The Kettle Creek Monster, West Branch Dugong, or Susquehanna Seal is a marine creature that dates back over a century. The only account of a person catching a Squonk comes from the book Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, a fantasy field guide published in 1910 by William T. Cox. The Lenape or Delaware tribe, also called the Lenni Lenape, are of theAlgonquin family and first lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. At the same time, the English were settling in the area in great numbers. A mythical being known to frequent European folklore, a Water Witch was said to have power over the wind and weather, often appearing to sailors and others in the seafaring trade. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated January 2023. Check out all the close-ups shown here. Ohio History The article outlines the archaeological dig of a supposed site of Susquehannock Indians. I., p. 120, gives an account of a prodigious giant tribe of Indians, the Sasquesahanocks, whom he met with at the head of Chesapeake Bay. Lapowinsa, Chief of the Lenape, by Gustavus Hesselius, 1735. At this time, they are estimated to have numbered5000-7000 people. They practiced 'slash and burn' agriculture. Susquehannocks traveled to trade with Europeans on footpaths and using their dugout canoes. In the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, General Anthony Wayne defeated the Lenape and other Ohio-American Indian peoples. A creature with many names, this elusive legend has been said to lurk in the waters of the Susquehanna River near Lock Haven in Clinton County. Send your story to info@susquehannagreenway.org, References: PA Wilds (Lou Bernard), Mysterious Universe (Jason Offutt), Susquehanna Legendsby Henry Shoemaker, CryptoZoo News (Loren Coleman). The Swamp Angel appeared with just the right advice and the day was saved. Wikipedia, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. It was often blamed for the spilling or capsizing of lumber rafts at the time. Loop Hill Ike isnt around to be the hero these days! Those who had converted to Christianity attempted to remain neutral in the conflict. All rights reserved Susquehanna National Heritage Area. That mindset paid off for him Monday night. Treaties between the Susquehannocks and the whites nearly always recorded nation or family affiliations via the mothers ancestors. The Great Island Path The Shenks Ferry people, who had occupied the region for more than five hundred years prior to their arrival, were absorbed into their culture. Partly cloudy. There were several sickle makers in Drumore, crafting sickles and scythes in small blacksmith shops and larger sickle mills. Read Barry Kents 1984 publication Susquehannans Indians, which uses archaeological and historical records to tell the story of the Susquehannock and other native tribes from 1450 to 1750. It is said that he called upon the aid of the spirit to break a witchs curse, summoning her by burning a plant called foxfire. The Paxtang Path On May 17, 1666, three Susquehannock war captains traveled to Maryland's council at St. Mary's to express their desire to remain in league with the English. Really getting tired of all the cover ups and making people look like conspiracy theorists, when they are not. Depiction of a Susquehannock man on the Smith Map (1624). Central Pa Institute Of Science & Technology School District, Keystone Central Career And Technical Center, Northumberland County Career And Technical Center, Sun Area Technical Institute School District, by Alana Jajko, Director of Communications and Outreach for the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Kettle Creek Monster / West Branch Dugong / Susquehanna Seal, from February 27, 1897, describes the travels of a creature that existed before the valley was settled, making its way up the river and settling in the area between present-day Lock Haven and Kettle Creek. They were an independent people and werenot part of any confederacy into the 1600s. For the French, they were known as the Andastes; for the Dutch and Swedish they were the Minquas, (Jennings . Watch the WVIA documentary Peoples of the Susquehanna River. The major Algonquian-speaking tribes that inhabited the Lower Susquehanna region included Lenni Lenape (also known as Delaware), Shawnee, and the Ganawese (also known as Conoy). However, the Susquehannocks average 5 feet, 7 inch height is nearly four inches taller than the average Englishman in the 1600s. The people lived in villages of longhouses containing several hundred people, but in the summer, they were nomadic for hunting and gathering and built temporary camps of birch bark wigwams. Today you can visit his grave inscribed with his real name Isaac Gaines at Furst-McGonigal Cemetery in Clearfield County. High 51F. Send your story to. Sea lion, shark, whale, or some prehistoric dinosaurthe true identity of the creature remains a mystery. One thing is for sure, the Susquehanna Mystery Thing would be a spooky sight to see from a kayak in the Greenway waters of Northumberland County. Traditionally they were divided into the Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, three social divisions determined by language and location. On Maurers own sighting, he says, It pushed a wake that made waves that lapped up on the shoreline. She emerges as if dreamlike to reveal that destiny, but beware; her prophecies are often mocking or even withheld completely, leaving the witness wanting and dispirited. Susquehannock Indian Village by Herman Moll, 1720. By 1661, the Maryland colonists and the Susquehannock expanded their peace treaty into a full alliance against the Iroquois. It might have been a Squonk! There were thousands of giant skeletons found page 507 of Historical collections of virginia 1845 Page -507-, Human bones of extraordinary sizethigh bones three feet in length, and skeletons seven feet in lengthhave been discovered on Flint run, in this county, on Hawksbill creek, Tuscarora creek, and in Hardy county. The Susquehannock created a distinctive vessel known as the Face Pot. Today, few people are aware of Wagner's handiwork; however, for most of the 1800s, everyone knew his name. 300.) 