Ghosts and Goblins on Robinson's Run: A Friday Fright Bite

Stock Image, NOT Robinson's Run

Every once in awhile, I like to offer a little Friday Fright Bite. These are tales that don't have a lot of meat to them, but I find interesting enough to want to share, nevertheless. Today's story comes from the February 22, 1892 edition of the Wheeling Register, a local newspaper from Wheeling, WV in the state's northern panhandle. It goes as follows:

Some young men on Robinson's Run, in Monongalia county, hearing stories of ghosts and goblins which were said to have sprung from a certain Indian grave in the vicinity, visited the grave the other day and dug into the grave, and within eighteen inches of the top of the earth found the remains of a man. The bones were much decayed, many of them entirely gone, but enough remained to show that the skeleton was that of a man of very large stature. The skull was decayed and found in several pieces, but several teeth were found to be sound. We hope after this the children of that vicinity can sleep soundly. Tradition tells us that it was the grave of an old chief. The boys settled the mystery. 

Okay, maybe I'm missing something here, but WTaF? How will disturbing the grave of an alleged Indian chief going to lead to the children of the vicinity sleeping soundly? If folklore and pop culture have taught us anything it's that disturbing human remains, especially those of NATIVE humans, CAUSES activity, not lays it to rest. The ghosts and goblins springing from this grave aren't going to be laid to rest by digging the poor man up! And what mystery, pray tell, has been solved? I guess they confirmed there was body located in a rather shallow grave, but nothing of this article shows that it was proven to be an Indian chief, or that disturbing his final resting place put an end to the ghosts and goblins. The only scenario I can see where this could make sense would be if this original burial was the result someone murdering the chief and hastily disposing of him, or something similar, where the body was not buried according to the deceased person's traditions or final wishes, and as a result, the ghost of the deceased was trying to reach out and have his remains found and treated respectfully. Maybe he even wanted his killer brought to justice.

Was a cause of death established? Was law enforcement, or even scientists involved at any point to identify the remains? Were the remains reburied, or otherwise respectfully treated? If they were, this little newspaper blurb certainly doesn't mention it, and I'm probably waaay over thinking things, trying to make sense in my own mind. Anyway, I know it's cliche, but really...it's just bad form and disrespectful, no matter what your religious and cultural background is, to disturb the final resting place of a buried body without making an effort to properly handle it afterwards. Unfortunately, that was the case with so many American Indians during this period of time, and newspapers of the era have no shortage of stories about bones and other artifacts being dug up and kept in private collections, or worse, being dumped. No wonder we have so many ghost stories...

Note on Robinson's Run: I found this blurb about Robinson's Run on Trails Offroad: "Located in western Monongalia County, 40 minutes from Morgantown, Robinson Run is a fun trail nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. On the drive there, you'll instantly get a feeling for the area. The area is entirely rural, consisting of dispersed homes, farmland, and large tracts of vacant land. Like many trails in Monongalia county, this is an unmaintained public road built to connect communities that arose when the timber and coal industries brought people to the area."

The River of Evil Spirits

Kanawha River at Pt. Pleasant---Source

I have lived my whole life within sight of the mighty Kanawha River. Approximately 97 miles long, the Kanawha River stretches from Gauley Bridge in Fayette County to Point Pleasant, where it then meets the Ohio River. And, all my life, I've heard 'outsiders' absolutely BUTCHER the pronunciation, lol.

So just where does this strange name come from?

The Delaware Indians called the river Kan-a-wha, or the "place of white stone." However, the local Shawnee people had a slightly different word with a much different meaning. They called the river Ken-in-she-ka. Translated, it meant "the river of evil spirits!"

Source

The Kanawha River we know today is much, much different than the river encountered by the first white settlers in the area. Until fairly recently in history, the Kanawha River was impossible to safely navigate by boat. It wasn't until the 1840s that work began to make it navigable. And, it would be decades after when the first locks and dams began appearing, finally opening up river to larger boats and barges.

Aside from the fluctuating water levels, large boulders, and other hazardous conditions, the Kanawha River was known for whirlpools. These whirlpools are represented in a fascinating piece of local archaeology--a petroglyph known as The Water Panther Stone.

The Water Panther Stone was entered into modern record in 1963. It was found near Leon (Mason County), on the property of the Burdette Family. Originally being cut from a nearby creek bed, the family had been using it as a stepping stone to mount horses. It was later donated to Pt. Pleasant's Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, where it is still on display. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to make out the image on the stone, but the photo above shows the carving enhanced with white powder.

According to legend, the petroglyph is believed to be part of a Shawnee altar stone, created by the Water Panther Clan. The tail of the creature represents the Kanawha River whirlpools. With that tail, the Shawnee believed the Water Panther would drag the evil spirits down to the bottom of the river.

One theory as to who or what these evil spirits may have been comes from another Shawnee legend: The Mysterious Azgen Tribe. You can read more about the Azgens at the link provided, but in summary, the Shawnee didn't permanently settle much of the land south and east of the Ohio River because they believed the land belonged to a ghostly race of 'Moon-Eyed People,' today known as the Azgens. Were these the evil spirits that inhabited the Kanawha River, or are these all just colorful legends to describe a once dangerous and non-navigable river?

Further Sources:
Kanawha River Wikipedia
History and Government of West Virginia, by Virgil Lewis