My Town Monday: the Story of the Peninsula Python

By fromskilledhands ( May 25, 2008 at 3:08 pm) · Filed under Cuyahoga Valley, Discoveries, Giveaway, My Town Monday, Peninsula, Peninsula Python

So the story goes like this: back in the summer of 1944, a traveling circus came through Bath Township, which is a short distance from the Village of Peninsula. There was an accident in the local cemetery, and two large snakes escaped. One was found dead, and the other disappeared—for a short while.

Farmer Clarence Mitchell was tending his corn field. He reported that his dogs were mighty nervous for a couple of days; then they refused to go near his field. Mr. Mitchell looked up and said that he saw the biggest snake he had ever seen, sliding along the ground in plain site. Local historian Randy Bergdorf, of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society writes:

The first sighting of the python occurred on June 8, 1944, along Riverview Road in Northampton Township, about halfway between Ira and Everett. Local farmer, Clarence Mitchell, reported that he had seen a snake 15 to 18 feet long cross his fields and slide into the river. It was spotted later that day by Mike Bobacek on the other side of the river, near Szalay’s corn fields on Bolanz Road. Days later, paul and John Szalay saw mysterious tracks, “like from an auto tire,” weaving across their corn field on Akron-Peninsula Road, a few miles south of Peninsula. Those doubting the existence of the python decreased in numbers on June 23rd, when Mrs. Vaughan on Northampton Road saw the snake climb over the fence of her chicken yard with a noticeable lump in its middle.

Multiple sightings of the serpent were reported during that summer of 1944; the mayor organized the local Civil Defense organization into posses. Folks with loaded guns responded to reports of the wayward snake. The then director of the Cleveland Zoo, Fletcher Reynolds, pleaded for the life of the snake. He asked that anyone finding the reptile stay calm and phone him with the snake’s location, so he could come and take him alive. Locals came up with plans to capture the snake, from box traps, to clotheslines and sticks, to music.

By this time radio newscasters, and reporters from the United and Associated Presses were regularly reporting on the escapades of the snake that had become the Peninsula Python. The story was reported in the media that was sent to American troops abroad during WWII. Letters from soldiers came into the Village’s post office. Robert Bordner, a reporter from the old Cleveland Press was one of those who wrote about the snake; one of his stories was published in the Atlantic Monthly, in November, 1945.

Sightings of the reptile decreased; some folks wondered if the entire story was a hoax concocted by Bordner. Those who saw the snake stand by their stories.

What do you think?

Enter a comment and I will put your name in a drawing for the first in a series of Peninsula giveaways. The winner will be selected on Thursday, June 30.

Travis Ervin, over at One Word, One Rung, One Day, is the Mastermind and Chief Marauder of My Town Monday. Wander on over there and see who else is writing about his or her town this week.

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19 comments »

Travis Erwin said,

May 25, 2008 @ 3:41 pm

Great story. That would make excellent fodder for a kid’s book. It’s cool you have a contest going associated with this. I might copy and do the same thing later.

Cathy said,

May 25, 2008 @ 9:19 pm

I’m thinking that back in 1944 there might have been a pub in Peninsula and farmer Clarence Mitchell might have imbibed a little something that makes snakes extra long in the telling. Could be that writer Robert Bordner was taking a little refreshment in that same pub at the very moment Clarence Mitchell’s snake grew to a full eighteen feet. Could be he even believed that tall tale! That’s what I think!!

Melanie said,

May 25, 2008 @ 10:05 pm

Thanks for sharing. It’s good to see another Ohioan posting! Have a great week!

Terrie Farley Moran said,

May 26, 2008 @ 12:48 am

I’m guessing the snake got tired of all the publicity and swam down-river for a life of blissful privacy.

Terrie

Larramie said,

May 26, 2008 @ 11:34 am

What a great way to be published in the “Atlantic Monthly.”

piscesgrrl said,

May 26, 2008 @ 12:30 pm

And i thought happening upon wee garter snakes in my woodpile was frightening! A fun story, true or not. We don’t have enough local lore being shared – this is a great idea!

Barrie Summy said,

May 26, 2008 @ 1:40 pm

I think it’s true. Because it’s so much more fun that way.

Sherry said,

May 26, 2008 @ 4:57 pm

I agree with Barrie — I’d rather believe it’s true!

Linda / Lyndi said,

May 26, 2008 @ 8:25 pm

I dunno, but it makes for a great story. Hope it was true.

Linda

sam said,

May 27, 2008 @ 7:45 am

Love the story about the python! I wonder what happened to it? It most likely sought out a cave to hibernate in during the cold season, and froze. Someone will find those bones someday!
(and flip out, lol!)

Eryl Shields said,

May 27, 2008 @ 8:08 pm

I’m sure the snake is still out there somewhere searching for his lost mate unable to believe that she is actually dead. He’s probably covered most of the continent by now and is down in the depths of Argentina, taking care to stay out of the sight of humans.

fromskilledhands said,

May 27, 2008 @ 8:42 pm

I love the scenarios everyone has generated. Keep those cards and letters coming
I’ll draw a name for the giveaway Thursday night.

Reptile Farmers is here to save the world » Blog Archive » Quick scan of the net - reptile farmer said,

May 27, 2008 @ 11:35 pm

[...] http://fromskilledhands.com/2008/05/25/my-town-monday-the-story-of-the-peninsula-python/Farmer Clarence Mitchell was tending his corn field. He reported that his dogs were mighty nervous for a couple of days; then they refused to go near his field. Mr. Mitchell looked up and said that he saw the biggest snake he had ever … [...]

Kim Ayres said,

May 28, 2008 @ 3:43 am

In the UK, there are similar stories of excaped animals and occasional sightings, although they’re usually big cats rather than snakes.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment on my site by the way

Laura said,

May 28, 2008 @ 9:40 am

Wow. My husband killed a snake at our cook-out the other day by dropping a cinderblock on it. The snake’s head kept thrashing up through the hole in the cinderblock, striking.

Actually, it made me sad.

So let’s envision a happy ending for this mythical python. Hmmm. This article says that pythons are happy when they are warm in the sun, and when they get to swim. Well, duh, who isn’t?

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Keep-Your-Python-Happy&id=644963

So, let’s say some lonely little farmboy found his dream pet in a field one day and gave that python a home where he was fed (don’t ask what, please) regularly and allowed to sun on a big, warm rock, followed by a swim in farmerboy’s kiddy pool. They grew old together. The End.

Mary Witzl said,

May 29, 2008 @ 10:47 am

I believe the snake really did escape, but I also bet that it grew a few inches with every sighting. A story like this is just too much fun NOT to embellish. I bet the snake found its way to some a dump that was just lousy with rats and lived out the rest of its days in perfect — and useful — contentment.

In Japan, guns are illegal, and the yakuza smuggle them into the country. One year, a man imported a number of poisonous snakes, secreting guns in their crates, which obviously were not well searched. The yakuza then released them into the woods, and for months after, people reported seeing exotic snakes. It made for a LOT of paranoia — and some great stories, too!

From Skilled Hands