January 22nd, 2020

In Maryland folklore, the Dwayyo or Dewayo is a monster associated with the towns of West Middeltown and Wolfsville. A newspaper account in the Frederick Post from 11/27/65 discusses a purported encounter with the creature. "Near the woods of Gambrill Park, "John Becker" went into his yard to investigate a strange noise. It was getting dark, and he was heading back to the house, when he saw something moving toward him. "It was as big as a bear, had long black hair, a bushy tail, and growled like a wolf or a dog in anger." As it got closer, it stood up on its hind legs and attacked him. "Becker" fought the creature until it ran into the woods, leaving him, his wife and children in horror. Deciding to remain anonymous under the alias John Becker, he filed a report with local state police, telling of an attack by a mysterious monster that he called a Dwayyo."




Sensing a good story, Frederick News Post reporter George May wrote a series of articles on the monster, and soon newspapers throughout the area were carrying the story. These articles spawned a rash of calls and letters to the newspaper, ranging from the absurd to the furious. The County Treasurers office received an application for a Dwayyo license from a "John Becker" accompanied by the one-dollar fee. The license was issued and mailed in care of George May, Frederick News Post.




The Frederick newspapers also reported other "sightings." An Adamstown, Maryland woman called the paper and insisted that "this trash about the Dwayyo be stopped." She said her daughter was being treated for a nervous condition because of all this talk about the Dwayyo." "Several hunters saw a strange black beast roaming the woods. An Ellerton Maryland Route 17 woman reported that residents of that area had heard something cry like a baby and scream like a woman for several months. A Jefferson, Maryland woman said that she saw a strange dog-shaped animal about the size of a calf chasing some cows on a farm near her home. However, investigations by local and state police turned up nothing substantial on the John Becker-Dwayyo story. By mid-December, the story started to fade. There had not been any sightings for several days, and it was suggested that the Dwayyo had moved on to another area."


"It has moved to Port Deposit MD." A long time Port Deposit resident "john" said in a interview he and I did last week. He said he has seen the creature on two seperate fishing trips. "It was tall emaciated and looked deformed" said "john" who seen it running through the woods off of route 222 by the conowing dam.
And that's not the only sighting, a trusted source said he heard a longtime member of the water witch fire department of Port deposit discussing his sighting of a creature running north on the train tracks and his description matches that of the dwayyo.


I will continue to investigate dwayyo sightings in and around the Port deposit area and will publish updates of findings.


If you have seen the dwayyo or another paranormal creature visit the contact page you can report the sighting anonymously.