The Bennington Triangle Disappearances

Between 1945 and 1950, five people disappeared from the forests surrounding Glastenbury Mountain in southwestern Vermont. Despite extensive searches, no bodies were found and no explanation was ever established. The area became known as the Bennington Triangle, named after the nearby town and the mystery that has haunted it ever since.

The Disappearances

On November 12, 1945, Middie Rivers, a 74-year-old experienced hunting guide, led a group of four hunters up the mountain. On the return trip, Rivers moved ahead of the group and was never seen again. Search parties found no trace of him.

On December 1, 1946, eighteen-year-old Paula Welden, a sophomore at Bennington College, went for a hike on the Long Trail. A witness saw her walking along the trail, and then she vanished. Despite one of the largest searches in Vermont history at that time, involving FBI assistance, she was never found.

On December 1, 1949—exactly three years after Paula Welden’s disappearance—James Tedford disappeared from a bus returning to Bennington from St. Albans. Witnesses saw him on the bus at the last stop before Bennington, but when the bus arrived, his seat was empty. His luggage remained on the rack.

On October 12, 1950, eight-year-old Paul Jepson vanished from his family’s farm while his mother worked nearby. The boy, wearing a bright red jacket, disappeared in the brief time his mother turned away. Despite extensive searches, no trace of him was found.

On October 28, 1950, Frieda Langer, a 53-year-old experienced hiker, disappeared from the mountain while hiking with a cousin. She became separated briefly and was never seen again. Seven months later, her body was found in an area that had already been searched multiple times, but the remains were too decomposed to determine cause of death.

The Investigation

The disappearances triggered massive search efforts involving hundreds of volunteers, dogs, aircraft, and professional trackers. The searches produced nothing—no bodies, no clothing, no evidence of foul play, no sign of where the missing had gone.

The lack of evidence was itself strange. Even people who die in the wilderness are typically found eventually. Animals, weather, and other factors leave traces. The complete absence of any remains (except for Frieda Langer, found only after extensive delay) suggested something beyond ordinary wilderness accidents.

Glastenbury Mountain

The area around Glastenbury Mountain has long had an unusual reputation. Native American traditions reportedly considered the area cursed or inhabited by hostile spirits. The town of Glastenbury itself was largely abandoned in the early twentieth century and is now virtually a ghost town with a handful of residents.

The forests are dense, the terrain is difficult, and the weather can change rapidly. These factors might explain some wilderness deaths, but not the complete disappearance of all evidence.

Theories

Proposed explanations have included serial killers, catamounts (eastern mountain lions), disorientation leading to falls into caves or sinkholes, and more exotic possibilities including UFO abduction and interdimensional portals.

None of these theories adequately explain all the disappearances, which involved people of different ages, experience levels, and circumstances.

Assessment

The Bennington Triangle disappearances remain genuinely mysterious. Five people vanished in five years from a relatively small area, leaving no trace. The Vermont wilderness claims victims, but it usually gives them back eventually.

Whatever took Middie Rivers, Paula Welden, James Tedford, Paul Jepson, and Frieda Langer has never been identified. Glastenbury Mountain keeps its secrets, and the forest offers no answers.