When Captain John Smith first met the Iroquoian-speaking Susquehannock Indians on his 1608 voyage up the Chesapeake Bay, he described them as giants. Around 1677, the Susquehannocks moved to New York and intermingled with their Iroquois relatives. Her work is focused on promoting trails and communities within our vibrant and connected Susquehanna Greenway, so that people like you can enjoy opportunities to engage with the outdoors. Follow the link to go directly to the video. Is the Kettle Creek Monster / West Branch Dugong / Susquehanna Seal really gone? The men hunted and fished. Around 1550 AD, the people we know as the Susquehannock moved from higher up the river to the Lower Susquehanna Valley. Since that fateful day, she would appear over the swamp in a glowing orb. Little is known about Pennsylvanias first human occupants. It was about six feet tall, shaped like a wolf, and stood on its back legs. The American colonel who led the attack was roasted slowly at the stake. So the question is, were the Susquehannocks true giants? Tensions between tribes over the fur trade were fierce throughout the 17th century. Instead of front paws, it had bird claws, and instead of back feet, it had horse hooves, which confused trackers trying to follow it. What's happening today? Today you can visit his grave inscribed with his real name Isaac Gaines at Furst-McGonigal Cemetery in Clearfield County. You may not get the fortune you hoped for! You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. New Amsterdam, in what is now New York City, was founded in 1624. But that's the proud history of white man's domination in the western country. TheSusquehannock were once again at war with thepowerful Iroquois Confederacyin 1658. 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. SUSQUEHANNOCK HISTORY [Note: This is a single part of what will be, by my classification, about 240 compact tribal histories (contact to 1900). The Shoshone were a close relative of the Ute, Paiute, Gosiute, and Bannock Indian tribes, with whom they shared land and intermarried. The most famous account of the Swamp Angel originates with a man named Isaac Gaines, aka Loop Hill Ike, a real-life folk hero and legendary witch and monster hunter during his era. Thought to live mostly in the trees, Albatwitches prefer to keep to the shadows, and are said to make their presence known by a sound like a cracking whip (perhaps branch-breaking). It was often blamed for the spilling or capsizing of lumber rafts at the time. Access to independent, local news is important, do you agree? The forensic study lacks historical accounts of contact and artifacts that proved Susquehannick indians were well over 6.5 and 7.5 feet! The Lenape had a matrilineal clan system, meaning their bloodlines were traced through the women, and childrens social positions were inherited from the mothers side of the family. Travel all the way down the Greenway to the Lancaster County town of Columbia and youll hear all about the legend of the Albatwich, a mini apple-munching Sasquatch. They were described asnoble, heroic, aggressive, warlike, andimperialistic. As Halloween approaches, nows the time to brush up on your Greenway ghouls and legends. They were reluctant to negotiate for another relocation but feared serious trouble with white settlers. Click the bio link in the profile to read the history of Conestoga Township as recorded in the 1875 Atlas of Lancaster County. 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. Traditionally they were divided into the Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, three social divisions determined by language and location. Susquehannock Campground is located on the 8,300-acre Raystown Lake, in the ridge and valley province of Pennsylvania. Mulching is an effective way to keep the root zone cool and moist, while watering more frequently will also help keep the plant from getting too dry. Here is a Ancient City of the large folks , Being Permitted Destroyed by Ohio Government? Click the link to read more about Urban and his life. She is said to have appeared near Rattlesnake Run in the remote wilderness of the Nature Conservancy West Branch Forest Preserve. Creepy. Archaeology of the Lower Susquehanna River reveals that American Indians had utilized its resources for thousands of years. In the quiet forests of Conestoga Township lies the forgotten ruins of a crumbling root cellar, abandoned foundation, and a trash pile with 100+-year-old ceramic shards. 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. With the right planning and dedication, anyone can have a successful garden this summer. The survivors were placed in the Lancaster jail for their own protection but two days after Christmas, the Paxtang Boys returned and killed every man, woman, and child, in what an observer call the most horrible massacre that was ever heard of in this, or perhaps an other province.. They called the area Drumore after Dromore, a place in Ireland where many Scotch-Irish families emigrated from, including the Long and Neel families. Rather than controlling the elements, this Water Witch, being the symbol of something ever flowing knows a persons destiny. The Swamp Angel appeared with just the right advice and the day was saved. The signers included five Susquehannock war chiefs who probably made their "mark" on the original document, but whose names are phonetically spelled as Sawahegeh, Aurotaurogh, Scarhuhadih, Ruthcuhogah and Wathetdianeh. Smith claimed one warriors calf measured 27 inches in circumference. These firearms were carefully not traded to Iroquois or Lenape tribes. 100% of your contribution to NorthcentralPa.com goes directly to helping us cover news and events in the region. 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. By modern standards, this is not exceptionally tall. Lenape Men removed all facial hair, and older men wore long hair, but warriors usually had a decorated scalp lock that stood straight up from the head like a crest. Franklin broke the Susquehannock boys' basketball career scoring mark during the Warriors 66-64 road win over Northeastern in the District 3 Class 5A . Has the Susquehanna Seal of Clinton County relocated to new waters? