“Perhaps the oldest internet myth of all: the mystery of Ong’s Hat”
I had a wonderful conversation with Michael Förtsch, the author of this piece for the German Scifi mag 1E9. Here is a link to the original German, and below is a PDF of a machine translation into English. I hope you enjoy it.
Willkommen in der Welt von Ong’s Hat, dem Ort, an dem Wissenschaft und Mystik aufeinandertreffen, um die Grenzen unserer Realität zu sprengen! Ein bisher unbekanntes Phänomen, das euren Verstand herausfordern wird. Taucht mit mir, in eines der faszinierendsten Rätsel der Menschheit ein. Lass uns gemeinsam die Grenzen des Vorstellbaren ausloten!
Dive into the rabbit hole of unexplained mysteries and conspiracy theories! From Ong’s Hat to Mount Rushmore secrets, Titanic’s sinking to the Black Knight satellite – explore the unknown!
Not much remains of Ong’s Hat (or Ong’s Hut, depending on which legend you believe). Although a ghost town, it’s not forgotten! Ong’s Hat has a long history. Although historians aren’t sure when the village got its name, it’s older than the revolutionary war. This name appears in a 1778 map of Hessian encampments in New Jersey. The town’s peak may have been in the 1860s. However, by the 1930s, while the town’s name remained on maps, there was nothing there but a few brick remains, an open clearing, and an abandoned shed. Some historians aren’t sure if Ong’s Hat was ever a real village. Today, it is a terminus of the Batonia Trail, one of the longest in the state.
If you think Ong’s Hat is strange, you aren’t the only one. According to a conspiracy theory-based story dating back to the 1980s, a group of scientists travels to a creepy parallel universe from Ong’s Hat. One of the core writers/storytellers wrote a book titled, The Incunabula Papers: Ong’s Hat And Other Gateways To New Dimensions. Although he stated that this work was pure fiction, some people believe that Ong’s Hat is part of a bigger conspiracy.
Fray and Kouji return to discuss the first internet ARG known as Ong’s Hat, and its connection with the Legend Tripping Phenomenon, along with the infamous Black Mailbox and other Liminal “Sacred Spaces”.
Part 2 in our Exploration of the American Shinto Phenomenon
Exploring the Weird.
OP Song: They Came From Below – Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
ED Song: Ad Infinitum – Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
New Jersey has a reputation for being a quirky and unusual place, and there are many bizarre stories that have come out of the state over the years. However, one of the most unusual and intriguing stories involves a small town called Ong’s Hat, located in the southern part of the state. LINK: https://www.guntherpublications.com/the-story-of-ongs-hat-new-jersey/
The Conspiracy: Pine Barrens is a ghost town in NJ. But what makes it so interesting is there is only one building- that would be Ong’s Hat. It is said that the town was bustling in the 1860s. Though it is unknown if there were ever any additional structures. Regardless the town has been documented on maps for years. The conspiracy is that some believe professors at Princeton University used the town to conduct quantum physics experiments. And legend says that they even made a man disappear for 7 minutes and he claims he went to another dimension into another version of Earth.
Ummm… How might One go about #writing a #horror game, based loosely on the “Ong’s Hat” (and the associated “Egg” mythology) #creepypasta?
Seriously, I know nothing about game development, but really believe that that “legend” would make for a truly creepy playable game!
Has the oppressive August heat had you pining for the woods? Well, If you take the New Jersey Turnpike to exit four and follow Route 70 east, you will reach Route 72 at Four Mile Circle. If you take the sharp left from the circle you’ll find Ong’s Hat Road and a desolate, murky trail that may lead to Ong’s Hat, an abandoned place with an interdimensional portal hidden deep in the Pine Barrens.
The legend of Ong’s Hat includes tales of arcane texts, jilted lovers, lively watering holes, mad physicists, interdimensional travel, and a gateway to other dimensions.
Join your host, Owen McCuen as he takes you on a mystifying journey into the Pine Barrens and its secrets in Jacob’s Revenge.