FOLKLORE, LEGENDS, TALL TALES:
AN INTERACTIVE CASEBOOK
FOR KNOX COUNTY, INDIANA

SUBMIT YOUR OWN FOLKTALE (SEE BELOW!)

Last updated 2/4/06

All students around these parts (and possibly elsewhere in the United States) learn in their fourth grade Indiana History classes about the rich, vibrant past of Vincennes and Knox County (to learn about this area, see what (then) fifth-grader Jessica Peters has to say). We take tours of William Henry Harrison's Grouseland (a presidential mansion beside the Wabash River!), listen to the echoing noises our feet make as we stroll about the monument at the George Rogers Clark National Memorial Park, relish the beautiful spire of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the oldest church in Indiana (the Old Cathedral's Brute Library even has a Web site), and live in a different century once a year at the Rendezvous (see Frank Doughman's great web pages). We are told we are required by state law to study these stately shrines and learn the importance of other facets of Indiana's proud history, and we carry respect for this knowledge with us as we grow older along the muddy banks of the Wabash River where French and Native American languages once were spoken.

But wait. Something is missing. What about the stories of Knox County (and sometimes beyond) that rarely are published in the history books to be found on the shelves of Vincennes University's Shake Library or the Knox County Public Library? These World Wide Web pages are devoted to the stories I hope people are looking for but cannot find, the ones we entertain ourselves with around the campfire at night, or in a dormitory room with our friends when the books are put aside. The stories on these pages are gathered (with permission, whenever possible) from old newspaper clippings (after all, the Western Sun was started at Vincennes in 1804, so there are a lot of clippings available), and some other sources that recount strange experiences local residents have had with beasts, sea serpents, airships, ghosts and other supposed paranormal occurrences, tall tales and fables that may or may not be entirely factual. The library staff at Vincennes University's Lewis Historical Library (genealogists take note) has been especially helpful in tracking down items of interest. Remarkably important and fascinating are those stories submitted by WWW readers! Though similar stories certainly exist in the literature of the folk throughout the land, the materials gathered here are our own.

Access map above to take a ghostly tour (maps and images of major area sites)

View more images of Vincennes Through the Centuries, such as the image at right of downtown Vincennes (Main Street) circa 1914.

New Miscellaneous Photo Archive (Not Much There Yet)


MAIN TOPICS:

TALES SUBMITTED BY WWW READERS, OR SUBMIT YOUR OWN:

Feel free to contact me at any time with comments and especially if you have a Knox County-related story--whether of an historical or paranormal nature--you would like to see posted here. I am especially interested in variations of the local legends you read in these pages, so start bugging your grandparents. I reserve the right to edit all submissions. --Richard L. King, Reference Librarian, Shake Library, Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN 47591 (812) 888-5411

This Site is Part of the WWW Ring of Folklore and Urban Legends

Sponsored in part by the Vincennes Irish Traditional Music Group.

Copyright © 2004 Vincennes University