Not everything in a town's history comes with a clean citation. These are two of the Juniata Valley's oldest stories — told in full, warts and all. Click either one to read the whole thing.
For generations, Juniata Valley tradition told of a frontiersman called "Captain Jack," whose family was murdered by Indians and who swore revenge and vanished into the wilderness. At least four books were written about him starting in 1873. But when a local historian traced the story back to its sources, the trail went cold in some very telling ways.
Read the full investigation →For twenty-five years, a peculiar light appeared near the top of Rocky Ridge at Bridgeport, just west of Mapleton. Three local men finally went to investigate — and what they dug up six feet under the rock was stranger than the light itself.
Read the full 1889 article →