Posted in GeneralState Parks History
Many Ohio State Parks are the home of folk tales and legends, spun by and about colorful characters living in boom and bust towns in rural Ohio. With their wealth of deep woods and remote areas that are today’s wild places, it is little wonder that state parks are the setting for so many stories of strange occurrences!
Foggy nights and howling winds, rustling leaves and dancing shadows fuel imaginations and set the stage for enduring tales which offer explanations for eerie sights and sounds…
Malabar Farm State Park – The Story of Ceely Rose
The mysterious deaths of the Rose family, who lived in a white frame house on the grounds of Malabar Farm State Park, are said to be a lovesick teenager’s revenge. Ceely Rose, an awkward and lonely girl, had a crush on the boy who lived in the house across the creek, Hugh Fleming. Hugh was a friend to Ceely but did not return her affection. However, Ceely had convinced herself that Hugh intended to marry her, and she announced their engagement to anyone who would listen.
The Ceely Rose House
To spare Ceely’s feelings, Hugh told her that they couldn’t marry because her family disapproved of him. Enraged that her family would keep her from her love, Ceely gradually poisoned them by soaking flypaper in water and then secretly pouring the arsenic-laced water over the cottage cheese she served them. Within three months, her parents and two brothers had all died. Hugh Fleming left town for good in fear of his own life, should Ceely learn of his true feelings toward her.
Suspicious neighbors tricked Ceely into confessing the murders of her family, and she was committed to a mental institution where she finally passed away, sad and alone.
Some folks believe that Ceely can still be seen roaming the hallways of the Rose house, pausing at the windows near the creek where she watches and waits for her love Hugh to return and marry her.
Mohican State Park – The Fall at Lyon’s Falls
Lyon's Falls
A few different stories have grown around the name of Paul Lyons, a self-reliant pioneer for whom Lyon’s Falls and Lyon’s Cave near Mohican State Park were named. What is certain is that there is a grave marker bearing his name on the trail leading to the 80-foot plunge of Lyon’s Falls into Clearfork Gorge.
Legend has it that Paul was a recluse who lived in he area with his milk cow. One dark and stormy night, Paul realized the cow had wandered off into the woods, and he went to find it. He could barely hear the sound of the bell around the cow’s neck over the moaning of
the wind. He followed the faint clanking into the darkening woods to the edge of the falls. He could see very little in the driving storm and lost his footing on the slick ground, falling 80 feet to his death.
Folks say that on dark nights, the sound of the cow bell can be heard on the trail to the falls, and the figure of a man waving a lantern can be seen at the top of the cliff.
Stories written by Jean Backs and first appeared in the 1996 Fall/Winter issue of the Ohio State Parks Magazine.
Seen anything spooky while at a state park? Tell your story in the comments below!