Flying Saucers over Massachusetts

The year may be new with February beginning just a week ago, but reports of UFOs have already been logged in Massachusetts.

So far according to the National UFO reporting center, unusual lights have been seen in the following locations in January:

• Wilmington

• Millis

• Lowell


The Wilmington one might be the most interesting one. According to reports, a circle shaped metallic object was seen for about ten seconds before disappearing. It marks quite a start to the year. It will be interesting to see what happens as the year unfolds.

Three Quirky Massachusetts Facts

Where is in the world is it possible to drive on a bridge as a boat passes under while a train passes over, while a plane flies over - none other than the BU bridge where all four can - and sometimes do - happen.


The Ted Williams Tunnel is actually the deepest tunnel in North America. It goes into the ground to about 90 feet below.


About 15 percent of Bostonians walk to work. That is tops among all of the big cities.

Massachusetts First Bigfoot - Captured

Massachusetts first alleged encounter with Bigfoot happened in July 1765.

In an area of a now more developed part of Great Barrington, MA, some settlers were exploring a swampy region. At the time, the region was known for being a rather dark, dank area. Unusual cloud formations and mists would form, adding an eerie ambiance to the area. In fact, rumors persisted that the region was best to be avoided. 

At the time, the people exploring the region stumbled upon the most curious sight they had ever seen - a large creature, unlike one that had ever known - roaming the woods. The group pursued the creature and tracked it to where it was sleeping. Then, they caught it as it was dozing on the misty ground. 

Yes, that's right. They caught it. But, why have you never heard this story before. It's because the story is lost to history and few accounts of it persist.

But here is what we do know. The creature was described as “ an uncommon animal lately found at Great Barrington. This animal resembles the human species yet is monstrous in its nature and actions.”

The creature was captured and brought to Cambridge, MA to be studied....only to be released somehow and escape into the wild. This fact along brought skepticism from those who did not see it. Yet, for those who were believers, the creature was the first encounter with the Bigfoot of the Berkshires. And it is definitely not the last.

Want to read more. Check these out. Good stories:

https://newengland.com/today/travel/massachusetts/berkshires/bigfoot-sighting-berkshires/

https://theberkshireedge.com/real-story-great-barrington-bigfoot/

Mass Mysteries Website

Thanks to everyone who has visited - and continues to visit - this blog. In keeping with the times, we have decided to migrate over to a website, which we hope to keep up to date more regularly.

Sure, this spot will still exist as an archive, but all of the information on this site - and more now - are part of the Massachusetts Mysteries website.

Come check us out at THIS LINK

The Massachusetts Yeti

The blizzard of 2015 - aka snowstorm Juno - brought a ton of snow, some wind, and a lot of drifts to the Boston area.

However, it brought something a little different.

The Boston Yeti.

Now, if you have not seen it, this is not your typical monster. And no, the cousin of Bigfoot was not roaming the streets of Boston. However, there was a very incredible hoax - well really not a hoax because it was done as a joke - performed in the city on purpose

A guy bundled up to defeat the cold and wind in his very best abominable snowman suit. He seemed to roam many streets and the premise was to make people stop, take notice, and smile.

It did.

If you haven't seen the pics of this rogue creature who got the laughs and smiles he was looking for amidst a blizzard, check out the links below.

Fox TV link
Boston Globe Link

The Sacred Cod of Massachusetts

January 11 1798....

It is the day that a fish was literally paraded through the city of Boston and brought to a new resting place in the current State House under the golden dome of Beacon Hill where it sits to this day in the House of Representatives.

The Sacred Cod is one of those symbols of Massachusetts that has a little bit of mystery to it. It is a nearly five foot pine symbol of the old Bay colony. The cod is a symbol that seems to have existed since the early 1700s. It was chosen as a bastion of pride for the Bay State because of the economic importance of the fish. After all, cod is what lured some of the first explorers, such as John Cabot, to visit and explore the region at the end of the 15th century. It is the reason why Cape Cod is so named.

As Massachusetts became to evolve as a colony and develop its economic industry, cod-fishing became a vital economic institution in Massachusetts. According to records, in the 1640s, when the colony was still in its infancy, cod fishers were able to sell 300,000 cod. The demand for cod grew, as did Massachusetts wealth and prominence.

As Massachusetts became a powerful colony and established its seat of government, the cod became a symbol sometime at the turn of the 18th century. That is when the Sacred Cod began being hung as a symbol. Three iterations of the Sacred Cod have existed. The first was destroyed in a fire in 1747. The second disappeared mysteriously in the early to mid 1770s when the British occupied Boston following the Boston Tea Party. It was never found. After the war, the Massachusetts legislature promised to renew the symbol and built the one that currently stands out of pine. John Rowe proposed the construction of a new one in 1784 and the rest is history.

This particular cod still exists, but is not without mystery as well. In 1933, as a possible college prank, it was cod-napped. Because of popular outcry, it was later returned by two people who slowly handed it over in a car, then left. Exactly who they were still remains a mystery.

So today is the day to honor the Sacred Cod - part of the state's legacy...not without its own bit of mystery.

Want to learn more? Check out these sites:

Mass Moments
Celebrate Boston
MSP Site

One of the world's biggest chairs

The next time you are in Gardner, Massachusetts, you can check out one of the regions most unique roadside sites...the region's biggest chair.

It may look like a mystery left behind by Paul Bunyan, but it is actually a man-made landmark.

Originally a little more than one hundred years ago (in 1905), the large, red chair as long been a landmark of the town. The chair has encountered troubles over the years and is currently in its third iteration. The large, red chair stands 20 feet tall, weighs 3000 pounds, and is visited by many.

Technically, it was the world's largest chair, too, until the 1970s. In 1976, the chair was listed in the Guinness Book. Then, a chair in Alabama took the throne before relinquishing it to a chair in Italy.

It was closed down in 1998, but it was refurbished and reopened in 2001. So, the next time you are passing through the chair city - hence the chair - check out this roadside attraction.

Want to learn more. Check out these sites.

Boston Globe article.
Roadside America
Worcester Telegram article