- Everyone jokes about the "man in the outhouse". Whenever you'd use those sketchy wooden outhouses at campgrounds or whatever people would joke about being quick in there so he doesn't grab you. I was pretty young when I first heard of it and thought it was just a joke.
Turns out it was based on a real man who got caught creeping in the pit of outhouses at a busy local campground. He'd sit in the muck for hours, masturbating, watching as women did their business on him. He got arrested when a woman shined a light down there and saw a guy staring up at her.
Pretty fucked up.
— ratchnad - There were quite a few...
A place called the "KKK Dome" existed behind the town's cemetery. I think it was the ruins from an old water treatment plant that was long since deserted. Basically it was a concrete wall at least 8 feet tall that was in the shape of a giant circle (probably was at least 150 feet from one end to the other). One rumor that gave the place its name was that supposedly the Klan met there and conducted ceremonies. I don't believe it was actually true but once when exploring the area someone found an old metal cage out in the middle of the woods. That gave everyone ideas of people behind kept in cages out there and being killed out there. I can't explain the cage at all in the context of an old water treatment plant, but I don't think there was really anything notorious about the place.
There was also a place out in the country called Dead Man's Hill by some. It was next to where an old railroad crossing used to be. The story went that a kid was in his truck crossing the railroad long ago and that his truck stalled on the tracks. Soon a train came and killed him. The legend became that if you would park in front of the old crossing and put your car in neutral that his ghost would push your car UP the hill and onto the tracks so that you could join him in the afterlife. Now, legitimately, this one did work. The way the land is around the area, it LOOKS like you are being pushed uphill for a bit and up onto the tracks. It was really just an optical illusion though. The second part of the legend was that if you put flour on the hood of your car that you would see his handprints appear as he pushed you. You can imagine the time we had tricking kids younger than us by making them look away while we put handprints on the hood after the fact.
Come to think of it... These stories really go on and on... I'm from rural Illinois so there wasn't much to do... So, if anyone's interested, I'll share more...
— seedsofchaos - A cyclone come throug town in 1899 and destroyed a home where a baby was taken with his crib and gently set down in a neighboring field, still in his crib, unscathed.
— brotherjonathan - Voodoo village. A street that supposedly ran by a strange cult that has iconography from the masons, satanism and some random Christianity thrown in there. Good ole Memphis, TN
— cj_kretz - We have an entire town-wide lore surrounding this massive, creepy ass forest called Rugar Woods on the edge of town. It's the most obviously haunted place on earth. Full of abandoned factories and warehouses and weirdly placed infrastructure.
One of the most peculiar things about it is that there are random items everywhere; TVs, bicycles, clothes- even cars and tractors, just laying about in the forest. It honestly feels like loot in a video game.
It's said that if you want something, you will find it in Rugar Woods- provided that you are willing to look for it. As far as I can tell, the conjecture is true. Whenever I've looked for something practical in Rugar Woods, I've found it. There was one time I needed a new computer monitor, so I went hunting in Rugar Woods, and had one within the next hour. Another time, I needed a space heater. Found it by nightfall in the woods.
I've heard of other people finding way more crazy shit, like functioning refrigerators and decently nice furniture. It wouldn't even be notable if the items were on the edge of the woods, because then we could assume that they were just dumped. But the fact that they are found deep within the woods at random locations makes it seem like something supernatural is at work.
— kingofthebins - The bunny man. A man in a bunny suit that supposedly hides under a specific bridge and bludgeons people to death with a fire axe.
— cerebeliac - I live within walking distance of where the Slenderman stabbing occurred. It's way too recent and well documented to be a "legend" but I can only assume it will be for the next generation.
— Mono200 - That there is a serial killer who pushes drunk men in the canals. The police say the canals are just filled with drunks who fell in. Who knows?
— Bighomiegeoff - There's a house along a busier street of town near the school. It is a considerably nicer home than the other houses along the street. However the house seems to go up for sale every few months. The legend was that the house is haunted by the first owners, who were killed by their butler and when the kids came home from school, they found the butler hanging from the ceiling of the kitchen. I still drive past this house from time to time and it is up for sale 30% of the time.
— ProLipton - We have a few around these parts.
The dogmen are these half man half wolf hybrids, people have seen them on river banks, out in the woods, crossing the roads, etc. I live in a very wooded area probably 80% forest.
Lots of people go missing around here so there are always rumors about why, serial killers, bigfoot, satanic cults, vampires, werewolves, you name it. Most of these people turn up dead a few months to years later in the woods.
The area used to be a big mining town logging is a major business too so out in the woods are tons of weird buildings. You'll be out walking in the woods and BAM a two story concrete building is just there, or an old mining camp will just appear among the trees. People make up stories about those too.
Also look up the Paulding Light, cool stories about what that is too.
— Zoup - Crazy bob. Was based off a real person who was actually crazy he was basically the Chuck Norris (no body fucked with him dude was a fucking ninja) of my town. He passed away bout 10 years ago and now kids tell each other crazy murder stories about him.
He would walk around town doing Karate moves to the air and actually kicked a few peoples asses who challenged him and one cop who was trying to bring him home one night.
— huruga - Viking pillagers. Apparently if an elderly woman is walking around late at night they end up picked up and carried off by the restless spirits of Vikings. The lady will later be found with her hair in intricate braids but otherwise unharmed.
— PinkTiefling - Melonheads. The story is that a doctor ran experiments on a group of children, giving them enlarged heads. One day they killed the doctor and ran away to the surrounding forest to eat babies.
This is Kirtland, Ohio; I think there are a few melonhead stories from other places.
— SoapSudGaming