The 1920 Incident

For those of you who purchased the first edition of the Haunted Atlas of Western New York, enjoy the additional chapter added to the second edition:

The 1920 Incident

North Tonawanda, New York, 14120
43.038783°, -78.864155°

The relatively quiet town of North Tonawanda was once home to an apparition that is still a mystery even 100 years later.

North Tonawanda was incorporated along the shores of the Mighty Niagara River and the Erie Canal in 1897. Despite its relatively peaceful history, for 10 days, citizens of the town were tormented by what many described as a flying scarecrow.

In the 1920s, reports came in of a giant humanoid form flying through the streets of North Tonawanda, sometimes managing to stop traffic entirely. The entity was spotted by multiple witnesses, including a local policeman.

As the days wore on and the monster continued to appear, the local bicycle club vowed to put an end to the chaos and try to catch the creature. According to reports, members of the bicycle club managed to surround the apparition for a moment before it flew straight up and disappeared into the clouds never to be seen again.

Many people have tried to come up with an explanation for these 10 days of terror in North Tonawanda. Some claim it was this region’s very own Mothman. Others cling to the flying scarecrow claims, while others also reported it appeared to wear a headdress similar to local Native American tribes.

No matter what flew through the streets of North Tonawanda over 100 years ago, its mystery still haunts the more curious citizens even to this day.

Experience:
Unexplained Phenomenon/Cryptid

If you own a haunted bar, cafe, hotel, or restaurant and you’d like us to check it out, reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  If you have a favorite haunted hot spot with great food and atmosphere and you’d like to share it with us, hit us up on social media or leave a comment below! We’d love to hear from you… Thanks for joining us, and Happy Haunting!