Urban Legends in Ohio

Ohio isn’t always the warmest of states.

From uncanny covered bridges to lizard men, there are certain tales within this state that leave you wondering why and how and many other things.

Lizard Man

Along the Miami River, near Loveland, legend has it that there lurks a man who looks a lot like a lizard—or a lizard who looks a lot like a man, depending on how you look at it, of course. In the 1970s, local residents and policemen reported sightings of a strange lizard or frog-like man. Throughout the years, occasional sightings along the river have been reported.

Hell Town

The area known as Hell Town today was once known as Boston Mills, before the town was bought out by the US government to make way for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The once thriving town eventually turned into a ghost town. Today, some people claim that the government actually closed the town after some sort of chemical accident that caused the citizens to mutate—and some people claim to have actually seen disfigured, mutated people still hiding in the area. Legend has it there is also a decaying church with an upside down cross within the abandoned town that was once (and possibly sill) used for satanic worship.

Cry Baby Bridge

Located in Fremont, this bridge is supposedly the site where an unwed mother threw her unwanted baby from the bridge. People have reported hearing the baby's cries at night and sightings of the guilt-ridden ghost mother searching for her child.

Walhalla Road

In north Columbus, this out of place "holler" region is the road in which a Dr. Mooney once lived on with his wife and children in one of the homes high atop the road sometime in the 1950s. Dr. Mooney supposedly murdered his wife, and legend has it that in the middle of the night his ghost reenacts his crime.

Lake Hope Furnace

Stories of a lonely watchman who still shows up for work on dark, stormy evenings at this decaying iron furnace in Lake Hope State Park are simply too common for comfort.

Gore Orphanage

In the 1800s, Gore Orphanage was mysteriously destroyed by a fire—with all the children and employees in it. Theories of how the fire was started include accidents, Mr. Gore himself, an employee or an escaped mental patient. Supposedly, if you travel to the location at midnight you will hear the screams of burning children. It has also been reported that once parked, a car will not start, and it will have to be pushed off the site.

Beaver Creek State Park

Within this park, near East Liverpool in Columbiana County, is the ruin of part of a canal system built in the early 1800s. Two of the canal locks are said to be haunted by canal workers with lanterns who died on the job.

Ohio State Reformatory

Perhaps the state's most well known and disturbing urban legend is that of this historic prison, where ghosts of suffering prisoners can certainly be expected.

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