The Myths involving Sybil’s Cave harken back to the origin of the cave itself, the water that came from the cave, and a murder that happened nearby. The residents of Hoboken off and on over the last couple centuries created stories of the fabled cave to tantalize tourists. Usually myths are derived from a modicum of truth. So what are the facts and how do the myths relate to them?
Myth 1:
It is a natural cave with a spring located somewhere along the Hudson River.
Fact: The cave was actually excavated manually in 1832 off the cliff to reach a natural spring. The cave extends back from the entrance about 17feet. The interior roof is propped with four pillars and the water comes from a built-in cistern.
Fact 2: It may perhaps be ironic that the location of the cave is below the hill where the Stevens Institute of Technology is located. Stevens Tech was created from a bequest by Edwin Stevens, the son of the founder of Hoboken, Colonel John Stevens. The Stevens men were all involved in technology and helped create the town we all know as Hoboken.
Myth 2:
The spring water has medicinal properties.
Fact 1: The caves were a popular destination for curiosity seekers who may have been the ones to spread the rumor that the supposed natural springs contained medicinal properties for which rich people willingly paid the ridiculously high price of 1 cent a glass.
Fact 2: In 1832 the cave was shut down because the newly formed Health Department had grave concerns regarding the safety of the water for human consumption. Later, in 1930 the cave was filled in with dirt and concrete to keep adventurous young people away from the site.
Myth 3:
Perhaps the biggest myth that sets up the imagination of locals and tourists alike is that a murder happened at the cave. Although, we will never really know where Mary Rogers was murdered, it doesn’t necessarily mean she was murdered there.
Fact 1: Mary Left her home in New York City on July 25th 1841, never to be seen alive again. Her body was found 3 days later on July 28, floating in the Hudson River. The mystery was not solved until years later, when a woman on her death bed admitted that Mary died as a result of a botched abortion attempt.
Fact 2: Edgar Allen Poe, who was living in Hoboken at the time, wrote what is considered to be the first modern detective novel based on Mary Roger’s unsolved death. The title of his novel is “The Mystery of Marie Roget”, which he based in France rather than Hoboken, but the general details known at the time are intact within the story. Later, after the woman confessed her role in Mary’s death, Poe amended his novel to include the botched abortion.
Myths gain strength when they are based in facts. The hard part is separating the myths and fantasy from reality.
