Was Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" a true story? Is Sleepy Hollow a real place? Were Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel real people? Did Ichabod really encounter the ghost of a Headless Hessian? (Or someone masquerading as one?) Almost as soon as "The Legend" was first published in the spring of 1820, readers began trying to guess the "true identities" of the characters in the story. Many of their theories evolved into "local traditions" passed down through many generations - but which, if any, are correct? (And which are nonsense ) This work is the result of more than seven years studying Irving's stories, correspondence and journals, as well as contemporary news and magazine articles, church records, genealogies, etc. The author uses the evidence gathered to sort fact from fiction, debunking a few long-standing "traditions" while validating others. Where did Irving find his Ichabod, Katrina and Brom? And exactly how much of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is true? Come inside and find out