Hanging Hills - The Black Dog of The Hanging Hills

The Black Dog of The Hanging Hills

The Black Dog of the Hanging Hills is an allegedly supernatural hound that appears in local folklore (see also Black dog for similar legends in other places). Folklore holds that it has haunted the region since the early 19th century and that it manifests as a small black dog, often gregarious in nature, which leaves no footprints and makes no sound. According to the legend, to see the Black Dog the first time results in joy while a second sighting results in misfortune. Seeing the Black Dog a third time is said to be a death omen. At least six deaths have been blamed on third meetings with the Black Dog.

One of the earliest accounts of the dog was published in the Connecticut Quarterly, (April–June, 1898), by New York geologist W.H.C. Pynchon. According to Pynchon, in February 1891 he and geologist Herbert Marshall of the USGS were conducting geologic research in the Hanging Hills when they saw the dog. Pynchon had seen the dog once before. Marshall, who had seen the dog twice, scoffed at the legend. Shortly after the two of them saw the dog, Marshall slipped on the ice atop one of the cliffs and plunged to his death. His body was recovered by authorities. Reports of the Black Dog continue to circulate today.