Episode 50: The Bennington Triangle Disappearances
Between the years of 1945-1950, there were strange happenings in the area of southwestern Vermont. Over the course of several towns, including Bennington, Woodford, Glastenbury and Somerset, disappearances of locals caused the area to earn an infamous title: The Bennington Triangle. This small portion of Vermont, which contained the Glastenbury Mountains, was once inhabited by the Abenaki tribe, who believed these mountains were cursed. This was because they believed that “the four winds met in an eternal struggle” at the peak of the mountain, and this caused the winds and weather to change erratically, which was disorienting. The Abenaki tribe also told of legends of large, hairy half-men who roamed the land and threatened local people.
While curses and potential Bigfoot sightings seemed more folklore than fact, there were several cases of disappearing residents that never had any explanation. Between 1945 and 1950, a rumored 5 people went missing in the confines of the Bennington Triangle.
The first victim of the mysterious stretch of Vermont was a 74-year-old man named Middie Rivers, who was an elderly hunting guide. He was last seen in 1945, leading a group of four hunters in the woods. On the way home, he got ahead of the group and disappeared- leaving behind nothing but a single rifle cartridge. He was never seen again.
The most infamous case to have happened out of the Bennington Triangle was that of 18-year-old Paula Jean Welden. After telling her roommate she was going for a hike, and being witnessed by several people on her extensive journey to Long Trail, Paula disappeared. She was last seen around 4pm on December 1st, 1946, by a group of four friends who reported talking to her about the length of the trail. No trace of Paula has ever been found.
The other cases that the Bennington Triangle claims as it’s own include the disappearance of an 8-year-old boy (who was most likely abducted), a veteran who disappeared between two bus stops, and a woman who was hiking with her cousin and fell in a stream.
The theories surrounding the Bennington Triangle vary widely- ranging from explanations of UFO abductions and Bigfoot attacks, to a potential serial killer in the area. Nothing has ever been proven, and the mysteries of this piece of Vermont remain unclear.
Image sources:
historybyday.com - “Unraveling the Unsolved Disappearances of the Bennington Triangle”
sevendaysvt.com - “Does Vermont Have Its Own Version of the Bermuda Triangle?”