To lend his novel some historical authenticity, Stephen King talks about the disappearance of all the people in Monson, Vermont for no known reason. I did some googling on Monson, Vermont but could find no definitive source corroborating Mr. King’s assertions.
Can anyone add some insight, or was Mr. King taking poetic license?
Thanks,
Quasi
historical authenticity should have been in quotes, up there! Sorry! Haven’t “doped” in a while!
Q
There was a place called Dudleytown, Connecticut which was eventually abandoned entirely. Residents were besieged by paranormal phenomena as well madness, premature death, and a remarkable series of extremely bad luck, all of which was blamed on the paranormal. However, the process of abandoning the town took decades; not all at once.
Maybe King took some poetic license with the Dudleytown story?
I remember the town being named Momson, not Monson, but a quick Google search on that didn’t turn up anything either. And, par for the course, I don’t have my copy of 'Salem’s Lot with me right now to check.
Lets not forgot the lovely community of Roanoke Colony Virginia. Course we dunno if that happened all at once or over time.
In related case, has anyone ever driven into a ghost town? Not like old west type but recent ones? The best ones you can find are near the Mississippi valley lowlands. Thanks to the floods some towns were abandoned outright and moved to higher ground.
Now you talk about a feeling of unease. Imagine going around a semi modern looking town where EVERYTHING is boarded up and no one is around. We went down to one to see what it was like, and I swear to you it was one of the creepiest things I have done in a while.
I haven’t read the book in ages, but maybe the “historical authenticity” has less to do with history than his (short) story “Jesualem’s Lot”? That had to do with a deserted town and the dastardly Necronomicon, as I recall, and maybe he just tried to bridge the two. But I don’t recall Jerusalem’s Lot being in Vermont, it was either in Maine or Massachusetts (maybe a suburb of Arkham?). So I probably just shot my theory full of holes.
'Salem’s Lot is set in Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine. The other abandoned town mentioned is Momson, Vermont. I have no idea if that town exists or not. Just for the record, the short story Jerusalem’s Lot involves De Vermis Mysteriis, not the Necronomicon. The town in the short story isn’t necessarily a past version of the one in the novel, either.
I had read the short story first, and when I started the novel I thought to myself, “What?? The town was depopulated in 1789 and was superstitiously avoided for at least 60 years afterwards; when and where was it reoccupied?” Then I realized they were alternate worlds, sort of like Desperation and The Regulators. 
When I last read 'Salem’s Lot I alos checked the internet for a Momson, Vermont and came up with nothing. However, I discovered that there are ghosttowns in Vermont that have similar histories to Momson. I think the website I found it on was www.hauntedvermont.com.
For the record 'Salem’s lot I think is one of King’s best novels (although ]The Stand is the best.
Ok, that’s the wrong web address, but the right website name. Its been awhile since I’ve gone to it.
Well, okay, thanks Y’all! If any of you ever re-read the novel, look for the description of Momson (sorry for the gaffe, earlier), and see if you don’t agree he made it come “alive” for you.
Many modern writers will intersperse tru historical fact in their fiction, which, IMHO really adds “spice” to their story. Just like DaPearl, ol’ SK pushed the right button with me. If I ever meet the man, that’s the first question I’m gonna ask him: “Hey Steve! What about this Momson thing, man?” 
Quasi
[slight hijack]
Neidhart, re: alternate worlds, have you read the prologue from Dark Tower V? (http://www.stephenking.com/DT5Prologue.html) Father Callahan from 'Salem’s Lot is now apparently living in Middle Earth after fleeing 'Salem’s Lot.
[/slight hijack]
Sorry to ressurect this thread but I have some fine info on Dudleytown from an expert who wrote the (sadly unpublished) book on the subject and is just itching to help fight ignorance:
Steven King did base his story on the Dudleytown legend as did Lovecraft when he wrote 'Color out of Space." Dudleytown is a place where the natural and supternatural meet and influenced the other. Some say it was the magetism, others give the theory of moldy bread, while others point to the dead buried in unsactified ground; it is all of the above and none of the above.
Does not work.
… its a three year old link, of course it doesn’t work! 
Oooooh!
Zombie thread!
Well, I’m not the first Doper to be fooled by one.
Yes, this thread, after being completely abandoned for no known reason, was presumed dead. Until yesterday, when there were reports that a strange new group of posts had been spotted in the thread. Posts that apparently had no knowledge that three years had passed on the outside world…
All I know is, I cannot grow old in Salem’s Lot.
Please at least consider this: you may not believe in Dudleytown, but Dudleytown believes in you.