History & local legend
The Old McKean County Jail in Smethport is associated with Ralph Crossmire, who was convicted of murdering his mother, Lucetta. She was found dead in the family barn in November 1892. Crossmire was held in the jail until his execution in December 1893, with the gallows constructed in the corridor outside his cell.
Folklorist Robert Lyman later recorded a story that Crossmire had promised to haunt the jail. In Lyman’s account, the next prisoner assigned to his cell saw Crossmire appear one night, remain for a while and vanish. Other inmates then reported seeing him too.
After the jail became a museum, its staff continued to describe unexplained activity. Historical society member Lu Vandermark told writer Lou Bernard about lights switching on and off and an indoor waterfall activating at 2:30 a.m., when nobody was in the building. She did not claim to know whether Crossmire was responsible, but thought the presence seemed particularly adept at operating electrical equipment.
Sources
- Lou Bernard, Pennsylvania Wilds, Lyman's cell account and interview with the museum’s Lu Vandermark
- Smethport Mansion District Walking Tour, reproduced 1893 newspaper illustrations, gallows plan and original jail history, printed page 21
- Suzan Todd, Bradford Era, museum worker's account and history, republished by Smethport
