While most people think of Salem as the home of Witchcraft in America, Pennsylvania has a rich, but lesser-known history of Witch folklore. Most notable is Emma Knopp (also known as Nellie Noll) - the River Witch of Marietta. In 1928, her instructions to break a curse placed upon John Blymire resulted in Blymire and two accomplices committing the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer.
In Fayette County, Mary “Moll” Derry, the Witch of Monongahela, was believed to have the ability to fly, and her curses could cause the death of anyone who crossed her. Rattlesnakes were said to guard the door to her home along the Monongahela River.
In a wooded area by Ridley Creek, at the edge of the Delaware River in Eddystone Township, the Legend of the Witch of Ridley Creek is told. Accused of causing sickness and death of local livestock and appearing to witnesses in ghostly form, Margaret Mattson stood trial for her crimes in 1683. Thanks to the involvement of the colony's proprietor William Penn, Mattson was found guilty of having the reputation of a witch, but not guilty of bewitching animals, and was released. A popular legend tells of William Penn dismissing the charges against Mattson by affirming her legal right to fly on a broomstick, saying "Well, I know of no law against it."
Pennsylvania's colony was founded on religious tolerance, and accusations of Witchcraft were treated far differently than in Salem, Massachusetts. This tolerance may have made the Commonwealth a haven for those who practiced, leading to a surge in strange sightings and occurrences, with many still being reported even today.
