Hexeglaawe: Rehmeyer's Hollow

In 1928, after years of bad luck, John Blymire believed that he had been cursed, or hexed, by a local folk healer named Nelson Rehmeyer, who practiced pow-wow or Braucheri (Pennsylvania Dutch folk magic). The source of Blymire’s hex was confirmed by another powerful local healer, Nellie Noll - the River Witch of Marietta. To break the curse, she instructed Blymire to obtain a lock of Rehmeyer’s hair and his spell book and bury them six feet underground.  In November of 1928, Blymire, along with two accomplices, broke into Rehmeyer's home.  A confrontation ensued, ending in Rehmeyer's death. The three men charged with the crime then set fire to the house, hoping to remove the curse and to destroy evidence of the murder.  However, the house did not burn down as they had hoped.  This reinforced the belief that Rehmeyer was a witch and that his power prevented the destruction of the house. 

Rehmeyer's home, where he was murdered, still stands on Rehmeyers Hollow Road. The area has now come to be known as Hex Hollow.  Many locals believe it to be haunted.

This is the first entry in a series of blog posts investigating the folklore of Pennsylvania.  Hexeglaawe (the PA Dutch word for 'superstition') will hopefully reveal photographic evidence of rural legends, hauntings, folklore, and roads less traveled.

Thanks, Wren, for this neat idea and project.  I have a feeling we're just gonna find some monsters out there.

More information here. 

Order Rehmeyer's spell book here.