Old State Route 335 (renamed the west 241 extension in the 1990's) is a stretch of road which runs from Vincennes, Indiana south through Decker before turning westward to Cypress Pond. Cypress Pond, just as the name suggests, is located in a large cypress swamp. It is in this particular area that a creature named the Decker Swamp Devil lives. Decker is just a little town (about 500 people) in southern Knox county, about 35 miles north of Evansville, Indiana, or about 10 miles north of Princeton. It is famous for its watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews and other types of melons, and less famous for its swamp devil legend. Most of the townspeople have managed to keep this legend under wraps. I'm not sure if this is due more to embarrassment or fear, but for whatever reason, most will not talk about it. Since I lived in the area for many years, I became privy to the legend. Please remember, I have never seen this creature. I have only heard about it, but several of my friends firmly believe they have seen it whilst driving down old 335.
First of all, out of fairness, you must understand the area where this swamp devil has been supposedly seen. Huge knotted cypress trees are found growing everywhere. Very few people live in the area, and with the exception of 335, no roads run through there. Spooky animal sounds can be heard during the day and night. You get the idea....
According to legend, the Native Americans tribes living in the area had to battle the swamp devil for a couple of centuries, and when their magic no longer worked against him, they moved west into Illinois seeking a much holier place to live. The swamp devil is described as a large 9 or 10 foot creature (3 meters) with pointed ears, red-yellow glowing eyes and large leathery looking wings. Some describe the devil as hairy, while others say he has skin or scales. Nearly everyone says he is grayish in color. The locals will tell you some people have gone deaf from his shrieks and screams and those blood curdling screams can be heard for miles. He lives in the swamp feeding on fish and wild animals... or the occasional human who just might stray in his direction.
If you are driving along 335 late at night, and suddenly encounter a fog bank, you are probably in big trouble. The devil almost always appears in the fog, and many say their cars have stalled as the creature approached them, leaving them forced to take off running on foot, only to find deep claw marks scratched into their vehicle's paint upon their return.
I have several friends who tell me they have seen the swamp devil, and one even claimed to take a picture of it. I've seen the picture, but I couldn't decide if it was the swamp devil or perhaps a tree. What ever it was, it sure looked spooky, and you won't find me driving near that area. Not if I can help it.