END OF THE WORLD...VERMONT STYLE
By Joseph A. Citro
Tsunamis. Tornadoes. Avalanches. Mudslides. Terrorism and war. And Religious leaders and crackpots spouting myriad end-of-the-world scenarios. It feels like disasters are all around us.
Could we be living in the final days? Is the Rapture just around the corner? Even dyed-in-the-wool skeptics like me are beginning to get just a wee bit edgy.
But here in the Green Mountain State, predictions of gloom and doom are business as usual. Over the years, many earnest Vermonters have frightened themselves and their neighbors with grim prophesies concerning the end of days.
I'm going to share three of my favorites.
The Rod of Doom
1799. Middletown Springs, Vermont. A religious zealot named Nathaniel Wood Sr. started his own church, dubbing his followers the "New Israelites."
"Priest Wood," as he was called by his eccentric flock, began using a Y-shaped dowsing rod during his sermons. His "magic stick" would tap and twitch in answer to questions from the congregation.
Today we might ask, was it God or Priest Wood communicating through wood? But Priest Wood’s followers had no doubt. They saw the tapping, gyrating rod as tangible proof of divine answers from the hereafter.
Sure enough, Priest Wood's following increased. With God speaking directly and exclusively to them, Priest Wood’s disciples were confident The Good Lord would lead them to endless riches (buried somewhere in the vicinity of Middletown Springs) so they could build their New Jerusalem.
The rod even ordered them to erect a glorious temple. Then, mid-construction, it instructed them to stop.
The congregation stood aghast as the stick warned them about a horrific earthquake that would soon lay waste to the entire world. In fact, it gave them a specific date: January 14, 1801.
Well, the fatal day came and went and – you guessed it! – nothing happened. There was a lot of hemming and hawing as Priest Wood and his few remaining loyalists took what was left of the funds, skulked off into the wilds of New York, and vanished.
The Reluctant Prophetess
Almost half a century later, Melissa Warner, a timid farm woman from Bristol, had an odd supernatural encounter. During broad daylight, she saw two black, human-shaped forms hovering above her house in the clear afternoon sky. When they saw her looking, they transformed into recognizable religious icons – God and Jesus – and tried to frighten her with ghastly predictions about the impending end of the world. They instructed her to spread the word at once so people could repent. The remaining days, they warned, were numbered. Unfortunately, the poor woman was simply too shy to involve herself in such dramatic antics. She failed to hold up her half of the bargain. And, so far, God has neglected to hold up His.
William Miller
I suspect the local prophet who frightened the most people was William Miller, who lived near Fair Haven. This farmer and bible scholar used references in Revelation and the book of Daniel to determine that the world would end sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 25, 1844.
At first, he was unsure of his calculations. Then, in 1832, God spoke directly to him, saying he was correct and commanding him to spread the word.
This persuasive Vermont prophet quickly became a popular speaker all over New England. As if to back him up, unearthly occurrences – earthquakes, holy visions, revolutions, and meteor showers – lent credence to his terrifying message.
Thousands of people converted to what was now called Millerism. Eventually, the prophet announced the exact date the world would end: April 3, 1843. People from all over the country gave away their homes and belongings and climbed the highest hills to get a head start on their trip to Paradise.
Young women broke off engagements in order to die as virgins. Some people even killed their families and themselves, thinking that would put them at the head of the line at the Pearly Gates.
But – predictably, when it comes to predictions – nothing happened.
The newly impoverished faithful reminded each other that the original prophecy had said between March 1843 and March 1844. So it could still happen! But the time span elapsed, and the world remained intact.
Meanwhile, rechecking his calculations, Rev. Miller found his error. He had used the wrong calendar! The real doomsday would be October 22, 1844. This time for sure.
Unbelievable as it sounds, after two failed doomsdays, Millerites rallied once again. This time the frightened converts reached almost a million believers.
I hope it won't ruin the end of the story if I tell you that nothing happened: The world didn’t end.
At least not yet. . .
Joseph A. Citro is a Vermont author and folklorist known for collecting New England’s ghost stories, legends, and strange-but-true lore. His most recent book is The Vermont Ghost Experience, available at local bookstores or wherever books are sold. You can also ask your local library to order it for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of other library patrons. In Passing Strange, Citro shares folklore with a curious eye, a storyteller’s warmth, and just enough mystery to make you look twice on the ride home.