Urban Legends by State Part 16: Indiana

1. 100 Steps Cemetery. This story differs depending on who you ask (or where you read it). But, basically, the legend goes like this: if you walk up and down a certain section of steps in this cemetery, you must count to 100 while going in each direction. If you don't, you are going to die soon. Some people even believe that, when you get to the top of the stairs, the original caretaker of the grounds will appear and show you your death. Some people also believe that if you try to go up the hill without using the stairs, a phantom hand will push you down the hill. Have you've ever heard of this tale?

2. One of the most well known, and most celebrated ghost legends in Indiana is that of Diana of the Dunes. Near Chesterton, Indiana, in the Indiana Dunes, there is a legend that fishermen around Lake Michigan would occasionally catch sight of a naked woman swimming in the lake. The legend dates back to at least 1915, and goes on to say that a beautiful woman was living as a hermit near the lake. Because no one knew her name they began to refer to her as Dianne, because of her beauty. In actuality, she was Alice Mable Gray, the daughter of a wealthy Chicago family, who had come to live on the dunes after she began to lose her eyesight. She had grown up near the dunes, and sought to enjoy the remainder of her life there. In 1920 a man named Paul Wilson moved into the cabin with her. He was an unemployed boatwright, and a suspected murderer. The two eventually married, but he began to treat her badly, and was abusive. She died shortly after the birth of their second child from being poisoned. The local legend claims that Alice's ghost still returns to the beach at the dunes to relive her happier days. For decades there have been sightings of a naked ghostly looking woman running along the beach and disappearing into the lake. The legend is commonly referred to as Diana of the Dunes. The story is commemorated in an annual Diana of the Dunes Festival and Pageant. Have you heard of this ghost story?

3. Crawfordsville Monster. The citizens of Crawfordsville described a violently flapping "thing" with a flaming red "eye", twenty feet long and eight feet wide. Descriptions of the creature vary, with some accounts suggesting that it had no head, and others describing it as having glowing red eyes and hot breath. Accounts generally agree that it is a large rectangular creature, possibly eel like in appearance, with several undulating fins down the sides of its body. During a reported second appearance, witnesses described the creature as writhing and squirming, and producing a wheezing sound as if it were in pain. One of the strangest accounts was when a Methodist pastor named Rev. G. W. Switzer and his wife also saw the animal. The creature writhed as though in great pain, "squirmed in agony" and sounded a "wheezing, plaintive noise" as it hovered at 300 feet. What is strange about the creature is that it has an eye in its mouth, three jaws, and it appears to be a cyclops. It also seems to be eel-like in shape, with feathery protrusions coming out of its sides and back. Have you've heard of this cryptid?

4. Green Clawed Beast Of Ohio River. The Green Clawed Beast was an unseen cryptid that is rumored to live in the Ohio River near Evansville, Indiana. On August 14, 1955, an unseen "claw-like hand" grabbed Naomi Johnson and pulled her beneath the water. Her friend, Louise was wading in an inner tube nearby when she heard her friend yelp, and turned to see her pulled under. The hand released Johnson who swam to the surface only to be grabbed, and pulled under again and again. The attack only ended when Louise moved her inner tube directly over the monster. A short time later, a man claiming to be an air force colonel came to the Johnson's house and instructed Naomi to never speak of the incident. There have been no reported sightings since. Have you've heard of this monster?

5. Dogface Bridge. There are a few different versions of what happened at this bridge. In one of the most popular (and disconcerting) legends, a couple was driving over the bridge on the way to their honeymoon in the 1950s when a dog ran out into the road. Trying not to hit the pup caused them to swerve off the road and fatally crash. Legend has it that if you walk down the path, you will see the body of the woman with the dog's head on top (as the dog's head and woman's body were never found after the accident). If you ever see the human body with the dog's head you need to RUN. They say that if she catches you, she will kill you and eat you. Claims have been made that bodies have been found on the bridge and you can hear strange animal sounds, too. Have you've heard of this story?