THE PIG LADY
- Program
- Subject
- Location
- Lat/Long
- Grant Recipient
-
Legends & Lore®
-
Folklore, Legend
- 494 Cannelton Rd, Darlington, PA 16115, USA
- 40.799151, -80.47631
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Little Beaver Historical Society
THE PIG LADY
Inscription
THE PIG LADYEARLY LOCAL STORY OF
HEADLESS GHOST, LATER
PERCEIVED WITH PIG'S HEAD,
SAID TO HAUNT THE AREA NEAR
THE CANNEL COAL MINES.
THE PENNSYLVANIA CENTER FOR FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2024
In the Cannelton community of Darlington, Pennsylvania, a local legend is told of the ghost of a supposed murder victim named Barbara Davidson, an early resident of the area. Over many generations, the ghost story evolved into the Pig Lady of Cannelton, a tale seemingly created to scare local children from playing in the community’s dangerous coal mines. Some of the oldest versions of the story claim that a headless phantom is seen near the coal mines, but later versions include a replacement pig head. Since 2019, the community has gathered annually to celebrate area folk legends and traditions at the Pig Lady Fall Folklore Celebration.