Back from vacation on the beaches of Cape Cod (not so much weird as lots of mini golf and ice cream), and as I was trying to catch up on the latest damned local news, I came across this story from NBC 30.
From the story …
Police found Jose Chevere’s bullet-riddled body along Zion Hill Road in Milford Sunday night, after people reported hearing gunshots.
Zion Hill Road in Milford?!! Zoinks!
Well, I think we all know that better as Melon Head Road … alleged home to the Melon Heads!
Ah, the Melon Heads. Since we launched this site back in January, we’ve been tracking what stories people are reading the most (you know, because we’re geeks like that), and outside of pieces associated with The Haunting in Connecticut, no article has been more consistently popular than our write-up on those bizarre folk alleged to live in the backwoods of the state.
For those of you unfamiliar with legend of the Melon Heads (and are too lazy to click the link), in a nutshell: The Melon Heads are supposed to be a band of big-headed mutant freaks who live surreptitiously on the edge of town, just off an abandoned and lonely road, looking to prey on unsuspecting interlopers. (Think Deliverance or The Hills Have Eyes.) Although as it turns out, the legend of the Melon Heads seems native to multiple towns around Connecticut including Shelton, Trumbull, Monroe, Seymour, Oxford, Southbury and of course, Milford, where I grew up and heard stories about midnight encounters with Melon Heads throughout my youth. I remember driving along Melon Head Road with my buddies more than once during my teenage years, trying to freak each other out.
Now throw a dead body into the Melon Head mix (shades of Stand By Me, right?), and no doubt the legend in Milford will grow even more, even if this story seems to be more about a drug deal gone awry more than anything involving inbred freaks feasting on regular folk.
Ironically, I was driving through Milford with my two sons about three weeks ago after having spent the day at Silver Sands State Park, home to Charles Island. I had been filling their impressionable heads with all the stories and legends associated with the island, so since we were in the damned mood, I made a detour and took them for a ride down Zion Hill Road, aka, Melon Head Road.
As I drove slowly along the infamous stretch of roadway, which winds through an undeveloped copse, it was fun to look in the rearview mirror and watch the kids peer out of the car windows and into the trees looking for signs of Melon Head inhabitation. We didn’t spot anything that afternoon … maybe we were just lucky?
I guess we’ll have to go back another time. After dark.
11 comments
Interesting……. a dead body on melon head road……… coincidence? I think not. Those melon heads can be very accurate with firearms, you know extra big eyes to aim with.
Milford Melon Heads
Hi Joan, I’m a graduate student trying to do some research about the Melon Heads. Would you be willing to chat about what you’ve heard?
Cheers,
Julia
I just got back from driving down Velvet Street(aka Dracula Drive) by myself! It was dusk and shortly darkness was fast approaching. That was one spooky and scenic ride! The road goes completely into the woods far from everything and people. At the forked road, there are lots of warning signs to keep away! That is not a place to be! As soon as I realized the road was narrowing, I turned around with a lot of difficulty! A hell of a place to get stuck in a ditch or stranded, and that could easily happen at night and day due to the narrowness of the road, and if you did see one of them you would not be able to get away fast enough and be forced to stop or go further into the woods where you would undoubtedly be really trapped! It looked like anyone could habitate there! And besides the whole eerie scary experience, it was compounded by the very last house had two lifesize Halloween figures sitting in the front yard in chairs dressed as (you guessed it) Melonheads with huge pumpkins as heads, and the pumpkins deliberately looking like real swelled heads!!! Staying away from there for sure!!!
Milford Melon Heads
Hi Sandy, I’m a graduate student trying to do some research about the Melon Heads. Would you be willing to chat about what you’ve heard?
Cheers,
Julia
I never heard of Melon Head Road, but I knew of Dracula Drive–used to go there all the time with unsuspecting friends… Scared the hell out of them! Melon Heads are even one of my favorite crypto-monsters: http://kooztop5.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-5-fake-creatures-some-people-think.html
Milford Melon Heads
Hi Kooz! I’m a graduate student trying to do some research about the Melon Heads. Would you be willing to chat about what you’ve heard?
Cheers,
Julia
My friends and i went looking for the melonheads on zion hill rd in milford, we went while it was still light out but basically theres 2 sections of the road. the first has a couple houses and some abandoned ones. the second section theres a small pond and woods. there were still leaves all over the ground as if no one had driven on it in a while. but we drove slowly along the road, and sure enough, in the middle of the woods, theres a small white trailer home, which looks as if it is inhabited, because its not completely run down. Ive never gone back at night but ive heard stories of people driving through there at night and having things thrown at their cars, and even arrows shot at their windows or tires. creepyy stuff.
My family owns that land. I
My family owns that land. I can assure you the rv has been vacant since my sister parked it there. It’s a73 dodge rv make me an offer on it.
Milford Melon Heads
Hi Kendra, I’m a graduate student trying to do some research about the Melon Heads. Would you be willing to chat about what you’ve heard?
Cheers,
Julia
I grew up in the 70’s right down the road from Velvet St. a.k.a. Dracula Dr. and went their many times and was always creepy. Would actually ride my bicycle with friends down it because wasn’t old enough then to drive but always left before dark. One day heading home from Monroe with mom and sis in car we drove down Velvet St. and right in the middle we got stuck behind a horse drawn buggy. That was extremely odd but when we finally were able to pass that was when the old lady driving it looked to be about a 100 and in the back of the buggy were 2 Mellonheads!! Yes it freaked me out and rarely go back. They just stared at us as we passed and couldn’t believe what we saw. THEY ARE REAL!!
Milford Melon Heads
Hi Jimbo, this is an amazing story! I’m a graduate student trying to do some research about the Melon Heads. Would you be willing to chat about what you’ve heard?
Cheers,
Julia
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