The Legend of Cropsey
We all have a friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s cousin who has experienced some urban legend, right? Someone you know knows someone who knows someone who really did see Hook Man or really did see Bloody Mary in the mirror. But some of these urban legends seem deeper and darker then others…and one of those legends is that of Cropsey. Beginning in the 1970s, Cropsey has terrified generations of New Yorkers. Cropsey started as so many classics did: at summer camp.
The tales of Cropsey's origin (and what exactly made him mad) are a bit debated, but they begin with a family tragedy. In short, a father loses his whole family or at least his child while on the shores of a small summer cottage near Masten Lake (which was also near a summer camp). After the death of his family (or child/children) George Cropsey, a once-respected businessman, goes insane. Typically in these stories, the reason for death is an irresponsible camper or camp staff member causing a fire that gets out of control and kills George Cropsey's loved one(s). He then disappears for several weeks only to return by the end of the summer and take his revenge on campers. Campers are reported to be murdered, hurt, or threatened. The camp staff tries to make a stand, and the authorities are called in, but all efforts are futile. Cropsey continues to evade and escape and his body is never discovered. To this day strange voices, threatening symbols, and even sightings can be seen by campers.
The story roiled for years, shared by campers and scouts and campers. However, the urban legend began to meet reality in Andre Rand. Rand was responsible for a series of kidnappings and murders of children in the state. Something about Rand was not right. For example, in 1983 he took a bus full of children from a New York City YMCA to the Newark International Airport. No children were hurt, but he was arrested and given a 10-month sentence in jail. While he was known to be a shady figure that could often be seen around children no one could seem to pin anything on them. Even though sometimes children would go missing Rand was reported as the last adult to be seen with the missing child. But that changed in 1987 when Jennifer Schweiger disappeared. Jennifer, soundly, was found murdered. In 1988 Rand, a custodian at the time, was charged with murder after being the last person seen with her. He was also retroactively associated with the disappearance of Alice Pereira, Holly Ann Hughes, Tiahease Jackson, and Hank Gafforio. However, the Jury was not able to convict on the murder charge...only the kidnapping. He was put in prison and despite remaining there, his legend and Cropsey are often associated.
Later on, in another iteration of the Cropsey lore, he was said to be a member of the Willowbrook Mental Institution on Staten Island who had escaped after the hospital closed down and lived in the woods. He was said to carry around an axe waiting to snatch children who wandered by.
No matter what version you were told (or liked to listen to), this story emphasizes the powers of children’s storytelling habits and how the boogeyman fairytales of youth can give way to something horrendous. Whether the legend is based on facts, was inspired by the headlines, or is just an urban myth remains unclear. The story of Cropsey has been retold countless times, and it has become a part of New York's cultural identity. The next time you visit New York, take a walk in the woods surrounding Willowbrook State School, and you might just hear the whispers of the infamous Cropsey.
The feature image of this blog highlights Willowbrook Mental Institution on Staten Island, one of the alleged places that Cropsey escaped from. This image is available from the New York Public Library's Digital Library under the digital ID 2849d4f0-c5ef-012f-c005-58d385a7bc34: digitalgallery.nypl.org → digitalcollections.nypl.org
Thanks to Lawerence A for this blogstonishing topic!