In the summer of 1908, the quiet town of Harmony, Maine, found itself troubled by something no one could quite explain.
At the home of Elmer Dare, the nights had become loud, strange, and unsettling. Barrels rolled across the cellar floor. Doors slammed in the darkness. Chairs were knocked over. Windows shattered while men stood watch beneath a bright moon, unable to find the culprit.
Was it a prank? A restless spirit? A bit of old-fashioned mischief dressed up as a haunting?
The newspaper called them “spirits, hobgoblins, or some other obnoxious unearthly creatures,” and for several nights, the mystery was serious enough to draw neighbors, watchers, and even the deputy sheriff.
Hobgoblins in Maine House
HARMONY, Maine. — They are having quite exciting times at the home of Elmer Dare, in Harmony.
On June 9 the place was visited by spirits, hobgoblins, or some other obnoxious unearthly creatures. The family was awakened in the night by cider and vinegar barrels being rolled over in the cellar, doors slamming, chairs tipped over and other noises too numerous to mention.
The neighbors were called in by telephone and watched all night, but failed to locate the cause of the disturbance. The next three nights the same mysterious doings were repeated, and several windows were broken. Although there was a bright moon and several men watched the place, they failed to discover any cause for the unusual commotion.
We have not heard the result of Saturday night, but a crowd, with the deputy sheriff for a leader, was fully resolved to solve the mystery if possible. It may be a case like what we heard at Union several years ago, when a certain young lady endeavored to persuade her father to buy her an organ by getting Old Uncle Ben Robbins to play ghost.
Source: The Vinita Daily Chieftain. Vinita, Indian Territory, Okla. November 3, 1908.
