History & local legend
A headless Frenchman is said to walk the ridge near the Twin Sisters Trail in the Hammersley Wild Area. In this version of the Kettle Creek Valley legend, he appears at midnight during October's full moon, carrying his severed head under one arm.
The story begins with French explorers traveling up Kettle Creek beyond present-day Cross Fork. They discover silver near two enormous white pines and begin mining and refining it. During an attack, most escape, but one is captured and beheaded. His ghost remains near the workings.
Local writer H. Cranmer connected the tale to an old shaft and a stone chimney between Hammersley and Windfall runs. He said a Civilian Conservation Corps crew later removed the chimney's stones for another project.
Sources
- The Pennsylvania Rambler, firsthand field research comparing four versions, and the Twin Sisters account recorded by H. Cranmer and Patrick Reynolds
- Jeff Mitchell, trail guide and trailhead waypoint on Red Ridge Road
- Pennsylvania DCNR, Susquehannock State Forest, Hammersley Wild Area and trail map
- MyHikes, GPS route along Twin Sisters Trail from Red Ridge Road
