You might just call it an urban legend, but there are many people out there who are convinced that Doveland, Wisconsin was a real town. And not only was it a real place, but it was a Wisconsin town that allegedly vanished into thin air sometime in the 1990s (just like the value of Beanie Babies – zing!).
It’s something of a creepy Mandela effect, but this is how the story goes: Supposedly, there was a town in Wisconsin – located in the “heart of the state” – called Doveland and at one point in the ’90s, it simply… disappeared. But the strange thing is, there are no historical documents that prove the existence of Doveland. And don’t bother looking for any maps proving Doveland’s location, either; you won’t find it there.
So was Doveland, Wisconsin a real place or not?
How Did Doveland Allegedly Vanish?
There are plenty of theories as how a town – along with its residents – could simply vanish into thin air overnight. Some claim Doveland was swallowed up by a sinkhole or completely leveled by an earthquake, but that feels the least likely considering more people in the state would remember an earthquake of that potential magnitude.
In more creepy theories, some people theorize that Doveland was cursed long ago by a vengeful spirit, and the disappearance of the town and its residents was some sort of eternal punishment.
Others believe Doveland didn’t actually disappear at all – you just can’t see it. Supposedly, you can sometimes see the ghostly outline of a town and its buildings, along with the residents. Of course, you’d have to know where Doveland even is to get a glimpse of this mostly hidden town.
In terms of more realistic theories, those often center on Doveland being destroyed by damming (which did actually happen to other Wisconsin towns over the years), all of the residents moving away for one reason or another, or the fact that it was a military town that ceased to exist (possibly part of Project Sanguine) – or was actually destroyed in a military experiment gone terribly wrong. Plenty of people on the internet will tell you about their fathers talking about living in a place called Doveland as part of some secret military operation.
Supposed Evidence of Doveland, Wisconsin’s Existence
The thing that really keeps the legend of Doveland going is that without fail, you’ll see someone on social media claim to have souvenirs from a town called Doveland – shirts, mugs, etc. That’s more than enough for some conspiracy theorists, but the fact remains there just isn’t any concrete evidence – such as any mention of the town on a map or in an official document of any kind – that proves Doveland’s existence.
In fact, the original mentions of Doveland only extend back to about 2015, so it’s either a hoax, or the idea of Doveland simply entered our collective consciousness in 2015 as part of some interdimensional tear in the fabric of reality, which can’t be ruled out!
Others have pointed to mysterious Google searches as evidence of Doveland’s past existence. For instance, some have reported getting strange recommend search suggestions related to Doveland, but producing no results, though it’s far more likely that’s a byproduct of Google’s personalized algorithm.
And as of right now, if you search for Doveland, Wisconsin in Google, you do get what appears to be a Google Maps listing for a “permanently closed” camping cabin located on 1342 Crying Birds Lane in Doveland/Ashland County.
Here’s what you get when you bring up that location in Google Maps:
The Truth About Doveland, Wisconsin and Its Disappearance
All in all, Doveland is most likely nothing more than an internet hoax – or “creepypasta” – meant to send shivers down your spine as your read about it. The notion of a town that suddenly vanished into thin air is too enticing to ignore, a seemingly impossible story that starts to get the mind wandering down the path of supernatural anomalies, ghosts, and other creepy stuff that is only enhanced when you start talking about small-town America.
Doveland is the type of story that would have been ripe for an episode of The X-Files, and that’s probably why the urban legend continues to thrive to this day. There will likely never be any real evidence of a place called Doveland, Wisconsin, but it’s sure fun to think about.
