Legends & Lores of the Ohio Valley and surrounding counties

Welcome to our Legends page
Postboy hollow:   In the pioneering days of Ohio, a young postal worker delivering mail on horseback took
a trail through a small hollow just south of Newcomerstown. He was on route to an exchange station when he
was assualted and killed. Though a strange man carrying large parcels of mail was seen soon after, he abruptly
vanished from town and the murder went unsolved. Today, the lane known as Postboy Road is haunted by the
ghost of the ill-fated postal worker. It is also said that the sound of horse hooves can be heard on the road late
at night, and that ocassionally a previously missing parcel will reappear in the area of the young boy's murder.
                                       http://www.shadowseekers.org/postboyhollow.htm                                                     
Addendum:
The man who shot and killed the postboy name is John Funston...He was the 1 and only public execution in
Tuscarawas county..
Submitted by Tom, who has grown up and still resides within Newcomertown, Ohio
Winding stairs:
Winding Stairs - A very narrow and winding road between Newcomerstown and Port Washington is home to
several instances of paranormal activity and satanic rituals. There are reports of wind, thunder, and lightening
along the road when there are no storms in the proximity. Dark figures have been seen rising from their graves
in a cemetery along the road. Radios in vehicles traveling the road changes stations on their own and cell
phones ring to have either a demonic voice speaking or a high-pitch crackling. Strange furry creatures have
also been reported to run in front of vehicles along the road.
http://www.ohioexploration.com/tuscarawascounty.htm

"The winding staircase is a very skinny, bumpy dirt road that goes around and around up a very steep hill. I
would recommend a 4 wheel drive vehicle just in case you get in to some mud. Now about twenty some years
ago there were very active satanic cults that practiced up there, and this was a well know fact around the
southern part of the county. I went up there for the first time in 1994 when I participated in a search for an old
lady that disappeared from her home in Port Washington that August. I found a lot of old structures that were
nothing more than ruins and foundations, lots of clothing items just scattered everywhere, and just an overall
feeling of "weird" about it. Looking down in some of the foundations, you could not see the bottom even with a
light. DO NOT GO ALONE...take my word for it that place is jinxed....I know from personal experience and thats
another story in itself. The cults supposedly have been active up there again, which is somewhat hearsay, but
that came from the police department some time ago."

http://www.graveaddiction.com/winstair.html
Mary Stockholm's grave:

Legend has it that a woman named Mary Stockum haunts the cemetery and woods around it. Supposedly her
second husband killed her mentally challenged daughter. But that didn't make her angry. What did make her
angry was the town hanging her husband for the crime. She was so upset that she started to poison her
remaining children, one by one. After the fifth child died, the town fathers charged her with murder and had her
burned as a witch. They buried her in the cemetery with the rest of her family. However, shortly after she was
burned at the stake, a sixth child died. They dug up Mary's body and cut off her head, and they buried it at an
unknown location outside of the cemetery. No more of her children died after that.

Today Mary Stockum's ghost is sometimes seen wandering around the cemetery, searching for her head and her
remaining children. There have been numerous reports of her asking people to follow her into the woods. Many
people have also experienced strange car problems there.

http://www.graveaddiction.com/stockum.html
More to be added very soon!!!
Feel more then free to contact us with
other legends, regardless of location!
Blessings and thank you so very much.
Legend of "The Bleeding Corpse"

True legend regarding "bleeding corpses", is the belief from our forefathers (from Ireland and Scotland), that when
one was murdered and no actual suspects were brought forward, when touched by the murderer/accomplice - the
corpse would bleed to show the truth of who committed the crime.  

This yarn begins in 1818 and involves a particular pioneer of the Scioto Valley, in the southwestern corner of Ohio.
The story entails a "very strange trial of murder", which is still talked about to this current day among local residents of
the area.  

The main character of this legend is a mountain man by the name of Crile Williams, who resided in the valley. Crile
was known throughout the region as an old bitter, angry man. Crile had a brother by the name of Clayborne. Crile had
recently became even more angry due the recent happenings of having one of his horses stolen and believed it was
his own brother who had stolen the horse.  This played over and over in Crile's mind, which made him more angrier
then normal with each thought of such. On a damp, foggy, Wednesday morning; Crile Williams was walking about
while hunting rabbits through the woods just south of his cabin. As he was returning to his cabin, Crile had noticed a
man in the woods which strongly resembled his brother, Clayborne.  His anger took over and he took a shot at this
man, hitting him right in the head. Once Crile walked up the body he then realized it was not his brother he had shot!  
He had actually shot his neighbor (Louis Sartain).  Once discovering this, Crile is said to have sworn and turned about
face and ran from the area.  Crile then realized after running for a mile and half, that he had to remain calm and
regroup himself mentally and continued on hunting to be sure to bring home some rabbits to cover his current day
adventures. He returned home later in the early evening with many a rabbit.  

Neighbors became very concerned when Louis did not return by early morning and set search for his location. His
body was then found and there was no question that he had been murdered. Louis was then buried. Family members
of Louis were very upset and insisted on finding their family member's murderer, especially Louis' brother, Crawford.  
Village constable had no real evidence of a murder, but Crawford insisted on finding the murderer.  Although, Louis
and Crile had been fairly good friends, Crile was still known as a very angry man who at times had kicked dogs
around, mean and drank with the devil.  So as word passed through the valley, many a folk quietly directed their
suspicions toward Crile. Boot prints were found near Crawford's body, which were thought to have been those of
Crile's. The bullet was also extracted from skull and was said to have been the same of Crile's rifle.  Word of this
moved very quickly throughout the valley.

Crile, in the meantime, disregarded these suspicions and carried on with his daily routines, including acting innocent
within everyday conversations between local folk.  Crile was even noted to have made many of statements such as
"who could have committed this awful crime?"

One month, two months and by the third month passed by without anyone arrested for this crime, the locals really had
began to show concern and opinions regarding the issue.  Due to such talk among locals and no one being held
responsible thus far, villagers gathered and had decided to use the legend to prove the real suspect/murderer, so this
matter could be resolved finally.

After many discussions, it was decided to remove Crawford's body from the grave and all residents of the valley would
be required to be present for the "trial".  The corpse would remain within the coffin and children would not be present
for the form of trial.  Majority of locals were quite sure that black blood or bloody worms would emerse from the body
once Crile held his hands on the corpse.  This trial took place, once again on a Wednesday, in sweltering July heat
within the meeting house of the main village. The stench, accompanied with the heat, was noted to be unbearable to
the locals.  Nonetheless, the murderer had to be found and punished.

One by one, all locals and villagers laid their hands upon the body of Crawford, with no blood to burst out from either
the wound hole or anywhere else within the corpse.  Then it was Crile's turn to show his said innocence.  He was very
hesitant in doing such but knew he had to, as if not to do so would automatically show his guilt.. He could feel all the
eyes about him as he walked closer to the casket and began to sweat himself, while questioning his own self if he
should proceed or not, oh how hot it was in this building and how he began to shake....  It is said he did place his
hands about the corpse and low and behold... Nothing happened, no blood from the head wound, no moans and no
rise of the corpse!!  Had this test of murder failed?  Word among the locals said the body had possibly sat to long in
demised state to respond, while others pondered if Crile was really guilty or not and began to second guess their
thoughts...   

Info from: Buckeye Legends, written by Micheal Jay Katz