6 Hoosier Myths And Legends You Won't Want To Tell Around The Fire At Night

There's Bigfoot and the Yeti, and then there's the Crosley Monster of Indiana. Reports of this Sasquatch-type creature began more than a decade ago and still come in today. Those who encounter it are usually in the woods. It starts with a rustling of leaves or branches. You'll think it's just a dear or a rabbit, but then the rustling gets to be so much, that you know it must be something bigger. Those who have seen this thing report red, glowing eyes, matted fur, and a gigantic body like that of an ape. He could come out from anywhere, so maybe think twice before investigating every sound you hear in the forest.

Rumors of this murderous person began around the town of Bloomington where a college student was reportedly murdered by a man with a hatchet. Two female students who did not take heed of the warning decided to go out and drink and have a good time at a local bar. As the night progressed, one student became flirtatious with the bartender, and the other one decided to leave and go home and wait up for her friend. But she fell asleep, and in the morning when she awoke, her friend was not in bed. When she opened the door to enter the hallway of their dorm, she found blood everywhere and her roommate's lifeless body on the floor. Her throat had been slashed and a hatchet lay nearby. Unfortunately, no one ever found the man who wielded the ax, and it's possible that he is still roaming around the woods of this state today.

This is one of the most popular Hoosier myths known to Indiana. It is believed that the ghost of a woman named Alice Mable Gray walks the beaches at the Indiana Dunes. She died after giving birth to her second child, perhaps by the hands of her murderous husband. Many have claimed to see this harmless ghost in white, who is called Diana due to her beauty, and if you are anywhere near the dunes, you might too. Learn more about this legend here.

Indiana is home to one of the most haunted state parks ever. Wander around the lake and creeks here long enough and you may begin to hear the screams and cries of children. The sounds are believed to be from children who drowned in the water long ago while fishing or swimming. Sorrowful as this tale is, it is still incredibly creepy to hear these pained moans, and if you are anywhere near the northwest part of the state (around South Bend), you may hear them too.

Indiana just might have its own Creature from the Black Lagoon. Though this report was only given on a single occasion, it is still one of the craziest Hoosier myths you'll ever hear. Two women reported being dragged underwater by a green monster as they swam in the Ohio River in 1955. The clawed creature grabbed at one of the women several times, and she barely got away as it splashed and pulled. After word got out, there were many rumors and speculations as to what happened. A horror film in which something similar happens had just been released. Regardless, the women were later visited by a Colonel for the United States Air Force who told them never to speak of the incident ever again. Though no one has reported seeing this thing since whose to say it couldn't have swum into any other connecting body of water like the one you're living or staying by right now?

Located in the town of Butler, Indiana is a haunted cemetery that few know about. Creepier than this ancient place is what is rumored to have happened up the road. Wind through the woods for a bit past the graveyard, and you'll come to a place known as Gypsy Hill. The story goes that gypsies raped a farmers' daughter, and so the farmers set out and killed all the gypsies in the area. As those killed in a rage often do, the ghosts of these gypsies came back to terrorize the farmers and killed them off one by one over the next ten years. All that remains in that space today is an old shack and the remnants of a life once lived there, and those angry spirits may still be roaming the woods today.