BUTCHER HILL

Inscription

BUTCHER HILL
NAMED AFTER LOCAL LEGEND
OF EARLY 19TH CENTURY HOG
BUTCHERING ON THIS HILL. ONE
SLAUGHTERED HOG LEFT FROZEN
IN BARREL UNTIL SPRING THAW.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2024

In the town of Lodi in Seneca County, New York one will find an eerily named locale, Butcher Hill. While seemingly sinister in origin, the story of how the name came to be is more akin to a scene of overzealous revelry.

According to the local story, in the early 19th century, there was a hog butchering which took place on the hill. After being killed, each pig was scalded in a barrel in which hot water was poured. Those taking part in the butchering made a party out of it, taking a celebratory drink of alcohol between each pig butchered. However, they imbibed a bit too much and were unable to lift the last hog from the barrel and so it froze until the spring thaw. It is said that ever since this legendary hog butchering, the hill has been called Butcher Hill.