YEAR: 1979

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: midmonth

STATE: Massachusetts

COUNTY: Plymouth County

LOCATION DETAILS: [Address removed from the report]

NEAREST TOWN: Abington, MA

NEAREST ROAD: Rtes. 18 & 123 & 139

OBSERVED: Twenty Five years ago (1979) I heard the most awful and terrifying screams for 3 nights in a row. We had just built a two story addition which is situated further back on a lot (about 150 feet) into the woods from the street. This area was considered suburban but was fairly rural at that time. There are houses built along the street that are on lots of 3/4 to 1 acre. We own several acres of heavily wooded land and our house sits back on the lot further than the others. The section of woods is borderd by 3 state highways and was about 1 mile (length) by 1 1/2 miles (width)of woods and some farmland fields. At the time there were only two dead end streets that penetrated this section of woods. Another country road separates this section on the west with a State park nearby (1/2 mile from the road). This park is several hundred acres of lakes and heavily wooded areas. The area now is filled with housing and development.

It was July and was very hot (90 degrees +) and the peepers were very loud. Each evening between 2:00 and 3:30 a.m. an extremely loud howling, screaming sound would start far away. As it came closer ( the screams lasted for 20-30 seconds each and occurred every 1-2 minutes or so) you could hear bushes and branches being swept out of the way with loud crunching and breaking sounds and screams that would get louder in intensity. The woods at that time were covered with thick vines and brambles that were about 3-5 feet high. It was extremely difficult to walk through any section of the woods that was not cleared. You just didn't stroll through the woods, especially in the pitch black. When this "thing" came closer all the peepers and the night sounds completely ceased. The sound was so loud in volume that it actually caused you to "freeze" - I mean that it ran your blood cold! I remember laying in bed not wanting to investigate because whatever it was - it was BIG and I did not want to find out what it was! It was not the sound of a bear, a mountain lion or a wounded deer.The sound had a human quality about it and was like - it was searching for something and had a sense of pain or distress abut it. It would travel parallel through the woods about 100 feet behind my house. On the third night I got up immediately and waited for this thing to get closer. I have a switch in the bedroom that would turn on some roof mounted flood lights that would shine in the back yard. We did not have a deck or anything at the time and the woods were about 25 feet behind the house. This thing was crashing through the woods and when it was right behind the house it gave out this huge loud moan. I was looking out the window with all the inside lights out and then I turned on the floodlights. The scream stopped and there was silence for about 5 seconds and then it crashed through the woods away from the house very quickly opposite the direction it came from. You could hear the crashing of a two footed creature. I heard the crashing sounds for about another minute and then it faded and was quiet. I was really spooked and went downstairs and started turning on all the lights and the outside lights. I noticed that all my neighbors were turning on their outside lights as well. This was unusual because no one left outside lights on and there were no street lights in this section of the street.There were at least 4 other houses that turned their lights on. I contemplated whether to call the police but did not. The next day while mowing the lawn, my elderly neighbor across the street from me came over and said "Dave, did you hear those sounds last night? I have heard them for several nights and almost called the cops - if I hear it again I am calling the police - I never heard anything like that in my life." I agreed and it was good that someone else confirmed the incident to me. All these years I have only told close friends of this story and the kidding I take is unmerciful- but I know to this day what I heard was absolutely real. I forgot about it for many years until I saw some "bigfoot" documentary in the early 1990's. They played a recording and when I heard it- it brought back the whole incident. It was almost identical to the sound! I have played the sound recordings on various websights and would say that it was pretty close to the Ohio or Pennsylvania recordings. I never heard anything after 1979 and I did not see anything. Perhaps others have given reports from this area and this report may be helpful. I am being truthful about this - I do not drink or do any nonprescription drugs - I am a church administrator in a Bible (nondenominational) church.

ALSO NOTICED: I do recall now after reading some accounts - about a "path" deep in the woods about a mile long that ran parallel to the houses. It was about 500 feet back of my house along an old stone wall. It was covered ( canopy of trees) and very dark-even on bright days. I would occasionally walk through the woods and found this path. The entrance was through the woods 1/4 mile down the street and through a dense pine grove - you would then enter an open field and then enter this dark section of woods. I found an irregular path that rambled - but always wondered why there were many broken branches and samll trees and closed in areas(like small trees pulled together) and the rocks in the wall would be all over the place - some of them were good size. I always thought that maybe some kids used this path to school or built forts or something but I now realize it was too dense and not really in the right direction to the schools. I never heard any kids out back in all the years I have been here (almost 30 years)

OTHER WITNESSES: My wife was awakened by the sounds but does not clearly recall it now. Also, several neighbors (only spoke to one about it though) - many that are now deceased or have moved away.

OTHER STORIES: Only read about some sightings in the Bridgewater Triangle in the years since. These sightings happened around 1970 or so. Abington is considered the nothern edge of the Hockomock Swamp and goes through the Bridgewaters to Dighton. Many stories of unusual things in this area through the decades. I have heard nothing of any incidents in my town however.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 2:00 - 3:30 a.m in the morning. Hot and humid - clear night - no lights from any direction- pitch black.

ENVIRONMENT: Suburban town of about 10,000 people. But large areas of woods and farms in this area at that time. Wooded areas of hardwoods and pines with thick undergrowth of vines, low bushes etc.