The Franklin Township Frogman

by Cole Herrold

Frogmen are a rare occurrence in the cryptozoological world. There are scant reports from all over the United States, but they are mainly reported in the North Eastern and Midwest section of the United States. The most famous case is the poster child for aquatic humanoids in general and one of the most beloved cases in both Cryptozoological and Ufological circles. The Loveland Frogmen case started in 1955 when a man returning home one night reported seeing three lumpy headed wand wielding silver panted figures similar in appearance to frogs along the Ohio River. Similar creatures often connected to them were reported by police officers in the 70s, and they too were seen along the Ohio River, but these figures did not have the sweet wand tech or odd track pants reported in the 55' case and appeared to be more biological in origin. In recent years a photo was taken of an alleged Frogman from a Pokémon Go player, and the photo is of hot debate in the cryptozoological community. While the majority of Frogman related sightings do come from the Ohio River Valley, it is not the only area to host them, and here in Pennsylvania, there was one such case that came from Franklin Township near Lapping Farm.

Franklin Township is located in Greene County and is one of the many small communities that make up the vast section of Pennsylvania. Many of these townships are extensively wooded, with plenty of places for bizarre beasts to hide, and are often located near bodies of water. Named after Benjamin Franklin, the area of Franklin Township has a rich history that makes it a hidden gem of the state of Pennsylvania as many of the communities and cities of the state are. The area, interestingly enough, is a hotbed for strange accounts as well, from a Lizard Man abducting a hunter to countless haunted houses and reports of mystery big cats, but one of the more bizarre cases features an amphibious resident that may be a unique addition to the already bizarre beasts reported in the area.

It was in the early Spring of 1973 that a girl named Heather came face to face with something unique to the region. It was a bright warm day, and Heather's father had decided to travel to the pond near their house to do some fishing. Heather, wanting to see how her father's reeling was going, proceeded to leave their house and travel down the weed-strewn path that led from their home and the caretaker's home to the pond on the other side of the property. The path was mostly a clear section that traversed through open land, but there was a particular section nearer to the pond that was slightly wooded, forming a barricade between the open fields and watery hole. This area was thick and made the path hidden from her home and the caretaker's. This section of the woods was thick and dark, giving the area a disturbing quality to it. Heather had always found it unsettling on normal occasions, but on this particular occasion, she had the disquieting suspicion of being watched by some unseen person. As she traveled down this dark woodland, her senses seemed to be heightened as she looked out and around the foliage, searching for anyone or anything that may explain why she felt stalked. She quickened her pace as she saw the exit of the woods and the bright glow of the spring sun. She continued down the worn path and saw the tranquil water of the pond splashing along the banks. She looked out and could see her father rod in hand casting his line into the water with a bucket of water next to him for his captured fish.

While the Franklin Township Frogman is just one of many aquatic humanoids reported it is important to catalog as there is always the chance that others have potentially seen this beast and remained silent in their testimony as there is the chance they don't know of anyone else who had seen the creepy creatures. It is in this mission of spreading accounts to help those who encounter such beasts that they know that others have seen something strange in the area. Hopefully, if there are more reports, the witnesses will have the strength to come forward and help to potentially get to the bottom of this mystery.

She ran down to her father and began to see how he had faired with his sport. She sat on the bank next to her father, making idle chit chat for a while as her father continued to cast and reel in the line in the meticulous waiting process that anyone who has gone fishing knows of. The sun began to dip lower in the sky. As the time passed on, Heather had decided to make the trek back to her house and, giving her dad a hug before she left, began to wander up the path back into the wooded forest. She began to travel once more down that old worn grassy path when the feeling once more covered her body. She looked up from the ground and began to scan the area when her eyes caught sight of something odd on a log near where she stood. She looked at the figure, her eyes straining to figure out what the object was when she looked and exclaimed, "That's a huge Bullfrog." Yet the more she looked at it, the more it seemed to be not a frog exactly. She began to realize that this creature was frog-like but more human in form. As she continued to look, she inched closer, her feet getting nearer to the strange amphibious anomaly. She got within ten feet of it when she could see the creature clearly. It was humanoid in form about four to five feet tall. Its body was gray in color but was hairless and smooth. Its eyes were large and silver and were set in a frog-like head with no ears or nose. Heather froze as the creature realized she noticed it. The creature stared at her, its eyes shining and irritated or angered by her presence began to pull back its long frog-like lips and bear its sharp teeth at her and unleash a loud hiss at the girl.

This was enough for Heather, and she uncurled a scream and began to run back to her father, proclaiming excitedly about the awful aquatic abomination she bore witness to. Her father, deeply disturbed by his daughter's account, began to return to the section of the woods where she saw the webbed weirdo. The father and daughter looked around the area but could see no evidence of the creature or where it could have gone, and the log she had seen the beast lounging on had no evidence of even being disturbed. The father shrugged but continued to scan the wooded area looking for some movement. The pair silently and quickly returned to their house and sat in silence, wondering what else could be out there, but the Frogman was never seen again.

It is important to note that the entire area in which the family resides is a hotbed for supernatural activity, and Heather has seen several wispy female apparitions on the property of her house. The area, whether through a Keelian window area or simply as a perfect location for such phenomenon, is debatable yet interesting to the point that the family does have a history of bizarre encounters.

With cases like this, there does seem to be a strong argument for something more biological in origin, but as with most cryptids, there is nothing in the fossil record that we could point to as a potential relict species or as an ancestor. Now with that said, it could be possible that the evolutionary process did occur, but as with most fossils' preservation did not occur as common as something like a dinosaur that died in a volcanic eruption or something similar. There is a chance that the evolutionary process occurred and that the remains are so obscure that it is yet to be found. Gigantopithecus, for example, is accepted to exist, but we have yet to find a complete skeleton. We have teeth and a jawbone but nothing else. It raises the question of what else is buried under the soil.

Quick Facts:

Species/Potential Species: Amphibian

Location: Lapping Farm area, Franklin Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania

Sighted: 1973

Works Cited:

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen and Kevin Paul, Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lurks in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Visionary Living Publishing. 2018.