Where did the Devil's Chair Urban Legend Come From?

The devil's chair became an urban legend when the benches that were so beautifully sculpted became no longer used over the years. Kids started to use them as a place for dares at midnight or on Halloween to see if the dared friend can stay there before the spirit gets them. Also known as legend tripping. 

The chairs or benches have been in graveyards since the nineteenth century and over the years they just grew into something people rarely used like many other things of the past. Many states and even a couple of countries have their own legend of the "devil's chair" and here are a few of them. 

1. Cassadaga Flordia, this was the first one I found out about when I had seen a few videos on Youtube about the chair here. The legend here comes in a couple of different ways. If you bring a full can of beer and set it in the chair the devil will drink it by morning. In some cases, the beer can be opened by the person bringing it or the devil drinks the beer without opening the can. Then those brave enough to sit in the chair can sometimes have the devil appear to them.

2. Decatur Illinois, there are also two legends to this tale. If you sit in the chair at a certain time you can either die within the year or you could gain good luck and fortune. I for one would not want to chance sitting, I have enough bad luck and that would be my luck sitting in the chair. 

3. Guthrie Center Iowa, here is a cement chair between two unmarked graves, so the chair could belong to either grave. This chair claims bad luck will follow anyone who sits in the chair.

4. Kirksville Missouri, this chair was made in 1911 and once again became part of Halloween or midnight legend just like the last two have two things that could happen. You either could be rewarded or a hand will come up as you sit in the chair and pull you down to the underworld.

5. Tecumseh Michigan this one is known as the witch's chair instead of the devil's chair. The name Stacy is carved on the chair, for Mr. Stacy. A judge of the town many years ago. When he died his wife would sit for hours at his gravesite. It is called the witch's chair because one of his daughters never married and a number of occurrences led her to be called a witch. Legend has it that if you sit in the chair you will die shortly after.

6. Torcello Italy, usually the legend is exclusive to the United States however this one is a bit different. If a lady sits in the chair she shall marry within a year. 

7. Yorkshire England has a wooden indoor chair that seems to have local legends that also had followed it around for years. It is located at the Busby Stoop Inn hanging on the wall so no one can sit in the chair. Legend has it that if anyone sits in the chair you will meet your demise soon after. The chair was the favorite of the pub owner many years ago who was a gangster that was hanged in 1702 for beating his father-in-law to death.

So that is going to do it for the Devil's chairs around the United States and a few others. Hope you enjoyed this little odd bit of information as much as I did. 😉

©Kerrie Gutierrez-Diaz 2022 All Rights Reserved

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