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| Dakota Sioux Chief Wabasha III (Red Leaf) was the father of Grey Cloud |
Grey Cloud established a fur trading post where the Little Rock Creek meets the Minnesota River. Cloud returned and joined her in the fur trade business. Grey Cloud passed away in 1844 and was buried in the Black Dog village cemetery. Little Grey Cloud later sold the trading post and moved to an island on the Mississippi River southeast of St. Paul and made her home there. She passed away in 1849 and was buried along side her mother. Their graves were later moved to the Sioux reservation. The island where she lived now bears the name Grey Cloud Island. Today the island is home to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
Some say that Grey Cloud still roams the island carrying a green lantern light. Some have seen the light hovering above the ground moving along roads, through the woods, or passing through the cemetery there. It has also been described as a glowing bluish-green orb or a glowing green cloud. Others claimed to have heard the sound of a drum beating at night when the moon is full. Some swear they have seen the spirits of phantom coyotes and that they can also be heard barking and howling in the night. Native Americans are rumored to believe the spirit activity is heavy on the island and hold it to be very sacred ground. There is ancient native American burial mounds there known as The Schilling Site which dates back to the Woodland period.
There are reports of other strange happenings on the island as well. Most who have visited the island claim to have been followed by a white pickup truck that seems to originate at the same place every time. Some say that the truck has no driver or at least they have not seen one. Many believe the truck is some sort of phantom guardian meant to drive away intruders to the island. Some believe that this is actually a resident trying to drive people away that are invading their private property.
Another bizarre story related to Grey Cloud Island is that of a row of tombstones in a small plot where 12 nuns are buried. They say that if you walk along counting the tombstones then turn around and count the other direction you get a different number. There is one report of a boy doing this and his mother saw the shadow of a small child following him.
Then there are reports that a witch is buried on the island and that her grave is the only one where grass does not grow, only a tangled mess of weeds. Another haunted tale involves that of a headless bride that roams the fields on the island. Apparently, her husband found out she was cheating on him on their wedding day and lopped off her head with an axe. Now she roams the island for eternity searching for her head.
One thing that is most common among visitors to the island and that is an unsettling feeling of thickness in the air making it difficult to breathe. Perhaps, this is a warning to intruders to stay away and leave the spirits of Grey Cloud Island in peace.
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Although you are closer to the true history of Grey Cloud Island than most, you are still way off. Grey Cloud was the some of Chief Wapashaw the first not the second. The woman you refer to as "Little Grey Cloud" was actually Grey Cloud Woman. The island was named by James Aird - Grey Cloud Woman's husband - after his mother in law.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is a direct descendant of these folks.
My wife is also a direct descendent.interesting article.
DeleteJeffcmb...the photo is of Chief Wabasha III, Photos did not exist when Wabasha (thought to be born about 1720's) father of the first Grey Cloud Woman. Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux Chief Wabasha married Obenge Eshipequag, an Ojibwe (Chippewa) woman. Their daughter was Grey Cloud Woman. Grey Cloud Woman married Scot fur trader, James Aird. Their daughter was Margaret Aird, also known as Grey Cloud Woman. Grey Cloud Woman II married Hazen Mooers. Grey Cloud Island, Mooers lake and park on the island are named for this family of 2nd Grey Cloud. The daughter of Grey Cloud II, Margaret Mary "Mary" Mooers married John Wesley Brown, half-brother to the prominent Joseph R. Brown, (J.R. Brown also lived on the south end of the island.) The daughter of John Wesley Brown and Mary Mooers was Mary Ann Brown who married Jasper McCollum. Their son, Frederick McCollum married Margaret Shingledecker. The child of these two was my grandmother, Margaret Eliza McCollum. I am Sonja Lende Childs on ancestry.com and Facebook. My cousin, a mutual descendant and researcher, works at the National Archives in Washington, DC, so I can assure you that this is correct lineage.
Deleteyes you are correct. My great grandmother was Laura Viola McCollum, Jaspers McCollum is buried at soldiers Rest Oakland Cemetery. I am Scot McNamara
DeleteI have lived on the Mississippi for forty plus years always gazing out at the beautiful Grey Cloud. Often wondered why this beautiful place has remained so obscure over all these years. Understand that those who live there and daily enjoy it's wonders would like to keep it a secret but then now that it has become part of our national park treasures my hope is that many will become aware and be able to enjoy.
