Dinglehole - Millis, MA
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 42° 10.608 W 071° 21.987
19T E 304554 N 4672117
During the late seventeenth century belief in witchcraft was common and stories pertaining to this phenomenon flourished. The Dingle Hole exists today near the west end of Union Street.
Waymark Code: WM13P2T
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 01/20/2021
Views: 0
The Dinglehole, northwest of the Center on Union St., is a pit formerly filled with water, where Puritans heard the ringing of the bell that summoned the witches to their evil rites and saw on moonlight nights a headless man keeping vigil.
American-Guide-Series - Massachusetts: a Guide to its Places and People, p.442
Today the hole is dry and surrounded by houses. Having taken the original photos in October, the foliage was blocking a reasonable capture of the hole. I returned during the spring months before the leaves were out on the trees to capture a better picture. While I was there, I too encountered strange beings, but they were of human form asking me why I was taking pictures of the area and their property, to which I told them the story of Dinglehole.
During the late seventeenth century belief in witchcraft was common and stories pertaining to this phenomenon flourished. The Dingle Hole exists today near the west end of Union Street. It is a large pit filled with stagnant water of uncertain depth. Residents of the time were concerned by mention of mysterious bells, nocturnal fireballs, and specters of headless men. Supposedly witches in the shape of coons, weasels and other odoriferous animals lived around the place.
One winter evening a Mrs. Catherine Cabbage was returning home through the Dingle Hole with a ball of black yarn and unfinished stocking pinned to her dress. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned and saw, following close behind, a small black creature which seemed to increase in size and speed with every backward glance. Her gait increased to a run and she arrived home, breathless and terrified, glad to bolt the door behind her. She rested and related her story, then looked for her knitting. The stocking and needles were missing,
although the yarn was still pinned to her dress. Next morning, she found the missing items on her doorstep, having faithfully followed her home.
On another day, a team was unable to draw its load along this same road through Dingle Hole when the driver, believing the hindrance to be the result of witchcraft, instead of whipping his cattle, directed his blows to the wheels of his cart. Soon the team drew the load without further trouble and it was later learned that the old woman who did the witch business in the neighborhood was discovered with welts from the driver's whip.
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