Bara Hack Ghost Town

[Gypsy Heart]

N 41° 52.768 W 072° 00.681
18T E 747992 N 4640714
Bara-Hack the so called Haunted Village of Lost Voices is located near Historic Pomfret, CT,
This isolated colony was abandoned after the Civil War and since then has been the site of many a ghost story. It is said that the sounds of the former inhabitants remain: childrens laughter, singing, mothers calling, dogs barking, cows lowing, and wagon wheels rumbling.
Bara-Hack is near Pomfret. It is a village deep in the woods of northeastern Connecticut. It's name was Bara-Hack, Welsh for "breaking of
bread." It was founded in 1780, by two Welsh families. The founders of the town was Obadiah Higginboth (1750-1803), and the other was
Jonathan Randall. The first ghostly sightings were from the Randall's slaves. They said that they could see ghosts at dusk reclining in the
branches in a certain elm tree in the burial ground. The town has been unoccupied since 1890, and is now just visible by it's cellar holes, and
small cemetery.

Bara-Hack almost immediately became known for being haunted. In 1927, Odell Shepard wrote in his book, The Harvest of a Quiet Eye, as
follow:

Here had been their houses, represented today by a few gaping cellar holes out of which tall trees were growing; but here is the Village of
Voices. For the place is peopled still... Although there is no human habitation for a long distance round about and no one goes there except
the few who go to listen, yet there is always a hum and stir of human life... They hear the laughter of children at play... the voices of mothers
who have long been dust calling their children into the homes that are now mere holes in the earth. They hear vague snatches of song... and
the rumble of heavy wagons along an obliterated road. It is as though sounds were able in this place to get round that incomprehensible
corner, to pierce that mysterious soundproof wall that we call Time.

One of the most extensive investigations was in 1971 and 72 by a group of college students led by Paul F. Eno. Eno wrote their account of their
adventure in October and November 1985 issues of Fate magazine. They were escorted to the site by Harry Chase, a longtime resident of
Pomfret, who knew Bara-Hack well. The students experienced strange phenomena the few times they visited the place. Although the village site
was over a mile away from homes, they heard barking of dogs, lowing of cows, and the occasional human voice from the nearby dense woods.
They also heard the laughter of children, which they attempted to tape, but it would not record. In the evening they saw bluish streaks or blobs.
Eno wrote in his article:

For more than seven minutes we watched a bearded face suspended in the air over the cemetery's western wall, while in an elm tree over the
northern wall we clearly saw a baby-like figure reclining.

On another one of their expeditions, a member of the group said his hate had been pulled off and lodged in a tree. Another man that went
because he knew how to operate the cameras, he was restrained by an unseen force, he could move in any direction except towards the
cemetery. The group also heard the rumbling of a wagon, and the shouts of a team driver, starting in the cemetery and then moved through a
section of dense woods.
http://www.wendigoentertainment.com/...barahackx.html
Directions: Go to Abington Four Corners (in Pomfret), at the intersection of Route 97 and 44. Go north on route 97, then take a left onto a side
road and park just beyond Mashomoquet Brook. There is an overgrown cow path, follow it for about a quarter mile to the lost village. It is
uninhabited but is private property.

[TooManyHobbies]

Well, that gave me chills. And I didn't think I believed in ghosts. I've never heard that story before, but I work in Pomfret at my weekend job, right on the side of Mashamoquet Park. The intersection of 44 and 97 is only a couple miles from work. I'll do my best to check it out.
How did you come about this information, with pics no less, all the way from Missouri?

[Gypsy Heart]

I too, have too many hobbies.....

[lafatlife]

Ironically I just read about that this weekend. I would love to detect there but need to find the owner to ask permission first.

I bet it would be awesome!!!

[Gypsy Heart]

Ask permission and go hunt it....Will look forward to seeing what you find...so,eome told me there was an old bottle dump there.....Good Luck!

[TooManyHobbies]

I was just doing some research on Google Earth to find the location. Funny, same pics as Gypsy posted. When I was in 5th grade, my class stayed overnight at the 4H camp down the road. We walked that path and saw the graveyard to Bara Hack. I could never remember where it was after that. It was quite a few years ago. I still don't remember too much about it, but maybe the 4H girl mentioned it being haunted. I'm going to look into it more.

[Dr. Ace]

Gypsy Heart,

Interesting write up. Where do you come up with all of these? I have noticed some of your write-ups from Iowa. Very intriguing.

HH,

Dr. Ace

[Gypsy Heart]

These stories are all over the net,town records,libraries ,etc....I try and find places that are of interest to metal dectorists...usually historical placces that are not well tramped on...when I do find a pic or story I post it here so other Tnet members who are near there might obtain permission and go hunt it. I have tons of leads and people email me all the time with sites they cant hunt or are not in their state. I try to verify that these places are real and give GPS cords when I can . Sometimes people will send me false info or there is alot on the web that just isnt true. I do historical research so am able to come across alot of stories that arent on the web and then its tracking down documents or records to verify.
If I get a lead with no picture, I try to find one or an old map of the area. Sometimes I post a copyrighted picture which makes me have to delete my posts (there have been lots) ...and its not because I am taking someones pic on purpose but that lots of people have sent me stories or pics over the years and I didnt know they had gotten a copyrighted pic attached.
I get letters from people who say I posted their picture...yet if I look on the web ,the same pic is on several different sites under several different names..... I just want to get as many leads out there for Tnet people as I am able ......

[ugotit22]

Ive accualy been there. I went last yr to detect the sites arounf the houses. I am a memeber a CT paranormial research team so i know alittle somethin about paranomial activity. I have to say a didnt hear, scenes, for feel anything that would concluded me to believe it was haunted. I actually really enjoyed the isolated little town in the woods. It was a long hike to get in and other then a 1987 kennedy half i found nothing of interest in about 2 hrs of detecting. was a very interesting site and i would love to go back one day.
Just my two cents
Keith

[ugotit22]

Ironically I just read about that this weekend. I would love to detect there but need to find the owner to ask permission first.

I bet it would be awesome!!!

\\
Trust me i thought the same thing. It took me forever to find it in the woods and believe it or not the detecting sucked. No old tools, old coins, or even horse shoes for that mater. I came to the conclusion that others have had to of hit it good in the past. The only thing i found was a 1987 kennedy half in the middle of the road. And as far as the owners. I had to sneek in. I couldnt find the owners and the neighbors around the sitre where ass**** so it was either that or dont go and since i drove over ann hr that was out of the question.

[Gypsy Heart]

Well that really bites...i thought this would give up a few nice coins...too bad about the neighbors ....

[ugotit22]

Well that really bites...i thought this would give up a few nice coins...too bad about the neighbors ....

IM sure if you search to outskirts more it has to produce something. I mean i just hit the areas i thought would be good, the roads, arounnd the stone walls, adn near the cellar holes. Bzut like i said i was only there for about 2 hrs. If you had a few people and some times it has to produce something decent

[Connecticut Sam]

If anybody have good info on other ghost towns in Connecticut. Please sent them to: lovejoydc@att.net
Thank you.

[Connecticut Sam]

Has anybody been out there in a while? Do you have any info on any ghost towns in Connecticut?
lovejoydc@att.net