The Strangeness of the Ohio River Valley
There are some places in the world that are incredibly strange. Perhaps strange things are born from it, or perhaps strange things are attracted to it. Whatever it may be, they are dotted in places throughout the world like the Hoia Baciu forest, the Bridgewater Triangle, and more. One of these strange places is related to Ohio (which frequent readers of this blog will likely be unsurprised by). In the Ohio River Valley it is said there are dozens of creatures and unexplained pheomnea…from cryptids to aliens and everything in between. Let’s dive into some of them.
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The Ohio River flows through, or borders, six states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. The river became a primary transportation route for pioneers during the westward expansion of the early U.S. Before America was the America we know today, many people were gathering in the Ohio River Valley. Many Native Americans were displaced as British folks invaded the east coast. Notably, the Shawnee and Seneca resettled here in the 1700s.
As war occurred and Americans continued to multiply, the Native Americans continued to come in from many different tribes...the Mahican, Wyandot, Miami, Huron, Pinkashaw, Ottawa, and even Cherokee towns and villages found new life in the Ohio River Valley. This is notable because it's been a place of gathering and displacement for centuries. If it is like that for humans, what if it is like that for supernatural phenomena as well?
Long time listeners would not be surprised to learn that Point Pleasant, infamous for Mothman, is located deep within the Ohio River Valley. Not to mention another more recent Astonishing Legends topic: the Flatwoods Monster. We’ve also covered a host of strange Ohio River Valley creatures here on the blog including The Loveland Frogs, The Mill Race Monster, The Octo-Man, and The Witch Trial of Bethel, just to name a few.
Some of my favorite folklore growing up covered the little folk - brownies, goblins, gnomes, and more. I was always sad that America didn't really seem to have our own (later, I would learn about Pukwudgies and Native American folklore). But, these little folk may have just been hiding in the Ohio River Valley.
Perhaps these little creatures are more ancient than we think. Why? Because the same mountain ranges in Scotland (where brownies and the little folk are infamous)...were once connected to the mountains that make up Appalachian. They were what was known as the Central Pangean Mountains before the continents were separated. They are remnants of the same, ancient mountain range...which also includes mountains in Morocco and Scandinavia. Perhaps the brownies hitched a ride to the Ohio River Valley courtesy of that move.
People have been looking to make contact with them directly for decades. In fact, in the series Hellier by the gang led by paranormal experts the Newkirks, tries to discover these creatures.
Some believe it may be due to the small communities, especially those in Appalachia, for these stories gaining legs. However, perhaps these beings, if you believe any of this at all, want to remain as far away from prying eyes as possible…and that’s why only a few are able to glimpse them.
The Ohio River Valley is so strange it doesn’t just have one Bigfoot lore…it has several, including:
The Minerva Monster, which we covered in our Small Town Monsters episode, This Bigfoot-like creature appeared near Canton, Ohio in the late 1970s. It was seven feet tall, huge, and covered in thick mated hair. It was unclear what the face truly looked like as it was totally obscured.
The Ohio Grassman (which has it’s own AL blog post) The Grassman is quite similar to Bigfoot based on description alone as it a large, hairy, bipedal creature. However, its behavior and habits set it apart from typical Bigfoot lore. The Grassman seems to largely eat tall grasses.
Hocking Hills Bigfoot, Seen throughout Hocking Hills by many hikers is a huge, hairy brown creature that often frightens visitors to the beautiful State Forest and Metropark.
We’ve covered everything from Mothman to a litany of Bigfoots (Bigfeets?) and if none of that is enough to convince you that something is going on in this land…how about a good old fashioned haunted cemetery?
Holliday Cemetery is one of the most haunted graveyards you've never heard of. Located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Holliday Cemetery is one of the state's oldest. The cemetery was in common use for over a hundred years, but it appears that the last people buried there was about the mid-twentieth century.
For an old cemetery, it's had its fair share of troubles starting early. In the Mid-1850s, the Virginia railroad decided to go through the southern edge of the cemetery. Neighbors, annoyed at their loved ones being disturbed and perhaps a little worried about what would happen if the graves were disturbed, threw water on the railroad workers and harassed them. It is completely unknown how many graves were disturbed, if there were relocation efforts, or if the good people of Parkersburg scared the railroad out of cutting through the cemetery.
In addition to the railroad incident, the cemetery has been poorly kept for basically its entire existence. In the 1870s, reporters often covered the sorry state of the cemetery and in 1926 there was an effort to turn it into a park, as it had become the city's dumping area. In 1952, it was even suggested to turn the neglected cemetery into a children's playground! But none of these efforts, nor any serious revitalization, was ever taken on. Why? Well, the fun answer is it was too haunted. Ghost hunters, teenagers, and those who wished to commune with the dead made many pilgrimages to the not-so-forgotten cemetery. In fact, Paul Arvidson wrote a whole series of fictional stories in a publication called The West Virginia Hillbilly.
One of the most infamous stories occurred on a summer night in 1888. Railroad workers (uh-oh) were heading toward the Rowland Boarding House when a 6 foot tall see-through apparition obscured by a white funeral shroud moved towards them suddenly. The men reported it made an inhuman groan and glided towards the Rowland house ahead of them before it disappeared. The men were so shaken up and the story caught on like wildfire, so the local paper picked it up.
And then a man named Mr. Crolley got involved. Mr. Crolley thought the story was bunk, so he decided to see for himself. For two nights, he hung around the Rowland Boarding House waiting to catch the ghoul. On the first night he made contact (lucky) and the ghoul chased him down the road (unlucky). Undeterred, Mr. Crolley decided to venture out again and he saw the ghoul for a second night in a row…but this time it wasn’t alone. It was joined by a similar creature, except this one donned all black. The ghouls passed the boarding house and went to the cemetery as Mr. Crolley watched.
And this post only touches the surface of the strange creatures that call the Ohio River Valley their home…if you believe any of this at all.
Libby Bruce, @tarotlibby on Instagram
The blog header image is View of Bald Face Creek in the Ohio River Valley, 1858. Henry Lovie (1829 - 1875) – Painter (German) Born in Berlin, Germany. Died in New York, New York. The author died in 1875, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.