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Beyond Salem: Connecticut's Haunting Past
9 Oct
Summary
- Connecticut's witch trials began decades before Salem's panic.
- At least 11 people were hanged during Connecticut's witch trials.
- A new haunted history trail highlights these overlooked sites.
Decades before the Salem witch trials, Connecticut was the epicenter of America's own witch trials, a historical chapter now accessible via a new statewide haunted history trail. This self-guided route encompasses over 130 locations, from burial grounds to historic homes, all linked to paranormal or tragic events.
Connecticut's witch trials occurred between 1647 and 1697. During this 50-year period, at least 49 individuals were accused of witchcraft. Of these, 34 were indicted, and at least 11 were hanged. This wave of hysteria predated the Salem panic by more than four decades.
Alice Young, executed on May 26, 1647, was the first documented person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies. Lydia Gilbert and Mary Barnes were also among those executed, with Barnes being the last suspected witch hanged in Hartford on Gallows Hill in 1663.
Efforts are underway to acknowledge these victims. In 2017, a petition cleared the names of Young and Gilbert, leading to a unanimous resolution. In 2023, Connecticut legislators passed a joint resolution exonerating all state victims, with the Haunted History Trail aiming to educate locals and visitors alike.
