Jessa Dean - The Ghostly Tales of Sleepy Hollow

Published by Arcadia Childrens Books
A Division of Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, SC
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Copyright 2021 by Arcadia Childrens Books
All rights reserved

Spooky America is a trademark of Arcadia Publishing, Inc.

First published 2021
E-Book edition 2021

ISBN 978-1-4396-7243-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021932534

Print edition ISBN 978-1-4671-9821-9

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or Arcadia Publishing. The author and Arcadia Publishing disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.com; p. 30 Brian Logan Photography/Shutterstock.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS & MAP KEY

The Myths and Legends of Sleepy Hollow

Have you ever visited a place that felt like it didnt belong in our world? A place where the energy seemed to exist somewhere between the living and the dead?

Sleepy Hollow, New York, is that kind of place. In fact, the whole lower Hudson River Valley feels that waylike things arent at all what they seem. The fog plays tricks with your mind. The wind moans and wails. You might even pass a few stone markers that look an awful lot like skulls. But if you like ghosts, Sleepy Hollow will excite you even as it scares you! Adding to the mystery is a ghostly tale that changed everything for the town of Sleepy Hollow. In fact, this tale blurred the line between fantasy and reality so much, no one truly knows where one ends and the other begins.

You cant talk about the lower Hudson River Valleyespecially the haunted parts without talking about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, written in 1820 by Washington Irving. Irving wrote his ghostly tale so well that people assume it actually happened. Why else would he have called it The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? The Legend mixes real places and people with local and traditional folklore to create a story that thrills and scares readers just as much today as it did when it was published. Today, its required reading in many schools, and there are many movies and books that have adapted the tale. Thousands of tourists flock to Sleepy Hollow each year, especially during Halloween, to visit the places mentioned in the story.

Reading Irvings Legend pulls much into a spooky atmosphere that its hard to believe he wasnt in New York when he wrote it. He lived in Birmingham, England, at the time, but he loved Sleepy Hollow and the surrounding areas so much that he eventually settled nearby. You can visit his home, called Sunnyside, but you might be confused about how to actually get there. Some claim its in Irvington, which was named after the author himself, while others say its in Tarrytown, which was the town established first, just three miles north of Irvington. This just goes to show you how much Irving and his Legend are loved in the region.

But thats not even the coolest thing about Irvings connection to Sleepy Hollow, because Sleepy Hollow technically didnt even exist until Irving created it! It was known as North Tarrytown until 1996. That year, the main employer in North Tarrytownan automobile plantshut down. Without the jobs it provided, the town would have really become a ghost town of empty houses and buildings as people moved away. However, local leaders had a brilliant idea to save their town.

Everyone already believed Irvings tale: they came to North Tarrytown from near and far to chase ghosts. So the town decided to become the one Washington Irving created. Instead of manufacturing cars, the town changed its name to Sleepy Hollow and transformed into a major tourist destination for those who seek out the supernatural. (Dont worry; going forward, well always refer to the town as Sleepy Hollow to avoid confusion.)

No one can deny the area draws to it all things spooky, including people who love to chase the things that go bump in the night. In fact, long before Washington Irving spun his tale, it was rumored that ghosts walked freely among the hills and fields of the lower Hudson River Valley. The indigenous tribes of the area told stories of supernatural things and tribe members who had been killed while protecting their territories. The Revolutionary War brought more bloodshed to the region. With such a history of struggle, its no wonder the streets of Sleepy Hollow possess a particular kind of haunted energy. Its almost as though a spell has been cast on the town. Frightened residents report seeing strange things and hearing odd music and loud, lonesome cries floating through the air. They see shapes in the mist and figures high in the hills.

But was Sleepy Hollow actually the home of a Headless Horseman, as described in Irvings tale, who chased local people for their heads?

The answer? Anything seems possible in Sleepy Hollow.

Will you encounter a ghost if you walk its pathways alone under the darkness of night? Theres a good chance of it.

So, if you really want to know more about this truly spooky part of America and the legends that locals tell, read on. But be warned! The Headless Horseman isnt the scariest thing lurking near the banks of the Hudson River. Its quite possible youll find something even more unsettling to haunt your dreams!

Ichabods Tale

For those who havent read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the story features Ichabod Crane, a traveling schoolteacher from Connecticut who wandered into Sleepy Hollow and never made it out. Or did he?