When I was a child my family would travel most summer weekends from Sanford to Bonny Eagle Pond in Standish. My Dad would be driving our dark green Gran Torino station wagon, my Mom in the passenger seat and my siblings and I sharing the backseat with a large drooly mutt.

As an adult, I realize the route is not long, but as a young child it seemed almost endless. To keep us entertained my Dad would tell stories or point out special landmarks. The “round house” was our favorite, it was a geodesic home that was absolutely fascinating; we lived in a boring flat walled home. He would point out the areas that had burned during the wildfires of 1947, and which houses had escaped the blazes. Once he pulled the car over and carefully removed porcupine quills from a dead animal so we could carefully examine the hooked barb and hollow structure. And he always pointed out the large dam crossing the Saco.

At that point my dad would explain the dangers of the Saco River. The currents are notoriously swift in the rocky rapids and even the calm areas can be unpredictable. And, we heard about the curse placed on the river by a Native American chief, Squando, after his infant child was thrown in the river by drunken soldiers. Since I began working at McArthur Library six years ago, I have heard differing versions of the story and fielded reference questions about the historic details. George Folsom’s 1830 History of Saco and Biddeford explained the event and the tremendous impact it had on the relationship between settlers and indigenous people. So, there is historical evidence that this heinous act happened. Whether Squando spoke a curse that two (or three) white men will drown in the Saco River may be up for debate.

Legends, like folktales are significant historical artifacts. Unfortunately many stories are lost to time as the art of storytelling fades. The tale of Little Red Riding Hood has cultural roots in the 10th century. Don’t go alone in the woods, don’t stray from the path, don’t carry food, don’t talk to strangers, all are good takeaways. While wolves aren’t much of a problem in New England anymore, there are plenty of amazing legends being preserved for posterity in a podcast hosted by Ray Auger and Jeff Belanger of Massachusetts.

Their ultimate goal is to document all these stories in a weekly podcast called New England Legends. Through the years, Jeff Belanger has become known for his work as a paranormal investigator and author. His books have been translated into six languages and he hosted a PBS show which is now featured on Amazon Prime.

Currently there are 187 podcasts in the repertoire, each of the New England states receive equal billing; every sixth entry is a subject from Maine. And, Belanger has indeed covered the Curse of the Saco River in podcast #85, this retelling also includes a monster. Podcast #151 explores the Haunting of Wood Island Light. My father’s version of the historical events were slightly different than the podcast, but the atrocity was that same. A horrible act was revenged by a curse that has now survived 200-300 years in Southern Maine.

We’ve invited Jeff Belanger to talk about legends from all over New England. He will be presenting virtually on Friday, March 26 at 7 p.m. The event is free via Zoom, but you must pre-register. Details are on the library’s social media and website.

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