Hi, Friends. Welcome to another Wednesday Weirdness. Thanks for visiting today as I roll out a post about a mysterious disappearance—and thunderbirds.
These enormous winged creatures have long been an integral part of Native American folklore, but original Thunderbird legends date back thousands of years and can be traced to Egypt and Africa. With wingspans of twelve to fifteen feet or more, the Thunderbird has been known to carry off small animals, children, and even adults. It is a formidable avian spirit, able to shoot lightning from its beak and summon the roar of thunder with a clap of its powerful wings. A storm spirit, it is a harbinger of change.
Surprisingly, there have been numerous sightings of Thunderbirds in the 20th and 21st centuries. My home state of Pennsylvania is abundant with them. The story I’d like to share, however, dates back to the late 1800s, a bizarre tale that beings on a hot summer evening in August 1897.
On that date, nineteen-year-old Thomas Eggleton decided to hike to nearby Hammersley Fork in order to mail his mother a letter. He told his employer, a farmer, where he was headed, then set out on his evening trek. It was a walk he’d undertaken numerous times in the past without incident.
But Tom never arrived in town, nor did he return to the farm the next day. Worried by his absence and fearing he could be injured, the farmer traced Tom’s footsteps in the dirt, following the path he’d taken toward Hammersley Fork. When he lost Tom’s tracks outside of town, he enlisted the help of others. Bloodhounds were added to the effort, and the dogs tracked Tom’s scent to the middle of a bridge where it vanished.
Fearing the worst, the people of Hammersley Fork dragged the river, but Tom’s body was never found. Spooked by the odd circumstances, murmurs of thunderbirds erupted. Several locals insisted they’d seen a massive bird in the vicinity shortly before Tom’s disappearance and grew convinced it must have carried him away. With the flames of fear stoked, schools closed for two full weeks until the panic eventually passed.
Four years later, the farmer who’d been so worried about Tom received a letter from him. Tom stated he had recently awakened in a South African hospital with no memory of his past or how he’d come to be there. All he could recall was that he had worked for a famer outside of Hamersley Fork.
Had Tom been abducted by a Thunderbird? Could he have been snatched off the bridge as many locals speculated, or had he somehow slipped through a hole in time? The mystery of Tom Eggleton has no definitive answers, but whispers and rumors of Thunderbirds remain.
This story was relayed in the book, Monsters of Pennsylvania by Patty A. Wilson. Want more weirdness? There are “Monster” books available with the strange denizens of various states on Amazon. Check them out! After all…
Who knows what creatures and beasties lurk in your neck of the woods!
I had never heard of Thunderbirds – except the children’s puppet show I used to watch. I wonder how the rest of Tom’s life went? I have wondered in one of my stories if Aliens abduct people and accidentally leave them in the wrong place or time!
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That sounds like a cool story! It is interesting to think about these things.
I find it odd that Tom’s tracks stopped in the middle of a bridge. He might have fallen into the water and been swept away, but it’s still really odd. 4 years and South Africa?!?! That’s the part that I find truly puzzling.
I have another Thunderbird related story for next week as well. Thanks for visiting!
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Mmm, intriguing. I’ve never heard of Thunderbirds before. Thanks so much for a fun post 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed it, Harmony!
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Where I grew up (Alaska) there were stories of Thunderbirds. I think because there are so many stories about them that maybe they’re real but have gone extinct.
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Apparently there was a giant eagle in New Zealand when Maoris first arrived – made extinct when the Maoris ate and made extinct it’s prey. It then went into Maori legend. So Yes I reckon thunderbirds could have been real!
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And perhaps were called by various names depending on location!
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That’s an interesting theory. It would be so intriguing to find fossils that proved of their existence. I was surprised Pennsylvania had so many Thunderbird stories, given it’s location, but I can see plenty of folklore related to them in Alaska 🙂
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Thunderbirds is a new one for me. Very interesting but poor Tom! To be walking into town and wake up in South Africa. I wonder if the bird was supposed to have flown him the whole way or if there was some kind of portal.
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I know. It’s interesting to think of the various possibilities.
I would love to know if his memory ever returned, and exactly what happened during those missing four years.
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That’s a fascinating story, Mae. So strange that he turned up four years later. I’m really liking this Wednesday Weirdness series!
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Glad you’re enjoying it, Teri. There are so many bizarre and unusual things to write about. I love ferreting them out and sharing 🙂
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I never heard of thunderbirds before, Mae. This is so intriguing. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy these weekly posts. Cheers for an awesome day! 🙂
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Thanks for checking it out, Natalie. I always have a fun time digging up these tales. I’m just a sucker for the strange and the bizarre, LOL!
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That is weird. Poor Tom. But I am glad he seems to be alive.
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I hope he eventually got his memory back!
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Thunderbirds are kind of an icon out here. We see them in jewelry, signage, and even conchos used as decoration. I like the story, and it lends itself to a lot of good fiction.
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There’s absolutely a story lurking in there, LOL.
