Along an expanse of road known as Coffin Road, there is a plaque commemorating a horrific tragedy, the echoes of which still seem to resonate to the present day.
This plaque marks the spot where an orphanage once stood before it was consumed by a sudden fire which killed many of the children who lived there.
Some say the inferno was ignited by lightning, but legend tells a different story.
As the story goes, there was an old man who nurtured a lifelong hatred of children and one night he targeted this rage at the poor kids living in the orphanage.
After setting the building ablaze, it is said he then walked down the road, selected an appropriate tree, and hung himself from it. This tree, known by locals as the “Hangman’s Tree,” still exists.
No matter how the fire started, the area now seems to be imbued with paranormal fallout from the event. It is said that, on certain nights, visitors to the site can witness the ghosts of children, hear their playful laughter, and, if you believe the legends, still glimpse the apparition of the hateful old man hanging from the tree.
(Originally published on the Haunted Toledo Facebook page on November 21, 2016)
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