Weird Towns: Satan's Kingdom Ted Reinstein braves Satan's Kingdom and treks to Egypt as well Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT THIS IS "CHRONICLE," ON WCVB CHANNEL 5. GET OUT OF TOWN. WE'RE IN THE HEART OF PODUNK RIGHT HERE. THAT'S RIGHT, PODUNK IS A REAL PLACE. HOWDY PARTNER, WHY WYOMING? WHY SATAN'S KINGDOM? DON'T EVEN GET TED STARTED ON PRONUNCIATION. PEABODY, WOBURN AND HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF THIS PLACE? VERY, VERY CAREFULLY. ONE UNDENIABLE FACT. MASSACHUSETTS SURE HAS SOME ODD SOUNDING TOWN NAMES. WE'RE NAME CALLING ON THE MAIN STREETS AND BACK ROADS OF MASSACHUSETTS, NEXT ON "CHRONICLE." GOOD EVENING. WHAT'S IN A NAME? SHAKESPEARE ASKED THAT QUESTION SOME 400 YEARS AGO. TED REINSTEIN HAS AN UPDATED VERSION, WHAT'S UP WITH NAMES ALONG THE BAY STATE'S MAIN STREETS AND BACK ROADS. NO QUESTION G.P.S.'S ARE AN AMAZING TOOL. BUT DEEP DOWN, I'M AN OLD SCHOOL MAP GUY. IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTACT, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE BIG PICTURE, AND DISCOVERING GEOGRAPHICAL NOOKS AND CRANNIES I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. THE MAPS OF MASSACHUSETTS CAN BE PARTICULARLY ENTERTAINING BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY ODD SPOTS AND VERY STRANGE NAMES. YOU KNOW, THE KINDS OF PLACES THAT CAN LEAVE YOU SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD AND ASKING, YOU LIVE WHERE? FIRST ON OUR LIST, A VISIT TO NORTHFIELD IN THE PIONEER VALLEY, BUT A CLOSE LOOK AT A MAP REVEALS A DARK SIDE TO THIS CLASSIC NEW ENGLAND VILLAGE. LITTLE KNOWN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. SORRY I'M LAUGHING. YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SATAN'S KINGDOM IN MASSACHUSETTS. BUT BEFORE VENTURING INTO THIS NETHER REGION WE THINK IT BEST TO CHECK IN WITH A MAN OF THE CLOTH. AS FAR AS ANY BLAIR WITCH PROJECT TYPE OF EVENT OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. GARY BARBOW, LONG-TIME PASTOR AT THE NEARBY GILL CHURCH. YOU ARE A MAN OF THE LORD. I WOULD SAY. IS IT DISCOMFORTING IN ANY WAY TO BE NEXT-DOOR TO SATAN'S KINGDOM? I NEVER GAVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT. SOMETIMES I THINK I LIVE IN IT. BUT AS FAR AS THE ONE WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT, NO, NOT AT ALL. THUS REASSURED WE MAKE OUR WAY IN, PAST SOME ISOLATED HOMESTEADS ON HIGH ALERT FOR CLOVE EN HOOF PRINTS FOR THE SMELL OF SULFUR. TURNS OUT THE STATE HAS STEPPED IN TO TAKE CONTROL OF MUCH OF THIS WILD AND ROUGH TERRITORY. I'VE NEVER SEEN SATAN, YOU KNOW AND WHEN I'VE BEEN BOBBING AROUND IT'S BEEN PRETTY SAFE. I WOULD COME OUT OF THE WOODS WITH ALL MY ARMS AND LEGS AND STUFF, YOU KNOW. SAM LOVEJOY, A LAND AGENT FOR THE STATE'S DIVISION OF FISH AND GAME. HE SAID SATAN'S KINGDOM WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA IS OPEN TO HIKERS, HUNTERS AND FISHERMEN. THE NAME GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO COLONIAL TIMES. THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THERE BEING POISONOUS SNAKES AND THAT KIND OF DANGER. SO NICKNAMING A PLACE SATAN'S KINGDOM WAS JUST TO WARN PEOPLE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN THEY'RE THERE. LOVEJOY SAYS HE REASONLY GOT A LETTER FROM AN OUTRAGED CITIZEN. HE THOUGHT IT WAS A HORRIBLE NAME, ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. INSISTING THIS DIABOLICAL NAME BE CHANGED. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN CHANGE THE NAME IS IF SHE CAN PERSUADE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE THE NAME ON THE U.S.G.S. MAPS AND FROM MAKING A FEW PHONE CALMS AND STUFF I FOUND OUT THAT WOULD TAKE THREE OR FOUR GENERATIONS. THEY MIGHT HAVE TO LIVE WITH SATAN'S KINGDOM AND MAY ENJOY THE ROMANCE OF IT. NEXT UP, WE'RE CAST OUT OF THE KINGDOM, AS IT WERE, AND FIND OURSELVES WANDERING THE SANDS OF EGYPT. BUT THIS EGYPT DOESN'T BORDER THE SINAI, IT'S ON THE SOUTH SHORE. IT WAS A POSTAL STATION, THE NAME STARTED TO FADE. UP UNTIL THE 70'S AND EIGHT PEOPLE USED TO HAVE THAT ON THEIR LICENSE, I COME FROM EGYPT, MASS, BUT ONCE THE ZIP CODE WENT AWAY THE SECTION OF TOWN WENT AWAY. STEP INSIDE THE COUNTRY STORE IN SCITUATE AND IT'S CLEAR HE TUT-TUTS THE IDEA THAT EGYPT, MASS IS A THING OF THE PAST. IT'S MY DESTINY OR WHATEVER TO PRESERVE THIS PIECE OF REAL ESTATE. AND THE EGYPT COUNTRY STORE IS A POPULAR NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERING SPOT, FEATURING HOME MADE FUDGE AND TAFFIES, THERE ARE ALSO GROCERIES, SNACKS AND SUN DRESE, ALL WEDGED IN. IRONICALLY ENOUGH MY GREAT, GREAT EVER SO GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS KING PHILIP THE INDIAN, AND THE ROAD, CAPTAIN PIERCE ROAD WAS NAMED AFTER THE GUY THAT KILLED HIM. IT'S LIKE I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A SMALL WORLD. HISTORY CLEARLY ALIVE AND WELL HERE AT THE EGYPT COUNTRY STORE. AND BOB IS PREPARED TO MAKE A ONE MAN STAND AGAINST THE DISAPPEARANCE OF EGYPT, MASSACHUSETTS FOREVER. IF THERE ISN'T SOMETHING HERE, WE'RE DOWN TO A ROAD SIGN AND THIS STORE. SO SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO PRESERVE THE NAME. BEFORE THEY TAKE IT OFF THE MAP. AND BOB SAYS HE'S LOOKING TO SELL THE STORE SOON, SO SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STEP UP TO TAKE CARE OF EGYPT. TO TAKE CARE OF EGYPT. BACK TO SATAN'S KINGDOM FOR A MOMENT, A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT WHERE THAT NAME CAME FROM, SOME PEOPLE SAY IT'S JUST THE RUGGED TERRAIN. ANOTHER THEORY IS THAT A LOCAL MINISTER GAVE A PARTICULARLY IMPASSIONED SERMON, THEY WALKED OUT OF CHURCH AND IN THERE WAS A FIRE IN WOODS AND SOMEBODY SAID SATAN'S KINGDOM IS BURNING. EITHER WAY THE NAME HAS STUCK. IT CERTAINLY HAS. TED IS HUNGRY SO HE TAKES A LUNCH BREAK. I'M MERELY ENJOYING MY OLD FURNACE IN

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