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. To ensure your tomatoes stay healthy and productive, its important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of these issues and take steps to prevent them from occurring. Travel all the way down the Greenway to the Lancaster County town of Columbia and youll hear all about the legend of the Albatwich, a mini apple-munching Sasquatch. During the next several years, theSusquehannock repelled several attacks by Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga warriors of the western Iroquois. That same year, the Lenape living on Smokey Island near Pittsburgh were attacked by Americans. After the lands were allotted, the government sold surplus land to non-Indians. Listen carefully for its sad sniffles and think twice before you step in any puddles. Most of these tunnels and culverts are completely hidden from view. Having influence with the Gods, the deserted one had her made into unchanging water; and in her helpless state, she mocks the petty aspirations of mankind.. By the Treaty of St. Marys, Ohio, in October 1818, the Lenape ceded their lands in Indiana for lands west of the Mississippi River for an annual annuity of $4,000. They farmed corn, beans, squash, melons, and tobacco and gathered wild fruits, berries, and nuts. After the Lenape were defeated, they became subservient to the Susquehannock and referred to them as uncles.. It was often blamed for the spilling or capsizing of lumber rafts at the time. If you set out on a picnic in the Greenway reaches of York or Lancaster Counties, hold on to your apples or maybe opt for a banana! Towns were composed of longhouses that were 60 80 feet in length and housed a number of nuclear families related through the female line. The Lenape or Delaware tribe, also called the Lenni Lenape, are of theAlgonquin family and first lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The local hero Loop Hill Ike also reappears with this legend, tasked with hunting down witches, ghosts, and monsters. The article outlines the archaeological dig of a supposed site of Susquehannock Indians. The Susquehannock were first described by Capt. Creepy. Know of any other Greenway ghouls and legends? Is the Kettle Creek Monster / West Branch Dugong / Susquehanna Seal really gone? The tribe began to trade with them, exchanging animal pelts, especially beaver, for tools, firearms, sugar, coffee, and fabric. Thank you for saying that local news matters! https://www.facebook.com/dennis.wallace.353250/photos_albums Need F.B. The studies have been covered up because they do not fit the narrative I personally know researchers who have seen first hand 7-8 foot tall skeletons uncovered in Pennsylvania, never to be seen again once certain museums got their hands on them. Capt. In it, a man captures a Squonk in a sack only to feel the sack becoming lighter and lighter as he carries it home. there are also hundreds and hundreds of articles on newspapers archives reporting artifacts found and sent to the smithsonian. However, In the following decades, some 20,000 new colonists arrived in the region, putting pressure on Lenape settlements and hunting grounds. Goods such as glass beads, iron axes, metal harpoons, and flintlock muskets were obtained through fur trade with Europeans. Whether this union came about through force or free will is not known. As early as 7000 BC, when the great Wisconsin glacier covered New York State, Pennsylvania was covered with arctic plants and spruce-fir forests. Smiths fascination with the Susquehannock is reflected by the prominent figure of the Susquehannock man included on his map of the Chesapeake Bay. Gardening is a great way to spend time outdoors and get in touch with nature. Creepy. By 1661, the Maryland colonists and the Susquehannock expanded their peace treaty into a full alliance against the Iroquois. The womens skirts were so elaborately decorated that they reminded early Dutch settlers of delicate European lace. The Treaty of Greenville in August 1795 ended the war, and the Lenape surrendered most of their Ohio lands. Loop Hill Ike isnt around to be the hero these days! Know of any other Greenway ghouls and legends? These members moved to the west, closer to Detroit, where they settled on the Scioto and Sandusky Rivers. It's possible to pay with credit card or Western Union, but PayPal isn't an option. Pig-like with a saggy skin covered in warts and blemishes, the Squonk spends much of its life weeping. The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes [2] were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern part of what is now New York (near the lands of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ), Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. They also worked as gatherers and hunters, collecting wild-plant foods, seeds, nuts, insects, reptiles, mollusks, fish, birds, and mammals. It was often blamed for the spilling or capsizing of lumber rafts at the time. The story of this strange creature is thought to have its roots in Pennsylvanias lumber history. Located just south of Washington Boro, it appears to have been occupied between 1575 and 1600 by as many as 1,300 people. If you journey to this section of the Greenway in search of the Water Witch, think twice. 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. William Penn and Quaker colonists created the English colony of Pennsylvania along the Delaware River in 1682, and a peace treaty was signed with the Lenape in that area. Around 1500 they migrated from the area between Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Binghamton, New York to what is the modern day Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. Our next Greenway legend is another Clinton County native, and even holds the title as the Official Monster of Clinton County.. I have never heard that account before. Another marine mystery is said to lurk in Susquehanna waters near the rivers confluence in Northumberland County. So, grab your monster repellent and get ready to learn all about the spooky specters of the Susquehanna Greenway! The woman was able to flee, but, stricken by grief, drowned herself in the quicksand. In 1642, the English Province of Maryland declared war on the Susquehannock, but with the help of the Swedes, the Susquehannock defeated the English in 1644. You have permission to edit this article. 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 Susquehannock people, who were culturally related to the Iroquois of New York's Finger Lakes Region, moved to Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley around 1550 AD. The governor gave special papers for their protection. The Shenks Ferry people, who had occupied the region for more than five hundred years prior to their arrival, were absorbed into their culture. Susquehanna's Mystery Thing (Northumberland County). 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