Title: Doc Benton Story

Informant info: Informant Name: Julian Mansilla, Location: Hanover, NH, Date: 5/20/16, Dartmouth Student, male, Class of 2016, went on Hiking 2 trip

Type of lore: Verbal (legend)

Language: English

Country of Origin: U.S.

Social / Cultural Context:  Heard at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge during the final part of first-year trips.

Transcript: After night fall at the lodj we all gathered on the grassy slope in front of the lodj itself to listen to a scary story that is told every year. It took a while to actually get through the whole story and I definitely zoned out a bit so I don’t remember much of it, but I’ll do my best. I think the gist of it was that there was an exceptionally bright young man who grew up in the area and the townspeople decided to band together and send him to medical school so that he could return and provide medical services to the town. When he went off to study, he met some sort of mad scientist type who willed Doc Benton all of his experimental materials and stuff. Doc Benton ended up returning home and helping out the town as he was expected to until his wife died and he became a recluse. After this a bunch of small animals started turning up dead and eventually a farmer’s daughter went missing and the townspeople go on a manhunt only to find Doc Benton with the girl in his arms at the top of cliff. He throws her off the cliff and that’s the end. Pretty grim.

Informant’s comments: I think the purpose of the story is primarily entertainment and maybe secondarily to make students feel that they are part of a larger traditional community

Collector’s comments:  I entirely agree with the assessment of the informant.  I would say the the primary purpose of the story is entertainment, and the reason that is continues to be told is essentially just a symptom of adherence to tradition.

Tags/Keywords:  Doc Benton, Legend, Scary story, the lodi, moosilauke, trips