Indian Legend

Story Tellers Corner

There is a hill near my house that overlooks a river. The area has always interested me along with most teenagers who grew up in my home town. On top of the mound is an abandoned cement plant and the remnants of a little town can still be seen. Cement production at the plant ended by 1920. Most people can’t help feeling like they are looking at a ghost town when walking through it. Scary stories have been told about the mound since I was a child, and part of my fascination with it is the fact my dad and his family grew up there.

My favorite story is a Native American tale, and it would have been about an Osage couple since the tribes often camped and hunted near the mound. The legend goes they were star crossed lovers from different bands of the tribe. Their marriage had been arranged with other partners. Desolated over the decision, they climbed to the top of the mound and with joined hands jumped into the river and drowned.

I am certain this could not have happened the way the story described the incident because the river no longer runs next to the mound. They would have had to jump a good 20-30 feet in most places to land near any water. Still, it was a romantic tale for a young girl fascinated with the ruins of what was.