Ghosts and Murder in Rogues Hollow, Ohio

Doylestown, OH—I seem to remember watching black and white images of men wearing bandanas over their faces as they raced on horseback toward their hideout after a successful bank/train robbery. A lot of that imagery comes from schools that uses TVs on a carts, I think. Nothing would actually compare to the real deal that was Rogues Hollow, Ohio.

Either way, some of these thieves’ dens *did* exist in history. Moreover, some of them actually have fairly sordid histories themselves (who would’ve guessed?). Rogues Hollow in Ohio is one such place. While it has been claimed to be “one of Ohio’s most haunted areas,” it for sure has an idiosyncratic history to go along with its nefarious attendants (State).

History of the Hollow

Founded as “Nibara” and later as “Pleasant Valley,” Rogues Hollow emerged from coal mining in the area. The eventual proliferation of a commercial mine(s) created a large swath of industry and work. Much akin to my own home state of Michigan’s lumber industry, consequences did happen. As such, the coal boom saw an influx of drunkenness and recklessness, which led to violence. 

As stated by Wayne County Public Library (WCPL): “Rogues Hollow was known as one of the nation’s toughest spot(s). The wildest period of the Hollow was in the 1860s and 1870s.” It was a “lively” place during these times, and there was allegedly violent encounters that included the usual fixings of a criminal empire, from murders to moonshining, to robberies and counterfeiting. In addition to this, it has been written that during the fall months ghosts and spirits make their way to the living. 

Hauntings in Rogues Hollow

The WCPL further writes that people have claimed to have seen “the devil riding a headless horse, twin ghosts, dancing picks and shovels, shadowy men working in coal mines and the old man with a beard in the haunted mill…” (WCBL) Yet, there are a myriad other spectral encounters, including a roaring ghost train, crying babies just off the Cry Baby Bridge, and the wandering ghosts of coal miners. 

Meanwhile, in an article published by The Bryan Times in 1980, journalist Ed Heinke wrote that “Most of the time, a mist seems to envelop the area, clinging to the trees. On certain nights when they say the ghosts walk, there is a glow on the bushes between the trees.”

Rogues Hollow doesn’t seem like the quaintest place to visit on Earth, but it sure has a fascinating history. You may even be interested in reading about other strange places, including the Mogollon Rim, where a monster is said to prowl and aggravate the locals.

Sources

1. “The Ohio Ghost Story That Will Leave You Absolutely Baffled.” Only in Your State, Oct. 31, 2017. 
2. “Rogues Hollow.” Wayne County Public Library, Web.
3. Heinke, Ed. “Rogue’s Hollow: ghost town.” *The Bryan Times*, 12 May, 1980, p.2.