DeleteI love the history and mystic stories and must admit being visited by it's Spirits who are all friendly.
My hope is Cottage Grove, Saint Paul Park, and Newport join collectively to acknowledge, preserve, and promote this very special place.. TD
Although this site caught my interest it was not worth the trip. Locals are on top of anyone being in the area that does not belong there; they actively call for police assistance for vehicles parked on the roadway and off road sites.
ReplyDeleteOur large group each received misdemeanor citations for parking on the roadway, entering the area of the cemetery and even a few curfew citations.
For all our trouble we didn’t even get to experience any of the sites.
I went to Grey Cloud Island two days ago. We were followed by a white SUV looking vehicle for over 10 minutes. They were riding our ass. & Being the scared teenagers we are, we got the fuck out of there. So to be now reading this is crazy. We were chased out by the white truck. & i was dark. there probably was a driver but i didnt see them.
ReplyDeleteI went to Grey Cloud Island, because Grey Cloud is my ancestor. Everything seemed fine. We weren't followed by anything and the air was not thick. Although I don't remember visiting the tombstones. It was a great trip. I love it. And I want to go back to see the light, coyotes, and count the tombstones.
ReplyDeleteI'm a descendent of Grey Cloud and when I went to Grey Cloud Island and my family and I weren't followed my a truck. Now that I saw this, I want to go back to see the green light, the coyotes, and to count the tombstones. I'm a believer in spiritual things, so I want to see if I can talk to Grey Cloud. Yes, that sounds crazy, but I really want to try. That's all I have to say. Don't think I'm crazy! I'm really not. Just a really big dreamer and believer.
ReplyDeletei just went to grey cloud island tonight. we were followed by a tan truck all the way to st. paul park where i turned the chase around and almost hit it. when we pulled up head on with the truck, i saw some sort of necklace hanging from the rear veiw mirror, but, no driver. atleast that i could see. just an empty seat. i think that the driver must have ducked down. but we followed him all the way back to the island. then lost him. when we started driving around again, we ran into this truck again. i pulled up next to them and they put it in reverse so i tried to reverse too. but they took off ahead of me. the truck was a tan GMC. thats what me and my 4 friends in my truck saw. after about 3 hours of chasing this truck around, we decided to leave and go back home.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone has found the wits to take video of the encounters with this elusive truck? Would be very interesting to see what pics or videos would show. Has anyone noticed a license plate on the truck? Sounds like an awesome adventure; but not one I would journey in to - deep respect for sacred lands!
DeleteI admit to great curiosity about Grey Cloud Island and all of its stories and hauntings. I do believe that all stories and legends stem from some truth. As for the descendants of Grey Cloud, you probably saw nothing because of the fact you're a descendant. You're family. They belonged there so you would too. Your land. Your family. Outsiders would of course see and hear these things.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought. Funny I basically grew up on Grey Cloud Island. Never thought anyone else knew about the island until I saw all this just surfing the internet. For me it is an incredibly happy place, I would go to the cemetery every memorial day to see the guns shot off, I canoed every back waters area around there (Great fishing!), cross country skiing every New Year's eve.
DeleteNothing every scared me, except when I slept outside after seeing "The Blair Witch Project" for some reason that night an owl decided to grab a rabbit and it was shrieking up and down the river for 10 min! LOL
I think many of the stories of trucks and green lanterns can be attributed to some of my family members. Too funny! Anyway most people that live there get very upset because others break into the cemetery and vandalize tombstones. One headstone was actually found way up in Minneapolis. Also recent, someone got really hurt by falling into the quarry at night, trying to find the cemetery.
Heck I've seen plenty of freaky things in my life that I can't explain. Nothing down at Grey Cloud though.
I Have a house there. it's really annoying that people invade our private property just to feel a thrill. I know all these stories are true, I see and hear it all on a daily basis. also by being native American, I can tell you that everyone should leave these spirits alone. they're restless and obsessed. trying to contact them is not a good idea, they're stuck in this eternal way of being dead in an alive world. although the one that terrifies me the most is the white beaten up pick up truck that I have only ever seen in one specific area. and in my 16 years of living there, I have not seen a driver's head, face or even the hint of someone inside it steering. it will chase you, tailgating you, speeding so fast you have no choice but to drive faster and leave the island. oh yes, grey cloud island is home to evil things. but man, it sure is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing is a classic internet hoax. I have lived there for 8 years and besides hearing about teen ghost hunters I have never seen signs of supernatural behavior nor have I talked with anyone who has. It is pure BS.
