Pheasant Valley, Mifflin County, PA
By Andy Hagerty
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Name: Pheasant Valley
Location: Mifflin County, PA Year Established: N/A Activity Start: mid 1860's Activity current: yes Notes: Location of grave is on privet property with ample no tresspassing signs Facebook Photo album: HERE |
A few miles outside Lewistown there is a place of natural beauty called Pheasant Valley. This is a sleepy little place in Mifflin county, very close
to where we live. There is a number of people that live within the area, although it is a lot of farms, ridges and forest.
It is not the living of the area that holds our interest. We have heard tales of a man who lived there in the past, named Jacob Henry. He lived in the valley around the time of the civil war and was very attached to this land. He was a blacksmith by trade who wanted to live out his life in his beloved valley and when he died, he wanted to be buried there, right next to his favorite chestnut tree.
to where we live. There is a number of people that live within the area, although it is a lot of farms, ridges and forest.
It is not the living of the area that holds our interest. We have heard tales of a man who lived there in the past, named Jacob Henry. He lived in the valley around the time of the civil war and was very attached to this land. He was a blacksmith by trade who wanted to live out his life in his beloved valley and when he died, he wanted to be buried there, right next to his favorite chestnut tree.
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During the Civil War (or was of northern aggression to my southern friends) Henry had a few sons in that dangerous draft age. Apparently his youngest son sort of chose not to join in the brouhaha. However one day some men arrived to get his son to join the union army. Some where in the discussion of duty vs. self preservation a gun battle broke out. It was apparently a spirited conversation to say the least. Jacob Henry was killed during the fight. So as all things must pass, he was laid to rest next to the tree. He just wanted to be left alone so much he reportedly placed a curse on his burial site of some sort, so people would not disturb it.
Maybe it was the manner of his death, maybe it was the manner in which he spent his last breath, but we at NightWatch paranormal have heard several tales of mysterious happenings in Pheasant Valley. Numerous people have claimed to have seen his ghost. Many more people report the ghostly ringing of hammer upon anvil. These sounds of a blacksmith have been reported in the woods near the location of his grave. There have been reports of a voice calling out a name in the still of night. |
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As to the curse itself, it has been blamed for the death in the 1970’s of a historical society worker who was there to replace Jacob’s tombstone. After replacing the old stone with a new stone one of the workers who was totally healthy by reports, suffered a heart attack and died on the spot.
All our knowledge of this location so far has been stories told by third parties. We have not been to the old grave, most of the area is posted no
trespassing or obviously private property. Apparently even if we knew who to ask, the descendants of Jacob Henry are reportedly a bit loathe to discuss the haunting.
The area is beautiful, so we can see why Jacob may have been besotted by the locality. We hope that people will use this post to share whatever stories they may have on this location, and in a best yet situation, maybe some of the living relatives will want to discuss with us, their dead one.
All our knowledge of this location so far has been stories told by third parties. We have not been to the old grave, most of the area is posted no
trespassing or obviously private property. Apparently even if we knew who to ask, the descendants of Jacob Henry are reportedly a bit loathe to discuss the haunting.
The area is beautiful, so we can see why Jacob may have been besotted by the locality. We hope that people will use this post to share whatever stories they may have on this location, and in a best yet situation, maybe some of the living relatives will want to discuss with us, their dead one.
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