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The Reputed
History:
About 1900,
between Cushing and St. Croix Falls, a small hamlet, later known
as Eureka Center, developed. This community was centered
around a creamery. The first settler was Matt Young.
The town was then known as "Yellow Dog Town."
The
Witch
About one half
mile east of this community there was a neighborhood known as
"Spooky Hollow." Many strange stories have been
told about this community. At that time there lived an
elderly lady known to people in the surrounding territory as a
witch, and whom many believed caused many mysteries. She
possessed what was known to many as the "Little Black
Book." This book was burned seven times; but after
each burning, it turned up along the clock on the shelf in her
home the next morning.
There was an old
bachelor who also lived in Spooky Hollow. He was known to
everyone as "Mule Pete." Mule Pete used to buy
cookies at the store to share with his little dog. He was
an ardent believer in the little black book. Many people
living in and around Eureka Center are still haunted by these
very uncanny tales and are to this day afraid to travel after
dark on this road, because of the superstitions about the little
black book. If anyone were to read the book, they were
sure to die.
Many say this
lady was not a witch; and others say she was as she had some
very supernatural powers. There is a story about a man who
bought cattle. He was talking to the supposed
"witch" one day and asking her about her powers in a
teasing manner. As he left, he told her he was going to
buy cattle the next morning. She told him he wouldn't get
very far. This man lived on what is now the Orvin Johnson
place. He got as far as the next place that morning, where
Bobby Swanson lives now, when his horse became suddenly lame,
and he had to return home. He was sure a hex had been put
on him.
Another time a
man whom the witch didn't like was putting up a load of
hay. He had the wagon all loaded when it very mysteriously
tipped over, and he had to reload all the hay. He was sure
he was hexed.
Strange
Happenings
There are other
stories, telling of very strange noises as you come through the
hollow. If you came through there after midnight with a
horse and buggy, you could almost be sure that the chains would
drop off from the horses and the horses would tear off down the
road, leaving the buggy behind. It was up to the driver
then to catch and hook up the horses again before going on.
The
Phantom White Steed and Rider
There is a story
that many years ago a man who lived near Twin Lake always went
into town early every morning. Late in the evening he used
to come riding home on his white steed. He did the very
same thing for many years. When this man passed away, they
had a small funeral for him. Because he lived alone, a
neighbor man was hired to close up his house and store his
belongings. It was dark before he had finished the job;
and as he was leaving, he heard a strange noise. There,
charging down the road towards him was a phantom white steed
with the ghost of the dead man riding in the saddle. The
man went home quickly. Many people have seen the phantom
white steed and the dead man rider come down the road and then
disappear in a cloud of dust.
Should you be in
Spooky Hollow some time after midnight and see this apparition,
you will know it is the ghost rider on his nightly ride.
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