A short narrative piece I wrote and researched about the Allentown myth in the Adirondacks.

1. Aidan Bean
The dilapidated trailer homes and broken down vehicles littering the road looked like
something directly out of a 1970’s exploitation film, The Hills Have Eyes-type of deal. A couple
family members sit outside on cheap lawn chairs, looking barely able to hold the pressure of
these no-less-than-130-pound redheads, cautiously staring as a vehicle manufactured later than
1970 approached their private realm. The staring gaze and general creepiness behind said
environment would be enough to make anyone turn away, but on this particular day, it was too
late to turn back. They had caught your eyes. You had no chance of escape from the murderers,
the cannibals, the Satanists of Allentown.
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“Would you like some coffee?,” I was kindly asked, with more than just the faintest hint
of exuberance and perseverance to make sure I was comfortable and feeling well inside an
environment they seemingly knew I wasn’t all too familiar with.
The sound of chopping and yelling resonated outside. Almost all the wood products sold
home-grown and home-made in the nearby towns of Hadley and Day (furniture, home products,
construction necessity) originated from the hard workers of Allentown, doing their part day-by-
day to benefit the “outsiders,” people they’ve never met, not getting paid to do this kind of work
but solely out of the warmth of their own hearts.
“I don’t mind,” said one worker, Gerald Allen, as he wiped an intense amount of sweat
off his brow on this unusually hot early Spring afternoon. “I figure they can’t be too different
from us. We’re all family, through and through.”
Allentown is one of those places that lives in infamy over the world wide web. Slightly
creepy place, secluded location, people who never step outside. Vampires living in a world of
daylight. Are they real? Are they even alive? Are these oft-quoted fancy apparent “first-hand
accounts” legitimate? The world may never know. Everyone’s been too afraid to ask.
The myth of Allentown first came to light via a locally-made documentary entitled The
Hollow, which consisted primarily of interview footage with those from the hamlet and not too
much detail into their home lives or family matters, leading some to question the legitimacy of
the film. The Hollow further contributed to Allentown folklore, as the film also found its way

2. into seclusion and obscurity, with only a few websites claiming to have the original footage, but
never following up to their claims.
The New York Times wrote a feature piece in 1993 entitled “Adirondack Hamlet Defies
Time, and Help,” which dispelled most of the rumors that began with the documentary and word-
of-mouth from teenagers around the area looking for a cheap scare. The story described
Allentowners as a close-knit, working family, who constantly refused welfare, police aid, or
assistance in any means whatsoever, choosing to govern, police, and make a living by
themselves. An interesting expose into the lives of these families, the story only furthered
rumors, with those on supernatural blogs and forums mashing behind a keyboard, wondering
“WHERE’S THE PROOF? THIS STORY SUGAR COATS THOSE AWFUL REDNECK
CANNIBALS.”
The common rumor circulating online involves two officers who were called to
Allentown to report on loud noises coming from one of the properties. The story goes, both
officers disappeared, never to be seen again. Hikers and naturists who explore the small
mountains and wooded areas around Allentown report hearing Satanic rituals and chants around
nightfall.
“Allentown plays out online like some kind of crazy horror movie,” says Corinth town
historian and town supervisor Richard Lucia, “but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Well, what is the truth? One can only read Internet blogosphere stories for so long and
you reach a certain point where even a town supervisor’s word can be a little misleading.
An online user who goes by the name of “craninalbliss” on the supernatural forum
website, Above Top Secret, wrote an entire piece about Allentown and claims they have been
there.
“I’ve lived in the Adirondacks all my life and I’ve visited and talked with those people
more than once,” they say. “When I wrote my piece, it was entirely based on personal
experience. And it ended up becoming a very popular post on the site. I really wouldn’t go up
there if I were you.”
Their post, “No-Man’s Land, The Strange Story of Allentown NY” is chock-full of the
kind of information that’s been circulating online about Allentown since the advent of the
Internet, leading one to wonder if they’ve ever actually been up there. Especially considering, a)
no pictures, b) no interviews, and c) no sources.
“Trust me, I’ve been up there. I just don’t like to talk about it.”

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“You’re the first person that’s been up here talking to us in the last five years, swear to
Christ.”
Fred Allen, the younger brother of Gerald Allen and one of a long line of Allen siblings,
looks at me with a perplexed and started look, horrified at the accusations against him and his
family, especially from someone who hasn’t stepped foot inside their boundaries.
“I wouldn’t doubt that they, perhaps, drove their vehicle through here; we get that a lot.
But as far as conversation goes, we don’t really talk much with outsiders.”
Outsiders.
The term hits a bit of a spooky nerve. Like I’m intruding on something they’ve been
building for years. As if I’m some unwanted guest, harboring off their legend and reaping off
their seclusion.
“We don’t really talk much with outsiders.”
If those words were said in a horror film, some poor unfortunate teenage souls would
soon enough find their lives quickly cut short by a rampaging madman with a chainsaw. To say I
was a little worried would be an understatement. The sweat across my forehead was quite
prominent, due in part to humidity, more so due to nervousness. But I kept on talking. I had a
good feeling about these people. I had a feeling there was more to know about our
underappreciated neighbors.
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Observations made by various locals to-date (from craninalbliss’ report):
a) Large bonfires are visible and yelling “fake human made animal sounds” are heard from
the deep forest
Martha Allen looks at me and starts laughing out loud.

