The Green Lantern on Grey Cloud Island - St. Paul Park, Minnesota

In 1765 near St. Anthony Falls, Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi, the Great Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux Chief Wabasha III (or Wapasha) and his wife who was from the Chippewa tribe, birthed a daughter in 1765, Marpiyarotowin.  She was more commonly known to the English as Grey Cloud. In her adult life she married Scotsman James Aird and became well known in the fur trade.  She and her husband later had a daughter in 1793 and named her Mahpiyahotewin or Little Grey Cloud.  Little Grey Cloud's full English name became Margaret Agnes Aird. 

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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