Claim: The name "Hangsaman" name was based on an old folk ballad; then its story was inspired by Paula Jean Welden's case.
Evidence: The novel takes its title from an old folk ballad. The official publisher's description of Hangsaman says the novel is "loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946," referencing the case of Paula Jean Welden.