How did this Blackwater Swamp become so evil? It didn't happen overnight...
Read about the area's disturbing past.
May 14, 1847 – The Town of Hawkins Mills is settled.
October 29, 1888 – A lightning strike from a rogue thunderstorm ignites a massive forest fire. 41 residents of Hawkins Mills lost their lives. The town rebuilds and flourishes.
March 11, 1901 – Montgomery and Dolly Hawkins are married and become the town's mayor and first lady.
December 25, 1928 – Heather Hogan achieves her dream and opens her new dog kennel/grooming business: "Puppy Mills – A Great Place to get Puppies!"
September 29, 1929 – A traveling salesman comes to take residence in Hawkins Mills. Initially labeled a 'snake-oil' salesman, his potions become extremely popular in the town claiming to cure almost any ailment. The locals dub him 'The Potionmaker.'
October 1, 1929 – Hawkins Harvest Haydays, an annual month long carnival to celebrate the harvest is launched amid unusual clashes among residents.
October 10, 1929 – Sheriff Manby Clyatt is the first – and only one- to point the blame at the traveling salesman. He dubs him 'The Fearmaker.'
October 16, 1929 – Neighbors Beth Barton and Ida Turner quarrel over an acorn pie, resulting in extensive property damage and personal injuries on the part of both. This is Hawkins Mills' first criminal act.
October 25, 1929 – The entire town of Hawkins Mills breaks out into anarchy. Neighbors turn against neighbors as the unquenchable thirst for The Fearmaker's potions become an obsession.
October 29 – 30, 1929 – The Storm of the Century. A catastrophic thunderstorm descends on the town. Lasting two full days, the violence of the storm annihilates the entire town of Hawkins Mills. Some say it was a divine cleansing. Others say it was the Fearmaker's revenge. Either way, the result is the same.
October 31, 1929 – What was once the quaint town of Hawkins Mills is now transformed into a forbidding and briny swamp.
November 1, 1929 – Emerging from the wreckage come the only survivors of the apocalyptic storm. The much maligned Krupp clan, whose dilapidated cabins remarkably survived the storm's attack, slowly returns to their gruesome ways, unhindered by the constraints of civilized society.
1930 – 1941 – No news, or suspicious sounds seep out of the blackwater swamp for over ten years and the Krupps are left alone, to their own devices.
July 5, 1941 – Trouble begins to brew, again, in the swamp. Russell Krupp is named as a suspect in the disappearances of several youth. While authorities uncovered scores of sneakers and boots near his cabin, Russell eluded capture.
November 20, 1966 – And enterprising young entrepreneur, Christopher Fletcher, and his unfortunate sister, Ellie, open their latest business effort on the edge of the Blackwater Swamp. Fletcher's Bait, Tackle & Swamp Tours accepts its first guests.
August 30, 1969 – Craig Charboneaux , his wife, and child visit Fletcher's Bait, Tackle & Swamp and go on a self-guided walking tour of the Blackwater Swamp. They were never heard from again, though authorities identified one of his jogging shoes that was rudely belched up by a colossal alligator.
October 1, 1969 – Amid tax evasion charges, Fletcher's Bait, Tackle & Swamp Tours is officially shuttered by the Georgia Department of Safety citing numerous permit violations. Although Christopher Fletcher and his sister Ellie were allowed to remain, a large fence was constructed around the swamp.
June 4, 1970 – The local sheriff investigates claims of screams and mysterious green lights out in the depths of the swamp.
October 3, 1970 – A group of four teenage boys sneak into the swamp after dark to fulfill the terms of a 'double-dare.' They don't return that night.
October 29, 1970 – After 8 days of unsuccessful search operations, 15 year old Nate Mitchell stumbles into the family garage from his adventure in the swamp. Wide-eyed and drooling, he is eventually institutionalized without ever being able to relate his story. Forty-one years later, psychologists are dismayed at Nate's refusal to wear shoes.
1970's – Local lore begins to take hold. Many variations of this common refrain are heard: "If you don't eat your supper, Russell Krupp will come in the night and get you!" No reported sightings, experiences, or unusual events have taken place in over 40 years.
August 1, 2011 – Micha and Dave Jensen, writers for the popular travel blog Let's Go! announce to their friends that they are heading to Valdosta, Georgia to interview the owner of the condemned Fletcher's Bait, Tackle & Swamp Tours. The blog was never updated.
August 14, 2011 – A group of 5 college students climb the fence to film a class project on the legend of the Blackwater swamp." They don't return.
August 20, 2011 – A search and rescue team unearths a digital camera that has been buried in mud. Overcome with water damage, only bits of the video data has been recovered.
September 29, 2011 – Geist Paranormal Services, a paranormal investigation group, comes to Valdosta to seek out the truth behind the legends. Local volunteer investigators are welcomed.
