Many tales and urban legends have evolved around this cemetery, making its history hard to pin down. However, among the tales told are of a gruesome Native American battle that took place on this parcel of land in Southern New Hampshire long before a cemetery appeared.
It’s believed that when the land was blessed and non-natives began to be buried, the spirits of the Native Americans arose angered. Today, their angry ghosts roam through the cemetery creating an overall oppressive and ominous feeling.
Another tale is that an insane medicine man was banished to this area. He would lure young braves to this area and promise to unleash spirits that would follow the braves, making them stronger and wiser than others in their tribe.
Instead, the medicine man sacrificed the braves to dark spirits that prolonged his maddened life. He died on this spot and now haunts the area still looking for victims to bring him back from the grave.
The origination of Gilson Road Cemetery is just as strange as the urban legends. The cemetery was started with little documentation, many graves are unmarked. Some believe that this area became an illicit area to dump bodies of the murdered and later became a cemetery. Overall, it was an isolated area, and a strange place to start a cemetery.
One fact is known about Gilson Road Cemetery – it’s incredibly haunted.
The most common paranormal activity that people witness are light anomolies. Many people have reported seeing orbs float up out of the ground and disappear into the night sky. Others have seen streaks of light zigging and zagging through the gravestones at a high speed.
Others that have been to Gilson Road Cemetery have witnessed full apparitions. Most commonly a woman in white is seen walking between the graves. Many have seen her appear at an unmarked grave and disappear when she reaches the stone wall in the back of the cemetery. Others have seen ghosts that have appeared in 18th-century clothing to more modern suits and dresses.
Another common ghostly phenomena that is witnessed at Gilson Road Cemetery are the sounds of whispering. Many have reported hearing the names whispered in their ear only to turn around and find no one.
Others have stated that the whispering contains threats, telling people to ‘get out’ or threatening death. Many have heard the whispering not only in the cemetery but also the wooded area near it.
The Betty Gilson Legend
Gilson Road is also famous for a local, urban legend. According to stories, if you walk farther up the road (heading slightly northwest) just a short distance, and shout, “Betty Gilson, I have your baby,” she will appear.
She’s described as appearing around age 30, in Colonial clothing, and some say she’s in the middle of the road. (A couple of people talked about the danger of seeing her, and steering the car to avoid hitting what they thought was a real person.)
More people report her hiding behind a tree, occasionally peering out to see who’s calling her name. The first thing they see is her white “mob cap” (hat), and sometimes part of her face, as well as a hand grasping the tree.
Location
This is not an easy place to find. From the south (Massachusetts), take Rte 3 (Daniel Webster Highway) to Exit 1 in NH (Spit Brook Road).
Turn left at the end of the exit ramp. Follow that road – despite how it weaves and how often the name changes – until you reach the T-style intersection at the end of it.
Then, turn right and look for the four corners intersection (convenience store and other retail) at Gilson Road. Turn left onto Gilson Road and look for the gate and stone wall on the right, shielding the cemetery from view.
Don’t go at night and don’t damage anything. This is someone’s final resting place so be respectful.
