thunder run and other indian legends

[gods country girl]

does anyone know any information on the legend of thunder run?



also does anyone know any other indian legends for potter county?

 

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[jeff of pa]

Not Sure What your Referring to.
and This isn't an Indian Legend.

But

Horsethieves and War



During the 1850's and 60's Potter County earned the title of "Horsethieves' Heaven." Outlaws roamed the hills around Pike Mills and Pike Center, stealing horses and anything else they could get their hands on. There was also much counterfeiting going on. As it is today, crooked officials were often in cohoots with the bad guys and everybody was seemingly getting a piece of the action.

The most notable horsethief was Abram "Borm" Rohrabacher, a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, brawny giant of a man with the strength of an ox and the temper of a wounded bear. Before starting his career as a horse-thief, Brom had made a reputation for himself as log-driver, raftsman, and barroom brawler.

Brom and his boys would steal horses and lead them to a dark hollow near Genesee Fork, just above West Pike. Here they would dye the horses a different color before taking them to Jersey Shore or Williamsport to be sold. Another horsethief haven in those days was the Thunder Run area.

During the latter years of the Civil War Widger Gang was at large in Potter County, led by a dishonorable discharged Union Army Captain named Widger. Along with his brother, Widger led a band of outlaws who stole sheep and cattle and slaughtered them, selling the meat at lumber camps of shipping it out of the county in salted barrels. Eventually the entire gang was capured. One of them turned state's evidence, sending the reminder to the penitentiary.

Before the war most of Potter County was opposed to slavery. The Underground Railroad was active here and helped many blacks on their way to freedom. There is no instance of a slave being apprehended in Potter County.

This was the quiet, peaceful scene here in 1860 when dramatic things were happening elswhere in the nation. There were the Lincoln-Douglas debate over slavery; a commotion down at Harper's Ferry, Virginia by some people led by John Brown; Talk of secession from the Union By several southern states. And a presidential campaign was underway, with Abraham Lincoln emerging victorious.

Then on April 12, 1861 the Civil War began. There was great excitement in Potter County at the prospect of going to war, just as there was all over the nation. Men were rapidly being recuited for the Bucktail Regiment. In May of 1861 twenty-one volunteers from Pike, West Branch and Ulysses Townships arrived in Coudersport, led by Colonel Kilbourne.

About one-hundred volunteers were assembled from Potter County and twenty-nine were immediately shipped out in wagons, accompained by the Coudersport Brass Band for the first five miles. The military marching music was enough to make their spines tingle with anticipation.

On August 14, 1861 the following ad appeared in the Potter County Journal, the county's only newspaper:
"Volunteers Wanted! Boys, get ready to give me your names. I will be in every district in the county; of the time notice will be given. Let us go together, fight together and if necessary die together! Signed: John M. Kilbourne, Major commanding, Pike Mills, Pa., August 13, 1861."

On April 16, 1862 Major John M. Kilbourne returned hame from the front (age 46). Many of those he had recuited did not return from it, including his son . It had begun with the anticipatory excitement of a big college football game with crowds cheering along the way and waving handkerchiefs. it ended in stark, sad reality after four years of indescibable bloodshed, suffering and horror.

Authorities of that period estimated that during the last month of the war every able-bodied man in Potter County was fighting at the front and it is claimed that no other county in America matched this. At least 318 Potter Countians were Killed. About 30 prisoners of war died in Andersonville Prison.

http://www.coudy.com/Potter%20County/horse.htm

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Are you talking about The Thunderbird legends?
Once known as the Forbidden Land, the Pennsylvania Black Forest region encompasses Clinton, Potter, Lycoming, Tioga, Cameron, and McKean counties. Predominantly sparsely populated state forest and game lands, it has been haunted for centuries by giant aves known as "thunderbirds".

 

[Redsumit]

well lets see here, im from elk co and my buddy and i have been up in thunder run just above galeton and before phoenix run lookin for the caves they say r up in there. theres a story of a 100 years or so of kids going up thunder run going into some caves and still being able 2 still see daylite. and they found all kinds of indian artifacts. now good luck getting up in there, now when u drive past that old house thats falling down to get 2 that farm up in there the guy was nice about it he didnt have a problem w/ us goin thru his land, the problem is once u get up in there far enuff its all mountain laurel. pretty thick 2. but i did notice when u follow that stream up 2 the top far enuff u cant see the water any longer but there are big rocks that the water does flow under and it did sound like thunder, not real loud but it was pretty cool.also in the old story it said u could go up thunder run thru the caves and come out what they called sandstone hollow. now if u look on a current topo map there wont be a sand stone hollow BUT not 2 fear when u do look at a topo map it will be a hollow shaped exactly like an M coming into galeton. u have 2 drive up a drive way where there is a real small little pond on your right and keep following the drive untill there is a guys house rite there on your rite. now he was nice to and let us park there and walk up lookin 4 the other opening of the cave. but on both sides we couldnt find the cave. but we were only up in there twice. we could have missed it or its gone ,as in covered up w. stones or other stuff orrrrrrrrr its just a story. but either way it was just good to get out. no loss on our part. but go look 4 it give it a try. if ya find anything let me know. if ya got any question then just ask i usually check this thing every day. g luck

 

[gods country girl]

the caves is what i mean, i have heard that the indians used them to run their horses through the mountain.I have also heard a treasure tale that is supposed to be near the same area.

the tale i heard is that it is a cave full of treasures, that the indians took from the white man.I am not sure if it is just a tale or not.


i have been up to the caves on the west pike side of galeton and didn't find anything in those caves.A friend of my husbands found an old not sure what its called (pulley thing )in one of the caves a long time ago but he didn't find anything else
either.

 

[Redsumit]

what do u mean the west pike side. as far as gold stolen by the indians sounds like like your talkin about the gold in borie

 

[gods country girl]

by west pike side of galeton i meant west of galeton 3 or so miles.

 

[Redsumit]

not familiar w/ any caves that far. as i said we didnt even go to phoenix run