Looking for Information on a White Lady or Ghost of White Deer Pike (state, origin)

[Meag84]

Hi! I am doing some research for a podcast and I'm trying to find additional information on a ghostly female apparition seen off the Mile Run exit of I80 on the White Deer Pike. The legend was initially recorded by Henry Shoemaker, and re-visited in the folk story compilations of Norman Hauser and Jeff Frazier, with the addition of a sighting of this ghostly female in 1995 by a Lock Haven University couple taking the exit to avoid a traffic jam.



My question is two-fold. First, I am wondering if anyone else has seen, or knows of someone who has seen this apparition. Second I am wondering if anyone can tell me where I can find archives of the local farming families that lived in this region in the mid 1800's.So far I've had no luck at the library, and I am trying to confirm if the root to this legend can be verified.


Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[SunGrins]

Originally Posted by Meag84

My question is two-fold. First, I am wondering if anyone else has seen, or knows of someone who has seen this apparition. Second I am wondering if anyone can tell me where I can find archives of the local farming families that lived in this region in the mid 1800's.So far I've had no luck at the library, and I am trying to confirm if the root to this legend can be verified.


Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I never heard of this apparition or ghost.

I am assuming you have looked at federal and any available state census reports for that area? Each person is listed by name in the 1850 census and later. Before that only the head of the household was listed with tallies of those in the household. State census records have different formats. There might be tax records at the county level. Also land records and deeds.

Look at https://thepennsylvaniarambler.com/a...lvaniarambler/ for a blog about the story. The name cited is Daniel McKean, son of the settler, presumably a Mr. McKean, who cleared the land around 1846. They should be in the 1850 census.

[Meag84]

Hi SunGris,


Thank you for your response. I am familiar with the blog post that you found. That author pulled his story from Norman Hauser, who adapted it from Henry Shoemaker. In his original telling of the story, Shoemaker had actually met "Daniel McKean", but changed his last name due to the fact that the man was still living. That is why I am not necessarily looking looking for just the last name McKean. The original tale states that Daniel McKean settled with his parents in the White Deer area in 1846 and that they were of Scottish decent and sheep farmers. I did look at available state and federal census data but have found that the records are often incomplete or inconsistent. Also, the deed, taxes, and census information most likely was in his father's name, which I do not have. That is why I am wondering if there are any county or region specific information regarding the farmers who were established during that time. According to the original story Daniel did eventually take over the property after the death of his parents, but there is no indication of when that was.



Thanks!

[MikeBear]

https://thepennsylvaniarambler.com/2...ite-deer-pike/

[Meag84]

Hi MikeBear,


Thanks for your response. I have already seen this post. It is a re-iteration of the original tale told by Henry Shoemaker and then re-told by Norman Hauser and Jeffrey Frazier. I am trying to find out if there are more people out there who have had this experience other than just this one story. Or, if anyone has experienced something similar in this area. I'm also trying to discover if there was anyone living in the region at that time who was a sheep farmer with a similar name, as the original author changed the name slightly.



Thanks again!