarth’s certainty that the reported beings are products of legend alone.

The Invitation

An Uneasy Reversal A New Account Akeley writes that he has reconciled with the beings and now welcomes their exchange of knowledge. Curiosity Prevails Though the abrupt change troubles him, Wilmarth accepts the invitation and travels to Vermont carrying the letters and record.

Flight from the Farmhouse

Certainty Becomes Terror The Hidden Gathering Wilmarth hears alien voices and discovers signs that Akeley’s apparent identity may be a deception. Escape He takes the old Ford and flees through the night, choosing survival over the promised revelations.

After the November 1927 floods

May 1928

Early summer 1928

September 1928, before the visit

The night of Wilmarth's visit, September 1928