1672, the Iroquois are defeated by a war party of Susquehannock. John Smith, who explored the upper Chesapeake Bay area in 1608. An article in the Daily Democratfrom February 27, 1897, describes the travels of a creature that existed before the valley was settled, making its way up the river and settling in the area between present-day Lock Haven and Kettle Creek. The Susquehannock were first described by Capt. The men hunted and fished. Scotch-Irish began homesteading the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River as early as 1715. Today you can visit his grave inscribed with his real name Isaac Gaines at Furst-McGonigal Cemetery in Clearfield County. SoteriA, have you ever visited. When Captain John Smith first met the Iroquoian-speaking Susquehannock Indians on his 1608 voyage up the Chesapeake Bay, he described them as giants. Know of any other Greenway ghouls and legends? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Smith only traveled up the Susquehanna a few miles, where he met a delegation of Susquehannock representatives just north of the rivers mouth. The weight and bulkiness made it extremely difficult to transport the canoes over land. Reports of the creature became less and less frequent in the later 1800s, many believing it to have died or escaped to the ocean through underground caverns. Gnadenhutten Massacre of the Delaware Indians during the American Revolution. In response to Pontiacs War, begun in the western part of the state, the Paxton Boys, a group of anti-Indian vigilantes, slaughtered six Indians at Conestoga. Their last town was near present-day Conestoga and the Susquehannocks were sometimes referred to as Conestoga Indians. Wild plants, fruits, and nuts supplemented their diets. The account received mixed reactions, some questioning the reporters encounters, others coming forward with similar sightings in the area. The Ohio Lenape formed alliances with the French and, once again, engaged in the fur trade. They traded with other tribes along the Erie River in northern Ohio and the Huron and Neutral people of southern Ontario, Canada. According to legend, escaped slaves captured a Native American brave and maiden, and killed the man. A depiction of an Albatwitch, an apple-thieving cousin of the Sasquatch, by York County artist and author Timothy Renner, A map showing recorded sighting locations of local cryptids, A sketch of the Kettle Creek Monster by Taylor Garner. They mapped and documented nearly 3,000 miles of the Bay and its rivers. Others supported the British, fearing they would be driven from their lands if the Americans were victorious. Those that remained in the United States struggled against the Americans that had moved into their territory. 100% of your contribution to NorthcentralPa.com goes directly to helping us cover news and events in the region. Get the latest Job listings in your email! Around 1550 AD, the people we know as the Susquehannock moved from higher up the river to the Lower Susquehanna Valley. The Tulpehocken Path Click here to read learn how the Susquehannocks became known as the Conestoga. Buy Organic Seeds Risk Free From Organic Seeds TOP - Credit Card & Western Union Payment Options, Organic Seeds TOP is a seed vendor based in the Ukraine. Some claimed to have seen it near Chickies Rock, a heavily. Next time you find yourself in a pickle, just make your way along the West Branch section of the Greenway to Clinton County, and see if the Swamp Angel can help you out! Did you know the swamps of northern Clinton County once contained quicksand? Over the next year or two, I saw it several times and it always sank out of sight before it got close enough to be seen clearly., They say, that is the old mountaineers, that the Water Witch was an Indian girl who suddenly changed her mind towards her lover. Along the way, they visited many thriving Native American communities and gathered information. In 1782, a group of Pennsylvania militiamen, falsely believing the natives were responsible for several raids, killed almost 100 Christian Lenape in what became known as the Gnadenhutten Massacre. This week we are featuring the rise and fall of the Susquehannock culture on the lower Susquehanna. Evidence of their habitation has also been found in northern West Virginia. During the American Revolution, the Lenape were divided. Evidence of these mischievous beings has even been found in local Native American culture. Warfare and disease eventually overwhelmed the Susquehannock. Susquehannock Indians reportedly painted images that match the description of these creatures on their war shields, and the Algonquin also told of small hairy hominid creatures, which they called Megumoowesoos. As Halloween approaches, nows the time to brush up on your Greenway ghouls and legends. The Susquehannocks established their towns along the branches of the Susquehanna because the waters facilitated travel and trade in the region and provided the Indians with a constant supply of water and fish. Battle of Fallen Timbers by H. Charles McBarron, Jr, 1953. Among numerous excavated gravesites a Susquehannock chief was unearthed and measured. One of the most common causes of toma, Start Gardening This Summer and Reap the Rewards | Successful Harvesting for Beginners, Gardening is a rewarding experience that brings with it many benefits, from improved physical and mental health to the joy of harvesting fresh produce. 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