Ohio Folklore

Most Ohioans know the community of Mason for one claim to fame -- the destination of summer thrill seekers, Kings Island. But for those more keen on local history, it’s also known for a haunting, unsolved murder. The building in which it occurred, at 101 E. Main Street downtown, stands yet today. Claims of eerie disembodied sounds and full-bodied apparitions are now commonplace. On Apr. 12, 1901, an elderly recluse was found murdered in her own bed, her head cave...

Most of us come to Hocking Hills, Ohio’s most treasured park, for its rugged beauty. With scenes unlike anywhere else in the state, newcomers are often stunned by towering rock formations and plunging waterfalls. It’s no wonder this place draws so many year after year. One lesser known landmark off the beaten path has intrigued and terrified locals for more than a century. Death Hole, a deceivingly peaceful spot on Scott’s Creek in Logan, has laid claim to unsuspecting ...

Just in time for the holiday season... An Ohio Folklore Christmas ClassicAround the holidays, most Ohioans are wrapping presents, baking cookies and decorating the tree. One ancient holiday tradition often gets left out, however. It’s the ritual of sharing ghost stories around the winter solstice. It’s that darkest time of year when the veil between the dead and the living is at its thinnest. Come hear the forgotten story of a Shawnee Chief, whose ghost appears on Christmas Eve, in the ...

Just in time for Halloween, a classic Ohio Folklore episode is rebroadcasted. Take another delve into this timeless ghostly love story that lingers on...Bridges represent so much to us. They make the impassable, passable. They connect us to the wider world. Yet in folklore terms, bridges are magnets for ghosts. Countless “crybaby bridges” dot the landscape of our great state. We share and reshare tales of disembodied voices and misty shapes rising over the ...

Come listen again to one of Ohio Folklore's most popular episodes!One monument to an era gone by once laid hidden in the overgrown hills of Ohio’s Vinton County. Thanks to the efforts of countless local enthusiasts and state ODNR officials, this antiquated railway tunnel is now easily reached. In fact, it’s handicap accessible.All who dare can now visit the Moonville Tunnel. However, it’s not just the living who answer its beckoning call. Claims of ghostly apparitions ...

Planning that annual trip to the Lake Erie shore this summer? Better take another listen before you go...Most of us think of Port Clinton as a summer tourist destination. Indeed, it is. And yet, it's so much more.Few know of the haunted structure that sits on the corner of Madison and Perry Streets. The Island House Hotel is a rumored home for lost spirits, including a famous mobster, sheriff and orphaned immigrant turned proprietor. They make their presence know...

In honor of the upcoming summer solstice on June 21, 2022, come hear one of Ohio Folklore's most downloaded episodes. Then click this link to plan your visit to this year's Summer Solstice Celebration: https://www.serpentmound.org/fullschedule/ When we think of history in Ohio, most of us consider the past two to three hundred years. Few know that one location in Ohio's southern hills holds prehistoric secrets that have yet to be explained. The Serpent Mound...

When most of us think of the Civil War, we picture grand Southern plantations and epic battles with names like Gettysburg and Antietam. Even many Ohioans fought in the conflict, no actual battles happened within our borders, right? The ghosts of the Battle of Buffington Island may beg to differ on this question. Come hear the historic saga of one rogue Confederate general who led a raid through southern Indiana and Ohio. His reign of terror was the stuff of legend. ...

For this month's rebroadcast, we turn to an oldie but a goodie. First released in April 2019, this tale stands as the most compelling UFO lore to ever come out of the Buckeye State. If you haven't heard it yet, what are you waiting for?Early before dawn one April morning in 1966, in rural county outside Akron, two police officers got the call of a lifetime. The chase that would follow was covered in newspaper headlines across the country. Come hear the unforgettable ta...

In honor of Women's History Month, take another listen to the episode devoted to one of Ohio's most revered daughters, Annie Oakley.When we Ohioans think of Annie Oakley, we think of a petite woman in fringed leather, staring down the barrel of a long gun, at a target soon to be decimated. Her fame lives on a century after her death. She’s the subject of musicals, movies and countless books.We’re well aware of her sharpshooting skills, the likes of which haven’t been seen since.&n...