Editor’s Note: Boston, OH today is not abandoned. “Helltown,” as referred to in this article, is an area in Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio, known formerly as “Boston, Ohio.” Additionally, many of the abandoned structures were torn down in summer 2016 and the area is largely part of Cuyahoga National Park.
Is there anything more unsettling than a well-preserved ghost town? A neighborhood completely devoid of any signs of life is one of the most skin-crawling things we can think of. Not far from Cleveland, such a town exists. Nestled deep in the Cuyahoga Valley wilderness, the area formerly known as Boston, Ohio remains steeped in mystery and rumor.
Founded in 1806, Boston, Ohio was a small township in Summit County until the village was ordered vacated by President Ford in 1974 to make room for a new national park.
The townsfolk were driven from their homes amidst much protest, leaving the buildings intact to be demolished later. The only issue? That demolition never happened.
The controversial nature of the first town of Boston's abandonment led to countless grim urban legends surrounding the town, ultimately giving it the ominous moniker "Helltown", Ohio.
Helltown's many grim myths include ghoulish tales about the haunted school bus that sits rusting in the street, or other ghostly figures wandering the rubble.
Perhaps the most shocking urban legend surrounding the abandonment of Helltown is the supposed chemical spill that occurred there, causing frightening mutations in the locals and prompting an extensive government conspiracy to cover it up.
Even crazier? These myths claim that the chemical spill created a monstrous forest snake, dubbed the Peninsula Python, that lurks in the woods surrounding Helltown to this day.
As bizarre and debunked as these frightening urban legends are, all but the bravest explorers wouldn't dare to venture into what's left of this creepy abandoned town in the middle of the northeast Ohio woods.
