Dudleytown was first settled by Thomas Griffis who was later joined by Gideon Dudley. His family followed shortly after, and by 1753, the Dudleys were on a mission to find a fresh start. Some even believe that the story began, tracing all

Dudley lineage back to one “a Saxon named Dudd” Legend has it, Gideon Dudley fled to America hoping to avoid a longtime family curse after his father was beheaded.

Unfortunately, the Dudleys are believed to have been partaking in a sort of dark magic involving a mythical book thought to open the gates of hell.

As a result, some have speculated they and anyone with whom they came into contact were doomed. Therefore, onlookers attribute the town’s numerous, unexplainable tragedies to the curse that the Dudleys had so desperately tried to outrun. Throughout its short-lived history, the haunted town had a reputation for repeated murders, suicides, or failed businesses.