DeleteI am 41yo, and remember hearing about this as a kid, living on the other side of the Mississippi River. That was 27 years ago, hardly before coming a "classic internet hoax".
DeleteI lived in the area since 1986 i used to drive around the island smoking weed and never seen non of that shit I've fished at the steal bridge many many nights
DeleteYour bs. This has been going on long before the internet. Oh and you guys forgot about the camaro that went off the bridge and the stairway to hell
ReplyDeleteDon't forget dead man's hill, at the bottom of which 103rd street dodges under the Burlington railroad tracks. A poor fellow crashed his car there on Valentine's Day a couple years ago. very sad.
DeleteThat "camaro" was a group of my friends. And the owner of the car was owned by tony the the son of the owner of st.paul park auto wrecking.the car is still in their junkyard. Alcohol and speed were the cause of that crash.
DeleteOh my gosh, are you all crazy? I grew up on Grey Cloud Island and my sister bought my parents home. As kids we played outside all day and into the dark hours. Your all CRAZY . . . . Grey Cloud Island was the best place to grow up, and if I could afford to live there now, I definately would raise a family there.
ReplyDeleteI too grew up there and seen and heard MANY crazy things. I was shot there but lived because of odd circumstances, seen rabies dogs, had a friends mom die in her driveway and few years later and small plane crashed in that yard. Plenty of weird stuff go on there.
DeleteI've only heard the stories , my husband grew up in SPP , He talks about how him and his buddies would drive around Grey Cloud Island , smoking weed , getting so high they would freak each other out , they called it going on a cloudy ( I hear people say it still ) It is all interesting ! I also remember the woman getting hit by a snow plow in her driveway , my daughter went to school with her son , sad story , i'm sure it had nothing to do with the spirits though
DeleteI grew up in Cottage Grove, right next to Grey Cloud Island, and my friends and I drove out to Grey Cloud Island all the time! We'd heard the ghost stories and the stories about the religious cult at Camp Galilee, but we NEVER saw anything strange. NEVER once were we chased about by a mysterious truck with no driver and NEVER did we see any ghosts. It's not a scary place by any means!
ReplyDeleteI lived in Cottage Grove as a kid, and I've never been there but my brother and his freinds went once, back in the 70's. They drove through the gates and the car stalled, just quit. My brother and his friend got out and tried to figure out what was wrong with the car. Their dates stayed in the car. All of a sudden the girls started screaming at them. They look up and see the green light coming at them. Just floating. They slammed the hood down and pushed the car back through the gates and then tried the car and it started. ALL FOUR tell the same story, even today when you ask them they all look white and swear it's all true and I believe them because I believe stuff like this. I say leave the dead in peace!! Also if I lived around there I wouldn't want some people I didn't know snooping around. Never heard of the white pickup. That's a good one!
ReplyDeleteI believe this is from my sister who was there. And that's exactly what happened. An interesting consequence is this experience has reinforced my belief in the hereafter.
DeleteOr aliens.
Also, there was no white pick-up (or, if so; I was out running it).
I also want to ad that the version of the story of the ghost, that I heard, doesn't involve a Native American. I was told, a railroad signal man who got into a fight and died over a woman in the early part of the 1900's. This from the local folks of St. Paul Park (at the time).
I went here before. I am sure that it's a lovely home for those who live here, but after dark it's quite scary for those who are not familiar with the area. On Pioneer road, my friends and I turned around because we didn't want to be trespassing. When we looked back the road was glowing. It was probably some security light, but we honestly saw no lamp post or anything of that sort. We decided to continue for a bit on the road over, then presided to leave. On the way out we were indeed followed by a white truck. It could've easily been a fellow resident, or just a coincidence, but it was also in the middle of the week. That's not a common time for people to tour the place so I don't see why a human would waste their time waiting for a person to follow.
ReplyDeleteP.s. to the residence that live here. I understand that people who go on your property deserve to be yelled at, but just leave the harmless non-trespassing ones alone? They're just being curious humans.
