Haunted Ohio: Strounds Run State Park in Athens

 

Strouds Run State Park, Shroomydan

Strounds Run State Park is just one of the haunted state parks found in the country. This local landmark is a must-see and visit for anyone who lives near Athens or can make the drive.

Though the state government bought or acquired some of the land as early as the 1940s, it wasn't until the 1950s that it made a concentrated effort to form the outline of a new park. Dr. John Jackson Crumley owned some land in the 1850s he used as a tree farm, which later became part of the park. The family of Samuel Gillette also sold some of their land, including an old schoolhouse. Torn down by the state, some of the materials of this old schoolhouse created the Strouds Run Community Church.

While Athens has many haunted places, (after all, it's the haunted hotspot of Ohio!), Strounds Run State Park is one of the more unusual. The ghost here isn't an old settler or a soldier, just a humble Buffalo.

Whether you spend a lot of time in the heart of Athens or one of our big cities, it's hard to imagine that Ohio was once a desolate place. Heck, there are still places in the state where it takes an hour or more just to find a hospital and 30 minutes to reach a grocery store. When the first settlers arrived, they discovered wild buffalo living in and around Athens.

It didn't take long for them to wipe out most of the herd. Not only was the fur a commodity they could trade, but the animals also served as a food source. When all was said and done, Ohio had just one wild buffalo left. As a way to protect him, locals passed a law, making it a crime to kill him.

Unfortunately, no one told the incoming soldiers of the law. Local legend says that a British soldier shot the buffalo dead and then bragged about his find. Others say it was a French soldier. In retaliation, U.S. soldiers stormed the soldier's camp and killed everyone or almost everyone they saw.

Hearing they were on their way, the soldier quickly grabbed the buffalo's skull and filled it with his money and other valuables. He then buried the skull in a place no one could find. The soldier apparently did a good job because no one ever found the money, even to this day.

If you visit the park today, you might find yourself lucky enough to see the ghostly buffalo. Reports of the ghost started in the 1800s and continued up through the construction of the park. I've even heard from locals that settlers called the buffalo Strouds and the state named the park after him.

While I had the chance to visit the state park a few times, I never came across the buffalo ghost or any other ghosts. If you head to Strouds Run State Park and see anything strange, let me know!