Folklore and Flood Evidence

This flow follows how reports of strange creatures in flooded Vermont move from local legends to evidence that unsettles Wilmarth’s scepticism.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Floods Reveal Strange Forms

Bodies in the Water Reports from Three Rivers Witnesses describe pink, crab-like forms among the flood debris in several parts of Vermont. Conflicting Interpretations The sightings are easily dismissed as distorted views of human or animal remains, but their similarity attracts attention.

Old Stories Return

A Buried Tradition The Hidden Beings Old accounts describe winged creatures in remote hills and warn people away from their territory. A Shared Pattern The flood reports resemble these stories closely enough to revive a tradition many residents thought obsolete.

Wilmarth's Rebuttal

Scholarship Versus Rumour A Folklorist's Case Wilmarth compares the reports with widespread myths of hidden races and argues against taking them literally. Public Argument Letters and newspaper summaries turn the issue into a debate about whether folklore preserves distorted history.

Akeley's Evidence

The Local Record Tracks and Voices Akeley describes claw-like footprints, strange voices, and objects connected with the hills near his home. A Different Kind of Claim His detailed testimony challenges the idea that the flood stories are explained by folklore alone.

The Legend Gains Weight

A Changed Interpretation Direct Contact Wilmarth encounters evidence that the hidden beings may exist and finds the farmhouse’s apparent safety deceptive. Skepticism Survives as Doubt He leaves without proof acceptable to others, yet can no longer return to his original confidence.

November 3, 1927, and the days after

Late 1927

Winter 1927–1928

Spring 1928

After Wilmarth's visit to Vermont