I just took a date to Grey Cloud Island tonight to check out the beautiful scenery. We were followed by a red mid-90s Ford truck with a plow and KC lights on the roof. This person followed us around the whole island. We weren't speeding, playing loud music, causing a disturbance, etc. Just driving, like, 20 mph. After 20 minutes, the driver shut off the headlights and the trick was gone. It was pretty scary.
ReplyDeleteScary shit absolutely happens here. I haven't been here in about 5 years but my friends and I visited on at least 6-7 different occasions. We were followed by the white truck and everything people are saying is true- there appeared to be nobody driving the truck and it tailgates us extremely closely at high speeds with its high beams on. We also saw what appeared to be phantom coyotes and they were moving at incredible speeds (25-30 mph I'd estimate)- we could see their body but we couldn't see their legs- it was almost like they were floating above the ground. Not all of the scary incidents that happen are spiritual, however. A man came out when we were in the graveyard and shined a high beam flashlight towards us but couldn't see us as we laid down on the ground to hide. He took an axe and hit our car and shattered our windshield. Once he was gone we got out as quick as we could and called be police and they told us "you're trespassing you shouldn't be there in the first place". If I was you reading this post I'd completely think this write up is BS- I assure you it's not. This place was scary as hell- for some reason we kept on going back though. Experience at your own risk.
ReplyDeleteHey Hey, I really think you have done a great job with this post! I am 60 yrs young and grew up in Saint Paul Park. I roamed the back waters of Grey Cloud hunting and fishing! You would not believe the fishing and hunting that this area used to be great for! I am pretty shire it is not allowed any more. We grew up hearing all the story's and were always told not to go out at night because the green lantern would get you. I walked through that grave yard many many times? When I was just a young boy I spear fished on the river in the winter and in the prosess I would always go through the Ice and have to walk two to four miles back to our house frozen to the bone! I always thought I was being guided every day when I hunted and went fishing. My father was killed when I was young and this is how we got by we always had pheasants and ducks to eat.My grand mother would give me a few shot gun shells at a time and this is how we grew up, thanks to the help of my guide I never missed a shot and always had something to eat!
ReplyDeleteLOL! You're all ridiculous. Only been down there 45 million times. Nothing ever happens. Even when I walk the graveyard at night. Nothing. Ever. Happens.
ReplyDeleteGrew up on 3rd street and Pullman Ave. in SPP just a few miles from GCI. Went to school with many who grew up on GCI. Biked to friends houses on GCI or to fish, swim or trudged down for sliding and skating in winter. Mostly just to lollygag on a beautiful Island and "explore" as only a child can (12-17 years old). Heard all the stories, the only thing I experienced was a "heaviness" in the air when a friend or a friends relative passed on and the worship or home visited after services was on GCI. A different kind of "heaviness" in the air as opposed to general heaviness at the death of a friend or friends family member. Like the Island itself was mourning. It was not scary but respectful and true sorrow.
ReplyDeleteGCI is a beautiful place and a "kids" wonderland for exploration. It hurts me that so many people trespass for supposed thrills. Glad my "friends" on GCI keep the lookie loo's at bay. Blessed Be!
Grew up on 3rd St. and Pullman Ave. a few miles from GCI. What a wonderland to explore and enjoy. Went to school with families that had been on GCI a long time, generations.. I was 9 when we moved to SPP. (1973 Grad.) Rode my bike to GCI, fished, swam, and in winter went sledding. Always felt fun and peaceful there and again a great place for "exploring". The only time I felt heaviness was when a friend (sadly) or a friends family member passed on. It was not the usual heaviness of death....it was as if the Island itself mourned. Not scary just remorse as if a part of the Island itself had a tear in it like a badly skinned knee or a scrapped elbow.....heartbreak. . Loved GCI. And SPP....miss them both...the memories.
ReplyDeleteThankful that friends on GCI "haunt" the unwelcome thrilll seekers that do not respect the Island.. Blessed Be!
Grew up in St Paul Park/Cottage Grove. My mom and I used to take a drive around the island every Sunday morning. Been to those graves a few times as a kid too.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the cottage grove grey cloud area. Used to go fishing there a lot as kids. The history is interesting but the hauntings are nonsense. Sorry. The green lantern story is an old one. All false.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit that place. Chief Wabasha III (Joseph) is my 3Greats Grandfather. His son, Napoleon- Wabasha IV is my 2 Greats Grandfather & his daughter, Mary Wabasha Campbell is my Great Grandmother.
ReplyDelete