4. “Fake human made animal sounds? Please…”
Martha is seen as the mother figure around “town.” The oldest living relative, two
generations off from the original family, she makes sure all the members of the Allen
community are properly cared for and was the most skeptical about my particular visit.
“I didn’t want it to sound like I didn’t trust you, but when someone’s saying something about
my family making fake animal sounds, it’s a little hard to trust people.”
Touché.
The Allen family has been living in the same area for roughly 200 years.
“Not much is known about their early history, but they were generally secluded from the get-
go,” Lucia tells me. “You really can’t get any more secluded than Allentown.”
Allentown sits 10 miles outside the town of Corinth, nestled in between various small lakes
and tiny mountains at the foothills of the Adirondacks. If you blink, you’ll miss the turn onto
Hollow Road, a roughly 1,200 foot long by 400 foot wide one-way street.
“They clearly didn’t want to be bothered from the start. They wanted to raise their own
families and live their own life, off-the-grid.”
Not even current members of Allentown know much about their past history. None of it was
really documented.
“I know nothing about my family except for my immediates,” Gerald Allen tells me.
“All I know is we came here looking for adventure. A place to start fresh and live a life full
of no regrets, and I think we’ve succeeded,” Martha kindly tells me after a sip of coffee.
Yes, coffee.
Stewart’s coffee.
They do go out sometimes.
“There’s a Stewart’s right down the road from us,” Martha says. “Most of the veterans know
who we are, but the young ones don’t. I’d like to keep it that way,” she says with a devilish
grin.

5. b) All of the children are home schooled
“This is true,” Gerald tells me. “There was a period where we attempted to send the kids to
public schools, back in the late-80’s, early 90’s. It didn’t work out. They were picked on and
didn’t pick up on simple things as quickly as the rest. We had to pull ‘em out.”
c) They have their own town doctor
“No doctor,” Martha assures. “No one gets sick here, and when they do, it goes away quickly.
We’re doing everything right to raise our family.”
d) Local farmers have reported missing cattle, horses, and pets
“What would we need to do with all those animals,” Martha raises her voice to ask. “There
aren’t even any farms around here. It’s all forest.”
“I personally believe they should keep a better watch on their livestock ‘cus we ain’t taking
them. We have no purpose for animals,” says Gerald.
They say you might be using them for Satanic rituals.
Both stare with a dead-set glance.
“I don’t know what these people are on, but I think I’m gonna need some soon.”
Martha bursts out laughing again.
e) The family are descendants of incest
“We are all brothers and sisters, yes,” Martha says.
“That’s how I like to think of it. Terminology does nothing but bring us down. Adds fuel to
the rumors.”
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It’s not like the people of Allentown aren’t familiar with the outside world. They’re just
more discreet about it than most.

6. “We go out,” Martha says. “Like I said, to Stewart’s to stock up on food. Or to Wal-Mart
to get some clothes. But we’ve never been to a mall or seen a movie or done anything that most
people would do.”
Why not?
“We have everything we need right here. The kids play outside, we work hard, and we
have family bonding time. It’s honestly the way I prefer it. No corruption and no distractions.
Kids these days don’t understand that. We don’t even have telephones.”
“It’s a plus that we’re able to work to make a living as well, but we don’t have to do it in
the outside world,” Gerald states.
Does the outside world scare you? What about it intimidates you?
“We’re just not used to it. So it’s best not to get mixed up in it and lose our heritage.”
As I leave, I’m greeted with a line of smiling faces and waving hands. Genuine smiles of
joy and excitement. Martha’s face was livid with the thought that maybe, just maybe, her
family’s life could be told through the eyes of someone who actually viewed it.
The Satanist, cannibalistic Allen family were nothing more than a family living their day-
to-day routine the way they want to live. And there’s certainly nothing creepy about that. If
anything, it’s more honorable and respectable than most modern families we look up to today.
My nervousness left as soon as I took a right back onto the main road. I have to admit it
didn’t completely cease until I was out of there. Just goes to show how Internet rumors can really
make you think of a place a certain way. But no one tried to shoot at my tires (a common rumor)
and I left with everything intact. Looks like we had the wrong idea after all.
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New rumor: The people of Allentown are just like you and I.
Now there’s one for the forums.
Sources:

7. The people of Allentown sadly did not have telephones, but I conversed with Martha,
Gerald, and Fred Allen.
“craninalbliss” – supernatural blogger. This person did not want to give me their name,
but I spoke with them over an account on Above Top Secret, a website dedicated to conspiracy
theories and strange activity.
Richard Lucia – Corinth town supervisor/historian (518) 654-9232 ext 2