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October Visit to Goodleberg
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| Added By: |
Tom G |
| Added On: |
November 02, 2008 - 07:29 PM UTC |
| Last Modified: |
November 02, 2008 - 07:29 PM UTC |
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| Tom G's Trip |
I first read of Goodleberg Cemetery 8 years ago in Shadows of the Western Door by Mason Winfield. It was the story that stuck out the most to me because of the vivid imagery of hellhounds prowling around a hilly cemetery. That and the sickening description of family dogs showing up on their masters' doorsteps with remains of aborted fetuses either buried in shallow graves or bloated from days spent at the bottom of the local pond. After reading further stories about the place, I wasn't sure what to expect while visiting the cemetery on Goodleberg Road.
My wife and I used a GPS to find our way to Goodleberg. It led us to where Goodleberg Road meets Hunters Creek Road. However, this end of Goodleberg Road is a dead end, terminating at a bridge that has long been closed down. It is easier to reach Goodleberg Cemetery from Vermont Hill Road. However, we weren't familiar with the area and decided to park alongside Hunters Creek Road and walk the half mile to Goodleberg Cemetery.
Unbeknownst to us, we apparently parked right near the former house of Dr. Speaker (the notorious "Dr. Goodleberg" of legend). We also were unknowingly parked in the area where a teen-aged ghost hunter was struck by a drunk driver and killed a few years back.
The long unused section of Goodleberg Road was heavily shaded with many trees on either side. The narrow road twisted down in a steep slope toward Hunters Creek. The road became more and more cluttered with leaves, branches and debris as we made our way along.
I became aware of how quiet and still everything was. There was no cheerful birdsong to pierce the gloom of the forsaken section of road. There wasn't even a slight breeze to stir the trees on that afternoon in early October. The only sound we could hear beyond our own footsteps stirring the newly fallen leaves was the occasional drone of a chainsaw being put to use far in the distance somewhere along Hunters Creek Road. The debris grew in frequency until we came across trees that had fallen to block the road. We walked around one and stepped over the other. We were glad that we hadn't mistakenly pulled our car onto the road. It would have been unpleasant to back a car up the steep hill with its thin crumbling road.
Eventually we made our way down to the bridge that once allowed traffic to pass over Hunters Creek and on to the remainder of Goodleberg Road. The bridge was blocked with metal beams bolted/welded across either side. The water was very low in the creek, but I've read that it can rise up high We stepped over the beams and made our way along the section of Goodleberg Road still in use.
The houses along the way to the cemetery from the bridge were all on the North side of the road, with woods and fields running along the South side. It was impossible to overlook the extreme number of "No Trespassing" and "No Standing" signs posted seemingly every 10 feet on either side of the road. We quickly got the idea that we might not be a welcome presence on Goodleberg Road.
While making our way along the next quarter mile I could hear the sounds of sharp laughter in the woods to the South. Between the trees I could see teenagers making their way through the woods in the same direction we were headed. With the posted signs all over the trees, I mistakenly assumed that the teens must be from the homes on Goodleberg Road.
When I reached Goodleberg Cemetery, I readied my camera for a shot of the front of the graveyard. However, the teenagers reached the rear of the cemetery just as I was snapping my photo and wound up in the image. The teens loudly made their way among the graves. Some of them sat on gravestones (or what remained of gravestones) as if they were bar stools. As I made my way along, attempting to snap photos of graves without getting the teens in my photos, they milled around me.
One of the teenage boys asked me if I knew any stories about the place. I told them the legend about the curse that befalls those who disturb the graves at Goodleberg Cemetery. That appeared to get to a couple of the girls and at least one of the boys. He turned to his friends who were sitting together on top of a tombstone and told them that maybe they shouldn't sit on the grave markers. They complied. Though, they remained in the cemetery, causing a loud ruckus until after my wife and I left.
Within moments of us leaving and heading down the road back to our car, the teens left the cemetery and made their way to cars parked in front of "No Standing" signs along the road. They peeled out and zipped down the road. Rowdy Teens: 1 Signs: 0
During my time there I was struck by how bright and pretty the area was. Very scenic, with a hill to the West and a pond to the Southeast. I was also surprised to see how tiny the cemetery was. The vibe was one of quaintness rather than any sort of creepiness. It saddened me to see the amount of destruction in the graveyard. I've never seen such a high percentage of gravestones vandalized in a cemetery. Easily more than 90% of the grave markers have been vandalized. From what I've read, a number of the markers are also outright missing from the location.
Our visit proved to be more depressing than spooky. |
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The section of Goodleberg Rd between Hunters Creek Road and the creek isn't maintained.
From: Tom G |
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The bridge crossing Hunters Creek has long been closed.
From: Tom G |
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Hunters Creek figures into the legends of Goodleberg Cemetery and road.
From: Tom G |
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Photo of Goodleberg Cemetery from the road. Note the rowdy teenagers near the back of the cemetery.
From: Tom G |
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