The Spooky Tale of Panther's Hollow and the Headless Angel of Death

In the spirit of Halloween I thought I'd share a tale about a place near where I grew up that is the stuff of legends, well urban ones at least.  I don't remember when it was exactly that I first started hearing the stories about Panther's Hollow and all the creepy things that went on there.  To even get to the location you must drive for miles on a county road until you get to the menacing cave-like turnoff, which is a small and mostly dirt and gravel township road that descends down into the depths of darkness.  The only really identifiable marker is a lonely stop sign that probably should be facing the other way.  I've included a bucolic photo of the actual entrance taken in daylight, but you'll have to imagine the tunnel of blackness that beckons at night that's created by the large trees arching completely over the small but menacing path.  If you blink or miss the singular back of the stop sign you'd surely miss it completely.  I think my first visit to the hollow was in my junior high school days when I was taken by a couple friends who thought it would be fun to check it out.  I even remember the car we rode in which could only be described as a white version of the Smokey and the Bandit Pontiac Trans-Am, complete with T-tops no less.  It even had an ornate eagle decal sprawling across the hood.  Man, I coveted that car!  Anyway, it was certainly one of the most creepy experiences of my life, at least to that point, as we slowly descended down the gravel road into the pitch blackness.  Of course the driver thought it would add something to the adventure if he turned out the headlights.  You could barely make out anything on either side of the road beyond the immediate brush and trees that lined the path.  Huge boulder outcroppings periodically made themselves known on several curves.  My heart raced with a combination of both fear and a sense of excitement not knowing what, if anything, would happen.  

The likes of Stephen King, John Carpenter and Clive Barker would have a field day and probably a complete series of books and movies dedicated to the myths and legends surrounding this hollowed place.  You just knew that there was bound to be some ghoulish apparition or ghostly presence that would make themselves known at some point along the journey.  Compounded by the fear and uncertainty, there was a palpable sense of evil surrounding me throughout the downward trek, creeping along slowly, waiting and watching for something to happen.  All the while, I listened to the stories that I'm sure have been passed down through the decades about a civil war soldier that was hung from a tree and who's body lay buried under one of the immense boulders littered along the road.  At one point someone, obviously other than me since I was pretty much frozen by absolute terror, thought they saw something creeping through the woods.  It was said that people sometimes saw a ghostly figure swinging from a limb, usually around midnight, of course.  There was also the tale about how Panther's Hollow got its name, which involved a circus wagon passing through in the 1800's I think, carrying various animals.  Somehow two black panthers got loose and there were a few people supposedly killed, and legend has it that sometimes apparitions of those panthers and their victims can be seen lurking along the road (Yeagley, 2014).  There are also stories of a witch that lived deep down in the hollow who was burned at the stake, but before her death she put a curse on the road and surrounding woods (Yeagley, 2014).  I vividly remember my last visit to Panther's Hollow.  It was on New Years Eve circa 1981 or 1982 after a party put on by a Christian singing group I was part of.  Several of us decided it would be fun to head down and check it out, which probably wasn't the most Christian thing to do seeking out the super natural, but off we went.  We ventured down into the depths of the woods and hit a patch of ice which left us stuck and unable to get out.  We were scared to death and had no idea what to do.  Two of the group decided to go walking and see if they could find some help.  I was not one of them as no one could pry me out of the car!  They eventually came across an Amish farmhouse early in the wee hours of the morning and found the family in the kitchen all kneeling down and praying.  If I lived anywhere near there I'd be praying like that too!  We eventually did get out with some assistance and finally made it back home sometime around sunrise.  Of course I cannot express enough just how angry my parents were since I hadn't come home when expected and no one knew where we were at all.  I think I got grounded for a considerable period of time for that, but it certainly was an experience to remember!

Very close to Panther's Hollow is Salem Cemetery, and yes, I made the mental connection with Salem's Lot too!  This is another location riddled with lore and legend, especially about the large angel statue in the center.  Now the times that I visited occurred prior to the head being removed, which I'll get to later, but I can assure you that even with the head attached it was a creepy sight at night.  Urban legend said that if you visit the cemetery at midnight on a full moon, the angel's head would turn and look directly at you.  Some even called her the angel of death and that her gaze led to the recipient's demise.  If there was a group of people, she would turn and stare at the one fingered for death.  I can honestly say that I never experienced any of these events, thank God, but I did go with a couple friends to the cemetery during the day once and we walked around exploring.  The eyes on the statue were hollowed out, making her facial expression all the more sinister and creepy.  And there was a crack completely around the neck, adding to the apparent validity of the claims being made about turning her head.  Even in daytime, while being a somewhat peaceful and beautiful place, there was still an element of evil present that could make your hair stand on end, at least for me.  I seem to recall stories about a cry baby bridge between the hollow and the cemetery as well, but I have never witnessed or experienced that at all.  Maybe those who are also from or in Holmes County can clarify that one.  I know there are urban legends about a cry baby bridge in a multitude of locations around the country, so I never gave it much credence.  If you know more about or have had any run ins with that tale, please feel free to comment and share whatever experiences you might have had.

I did some research online and found a couple of great sources that talk about the folklore of both Panther's Hollow and the Angel of Death.  One story truly gave me the willies, even all the way out here in Arizona.  As you can see by the photos included here, the angel's head is now missing, having been stolen by vandals and returned numerous times.  It seems that shortly after the final act of vandalism was reported, police investigating a fatal car accident opened the trunk of the totaled vehicle only to find the angel's head staring back at them (Sabo, 2007).  The young man who was killed in the accident reportedly had stolen the head that very night.  Now how incredibly spooky is that?  Even though it is more likely the crash was attributable to numerous other causes, up to and including driving under the influence, it certainly causes a person to wonder if it might have actually been the angel exacting her revenge on the thief.  The story most definitely gave me pause and I admit getting goosebumps just thinking about it.  Now that the head has been permanently left off the statue and a security light has been installed illuminating the immediate vicinity, there remain stories and tales that it hasn't ended the mission of death she supposedly carries out.  Those who face the statue still risk the ghoulish head materializing and gazing upon the one chosen to die.  I suppose the security light and vegetation having been trimmed back does provide a much less creepy atmosphere for those who visit these days, but I'm a believer in the possibilities that exist in the supernatural world so who am I to totally disregard and cast them aside as merely fictional tales meant to scare the locals and visitors alike?  As a final footnote to the story, the trustees who look after the cemetery and have made the more recent modifications removing some of the luster off the old legends have added a plaque on the base of the statue that shows a reconstructed image of how the angel originally appeared.  It's so fun to speculate and continue the dissemination of the lore that has heretofore been passed down over the years.  As for me, I continue to believe in what might be possible so my intention is not to discount in any way the myths and mysteries that continue to exist.  Like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, and especially around this Halloween time of year, I do believe in spooks, I do I do I do I do I do believe in spooks!

References

Sabo, N. (2007). Meet the Holmes County Ghosts Angel of Death at Salem Cemetery. The Daily Record. Published October 28, 2007. Link.

Yeagley, M.C. (2014). Holmes County Hauntings and Legends. Ohio Exploration Society. Link.