Prepare for a spine-tingling tale from Chateaugay Lake! Expect ghostly apparitions, cursed silver, and eerie legends. Not for the faint-heartedākeep your lantern lit, your courage steady, and your wits sharper still.
Ah, š£ Chateaugay Lakeāwhere the loons call and the legends linger like mist over the water. If youāve been itching for a spine-tingling tale, this weekās episode of the Winds of W Mountain podcast delivers in spades. Narrated by none other than the ghost of Brainardsvilleās own Ralph Hoyāwhose North Country drawl brings this eerie yarn to lifeāitās a story as wild as the woods themselves.
So, pour a cup of cider (or something stronger) and settle in. š Hereās a teaser for The Iron Age Haunting of Chateaugay Lake.
A Centennial Summer Gone Wrong
The summer of 1876 wasnāt just about fireworks and patriotic feverāit was also the year Nathaniel Collins, a no-nonsense guide and storyteller, had the most unnerving encounter of his life. šļø Collins was camped on the western shore of Upper Chateaugay Lake, near the rusted bones of the Iron Age, an old barge steamer that had sunk decades prior, hauling a forbidden cargo of stolen silver.
Folks whispered about the shipās curse, but Nathaniel, ever the skeptic, scoffed. āJust a heap oā rust and bad luck,ā heād say. Until that night. š
The Antlered Apparition š¦
Awakened by a rhythmic, hollow drumbeat echoing across the lake, Collins ventured outside his tent to investigate. Thatās when he saw it: a figure, knee-deep in the water, wearing a tattered, shimmering cloak and crowned with iron antlers. Its fiery, coal-like eyes burned into his soul as it uttered a messageānot in words, but in thoughts:
“They stole it. They drowned it. Find it.”
The next morning, Nathaniel found footprints leading to a rusted chest buried in the mud. Inside? Silver coins bearing strange, otherworldly symbolsānothing like heād ever seen before.
Cursed Silver and Fiery Revelations š„
Collins hauled the chest to a smithy in Brainardsville. But the moment the chest entered the forge, the fire erupted unnaturally, consuming the iron and leaving behind scorch marks shaped like an antlered crown. š± The blacksmith, shaken to his core, claimed he too had seen the antlered figure in his dreams.
Word of the cursed silver spread faster than a North Country wildfire. Some called it Wendigo treasure; others whispered of a lost Abenaki kingdom. Collins, though, packed his gear and swore never to guide another soul around that wreckage.
A Legacy of Shadows
Sightings of the antlered figure multiplied across the lake that summer, from East Bellmont to Merrill. Anglers and paddlers swore they saw it gliding through the mist, always near the wreck of the Iron Age. Some say the spirit guards hidden treasures; others claim itās an eternal warning against greed.
Even today, the Iron Age is said to be haunted. On calm nights, if youāre brave enough to venture near the wreck, you might hear that eerie drumbeat echoing from the depths. š§
Listen Now on Winds of W Mountain
Ready to uncover more about the Iron Age haunting? This weekās Winds of W Mountain episode features the tale in full, narrated by Ralph Hoyās spectral voice. š» Donāt miss the part where Collins confronts the supernaturalāor the twist thatāll leave you questioning what really lies beneath Chateaugayās shimmering waters.
š šļø Listen Now on Spotify!
š Have a story of your own? Drop us a line at the Steamboat Dispatch! Keep your lanterns lit, your paddles steady, and your wits sharper still. Until next time, happy haunting! š¶āØ
What mysteries of Chateaugay Lake haunt you?