Ohio Urban Legends

The Grassman

The Grassman (also known as the Ohio Grassman, Kenmore Grassman or Orange Eyes) is a tall, bipedal hominid that stalks the woods of Ohio, hence the name Ohio Grassman. It is reportedly very similar to Bigfoot. It seems to be much more aggressive than any other Sasquatch species.

The Grassman gets its name from the small, hut-like living structures, or nests, it builds out of tall grass.

The first prominent sighting of the Grassman occurred in the small village of Minerva, Ohio, in August of 1978 when the grandchildren of Minerva residents Evelyn and Howe Clayton, along with their friends, ran inside screaming about a hairy monster they saw in the gravel pit outside. When the couple went out to investigate, they saw what the crying children had described. It was covered in dark matted hair, sitting in the pit and fiddling with discarded trash. It was estimated to be around 300 pounds. The Claytons fled, but this would not be their last encounter with Ohio's ape-man.

The Claytons would see the Grassman many times after their initial encounter. One night it was seen peering at them through their kitchen window. Howe ran for his gun, but the primate was gone before he returned. The area was later investigated by police, and although there was no sign of the hairy humanoid, several faint footprints were observed in the mud and a terrible smell still lingered in the air. The Ohio Grassman was later seen by the Claytons atop a hill near the strip mine at night. The next month, in broad daylight, the couple observed two hairy bipeds on the same hill. It was only after these reports by the Claytons were made that a startling connection was made. Days before the gravel pit incident, the Claytons' German Shepherd was found dead, its neck broken, presumably killed by the hairy beast.

The Minerva case, along with its infamous Sasquatch, would form the most complex and important Bigfoot investigation in Ohio's history. Even so, the year 1978 was not the first mention of such creatures roaming the Buckeye State. In the 1700s, Indians native to the Ohio grasslands spoke of a race of bipedal ape-men, referred to as "Wild Ones of the Woods," that lived nearby. The Native Americans would leave out food for the creatures in an effort to keep peace.

Again in the late 1800s, sightings of a similar hairy biped were made by the Ohio River. The hominid had apparently tried to throw a man out of his carriage, but retreated when his daughter, riding as a passenger, threw several stones at it

It is unknown whether these are all Grassman sightings or possibly sightings of a similar kind of Bigfoot, and if the latter, how related the two (or more) species are.

Height: Ranges from 5 to 10 feet tall; generally in the 6 to 7-foot range.
Footprint: Ranges from 10 - 20 inches long, some footprints appear to have claws, pigeon-toes or flat-feet, some prints are three toed.
Hand Prints: Possible hand prints have been found.
Weight: Estimates of 300 to 1000 pounds, generally in the 350-500lbs range.
Sound: Some reports say it growls and barks with unusual heavy breath, but other reports say it sounds like the cry of a baby or the scream of a woman.
Odor: Has strong odor, like the odor of rot, that lingers in the area even days after it is vacated.
Appearance: Snub nose, peaked or deep-set eyes, very chesty, blackish-brown in color, long arms, pointed and bulky head, no neck, monstrous wide shoulders, black, gray or brown hair, some say its hair is smooth but others say it is shaggy covering all of its body except the palms of its hands, has luminous red or orange eyes, some reports say it looks like gorilla but appears to stand straighter, other reports claim the creature looks more human than ape. Initially, the creature was reported to have no visible neck and its face was not discernible due to the veil of long hair.
Behavior: Reported to be very aggressive and are unimaginably strong, according to eyewitnesses. However, according to Native American writings, the creatures have the capacity for peace should it be beneficial for them, possibly indicative of a higher-level of intelligence.
Motion: Unlike usual humans, some say it walks like a robot or machinery, it can throw large rocks and can break tree limbs
Victims: Known to kill dogs, and numerous unusual deer kills have been reported with just the deer's liver taken and legs twisted off.
Groups: Up to five individuals have been seen
Inhabit: Observed in a cave with a stash of deer parts, unusual structures have also been seen (dome made of forest material) and tipi-like structures.
Other Notations: Mothers and babies have been observed, feces found on tree limbs and on wood fibers, the hair strand (which are 16-inches) have been analyzed by Ohio State University, but haven't been identified.

From the characteristics above, you can see that Grassman has been sighted by many people proved from differences between each characteristic (or possibly other unknown creatures).