Case file · Folklore / legend
The curse of Cornstalk
The Shawnee leader Cornstalk was murdered by militiamen while held under a truce at Fort Randolph, Point Pleasant, in November 1777. Local legend says he cursed the place as he died.
1777 CE · 38.84, -82.14 · status: legend
The account
The killing is documented. The 'curse' has been blamed for floods, fires, the Mothman scare and the 1967 Silver Bridge collapse. Cornstalk's remains were moved to Tu-Endie-Wei State Park.
The sceptical view
No reliable source records Cornstalk uttering a curse; the story appears long after his death and turns a real crime into a ghost tale.