I’m sure many of you from this area have traveled to the Virginia Beach area. During your travels you may have passed Witch Duck Road. However, you may be curious as to where this name came from. Legend has it and research verifies what you are about to hear.
It seems in the late 1600’s an era of mass hysteria occurred in the Colonies following the Salem Witch Trials and witch hunting became fashionable. Virginia was no exception. In the fall of 1697, a lady by the name of Rebecca Die, spelled D I E, was accused of being a witch. No one knows exactly why she was labeled a witch. After many accusations and trials that lasted until 1705, she was convicted and sentenced to be dunked in the river until she either confessed and repented the devil, or died. The crowd was so moved by what they witnessed that day; they named the road leading to the river Witch Dunk Road.
Through the years it was changed to Witch Duck Road as not to scare anyone. The story doesn’t stop there. Rebecca Die is said to have originally been from Taskinas Plantation, the same plantation where the park presently resides. Since her supposed “witch dunking” many strange occurrences and unexplainable mishaps have taken place in the area. All attributed to her! Most of them in the very woods you are now in. They say Rebecca’s ghost haunts these trails. So much so that old timers use to call these woods “Rebecca’s Revenge.” They say that she still practices her witchcraft to this day.
But, have no fear as we traverse this section of woods. That’s just a story, right. Or is it…