New haven is celebrated for having given the name of “pumpkin-heads” to all the New-Englanders. It originated from the “Blue Laws,” which enjoined every male to have his hair cut round by a cap. When caps were not to be had, they substituted the hard shell of a pumpkin, which being put on the head every Saturday, the hair is cut by the shell all-round the head. Whatever religious virtue is supposed to be derived from this custom, I know not; but there is much prudence in it: first, it prevents the hair from snarling; secondly, it saves the use of combs, bags, and ribbons; thirdly, the hair cannot incommode the eyes by falling over them; and, fourthly, such persons as have lost their ears for heresy, and other wickedness, cannot conceal their misfortune and disgrace. (P154). A General History of Connecticut, Rev. Samuel Peters, 1781.
October is the time of year when our thoughts turn to all things dark, mysterious, and eerie. No writer ever seemed to know more about the “scary” side of Stratford than the aforementioned Rev. Peters. From Rev. Peters we learn Stratford was once bedeviled by demons who participated in indigenous people’s pow wows, and the origin of mosquitoes in Stratford.
All the towns in the greater New Haven area have “melonhead” legends, including Milford, Trumbull, and Stratford. In Milford, the melonheads frequent Zions Hill Road. In Trumbull, the melonheads confine themselves to Velvet Road (“Dracula” Drive) where they may kill and/or eat you. In Stratford, so the legend goes, the melonheads terrorize Roosevelt Forest, where they may be inclined to kill you.
The most fascinating feature of all the melonhead legends is the fact the melonheads confine their demonic deeds to well-circumscribed areas. For example, I’ve never heard any of the neighbors living near Roosevelt Forest complaining of melonheads terrorizing their backyards.
So, what is the origin of these phantasmagoric tales? There are many extant theories. My personal favorite, and the legend that makes the most sense to me, is the one that traces the melonheads to colonial New Haven.
Connecticut had three independent colonies operating within the bounds of the present state of Connecticut: Old Lyme, New Haven, and the Connecticut Colony. Apparently, New Haven was the most religiously conservative colony of the three. Living within the New Haven Colony were a group of the very most extreme Puritans who were unacceptable even to the conservative New Havenites. This odd group of Puritans was allegedly banished to an island somewhere off the coast of New Haven.
Over several years the island dwelling group became particularly inbred, resulting in children with melon-shaped heads (a condition known as hydrocephalus). Eventually the group disbanded, but in doing so, set melonheads free in the greater New Haven area.
Which brings us to Stratford. In 1958, an inmate from the New Haven asylum for the insane escaped. Somehow, the escapee found his way to Roosevelt Forest and determined that he’d found an ideal hideout. What he didn’t know was that Ranger Bob Blakely was on the job at the Forest. Ranger Blakely captured the escaped inmate and turned him over to the appropriate authorities.
Ranger Blakely began dealing with ne’er do well teens vandalizing the Forest in the early 1960’s. Blakely was notorious for chasing the youths out of the Forest. However, the youths needed a place to perform “dark deeds,” or, in other words, smoke pot and drink alcohol. About 1968, these youths decided they were tired of being run off from the Forest. At some point, they heard the story of the escaped mental patient, whom they then transmogrified into a “melonhead.” From that time on, it became a test of male teen courage to spend the night in Roosevelt Forest amongst the melonheads.
Several years ago, I was leading a “scary Stratford” walk in Roosevelt Forest just before Halloween. Someone decided to assist my scary walk by lining the path to the trail I’d be walking with pumpkins. What a novel touch!
So, this Halloween, for a scary good time, go search Roosevelt Forest for the melonheads. They’re known to hang out at the Scout Camp on the Scout Trail (part of the “green” trail) in Roosevelt Forest. BEWARE!