I remember seeing the thunderbird symbol a lot when we visited Nevada and Arizona. I associate them most with the western part of the country, and was surprised when I discovered there have been a good many sightings in Pennsylvania. When I was younger, I had a silver thunderbird ring.:)
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We had a Thunderbird Motel in my small home town.
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So cool!!
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Makes you wonder what happened to Tom between the time he disappeared and finally woke up. Four years gone. And in South Africa. What does a Thunderbird do with you? Intriguing tale.
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If his memory ever came back, I’m sure he had some amazing stories to share. Four years is a lot of time to be missing and have blank recollections!
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You wow me with your weird stories Mae…this one is absolutely fascinating! Thunder birds must be one of the old beliefs of humanity when the facts about natural elements were evolving. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m glad you’re enjoying these, Balroop. There are so many “odd” things that defy explanation. I just love thinking about them and spinning what if stories.
Thunderbirds definitely go back a far way in folk records!
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You do such a great job of describing the spooky events to put the reader right in the middle of the mystery! Thunderbirds are dear to me because of something that happened years ago. A few of us had joined a meditation group in which we would “receive” messages for each other. I received an image of a thunderbird as a message for one member. Afterward she told me that as Native American blood, the thunderbird was the “key” she had decided on beforehand to prove a message real for her.
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Oooh, I had chills, Flossie. What a cool experience. I think thunderbirds are so intriguing, but that story takes them to a whole other level!
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Thundebirds is new to me as is the story of the farmer. That would be crazy to wake up four years later with no memories how you got there. I always wonder if these creatures could be left over from the dinosaurs age, and the only logical explanation I can come up with:)
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I like to think there has to be some kind of prehistoric connection. After all, there are several ocean-going species that are just a hairsbreadth removed (if at all) from prehistoric creatures. I like to think that perhaps these great birds still exist out there—maybe in the same areas as Bigfoot, LOL. Whatever their existence, and wherever they may be, it’s certainly fun to think…..what if! 🙂
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It is!
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The first jet! lol
I’ve heard of thunderbirds, but took them to be myth. You never know what’s out there, though, do you? 🙂
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The first jet, LOL. I love that. 🙂
I always look at things like these as myth as well, but it is so fun speculating “what if.” I have never lost that sense of wonder from childhood!
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I’m going to leave all the monster stuff up to you. I don’t want to be caught out in the woods after dark and start thing of a Thunderbird or two. Good stuff though, Mae.
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LOL! That sounds like a plan, John. I’ll keep trotting out the folklore and legends and posing “what if” questions. I’m counting on you to keep me entertained with Fiction Favorites, and the weekly antics of your girls 😉
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I will try. Thanks, Mae.
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I’ve heard of Thunderbirds before but mostly as a part of Native American culture. What a strange and bizaar story of Tom’s disappearnce.
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I was always mostly familiar with them as part of Native American culture, too, Joan. It was astounding to realize there are/were many sightings of them in Pennsylvania, including Tom’s tale. I hope after he awoke in that South African hospital, he had many good years afterward!
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Wow, Mae! My first thought was that perhaps the bridge is some sort of vortex, but if there were no other strange occurrences on the bridge, then that theory falls through. Fascinating! I have Thunderbirds all over the house as it was one of Rick’s favorite symbols to paint. Thank you for sharing this bizarre story!
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That would have made for a great theory, Jan. If anything odd was involved, a vortex of some sort does seem to make more sense. You’d think a giant bird carrying off a man would have been spotted by SOMEONE 🙂
I think the thunderbird is such a cool symbol. How fabulous that you have all those paintings of Rick’s!
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Yes, I’ve heard of Thunderbirds and their connection to Native history. Could it be something prehistoric? (thinking pterodactyl)
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That’s what I thought of too, Mark…pterodactyls fit like a glove. My Wednesday Weirdness post for next week sort of veers in that direction!
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Mae, these thunderbirds are new to me and wow, what a story! I get goosebumps from reading your post and wonder what did happen to Tom and if he ever returned from South Africa? I’ll be looking up into the sky with unease!
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Annika, it surprises me how many readers were unfamiliar with thunderbirds. I thought this was an interesting story and would love to have learned what became of Tom afterward. And as strange as it may seem “large bird” sightings are still going on in this century!
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A spooky PA tale! Intriguing and fascinating. 😲
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Hi! Thanks for visiting and checking it out. I’m glad you found it interesting! 🙂
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I’ve never come across Thunderbirds before, but I INSTANTLY love the legend and feel they’d go perfectly in my series. I gotta go check this out…. Thanks aMAEzing girl!
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Jess, thunderbirds are huge in western America, and especially in itionNative American culture. I can definitely see them fitting in with your series. I think they’d make a cool addition.
P.S….loved your play on my name 😀
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🤗
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Thunderbirds are completely new to me, Mae, and I have never heard of them in South Africa. How very creepy.
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I’m glad I could introduce a new legend to you, Robbie. Thunderbirds are mostly commonly associated with Native American culture and also the American West. I was surprised to find out many sightings there are in my home state of Pennsylvania, located in the east.
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I’ve heard of Thunderbirds, but I thought they were strictly part of Native American mythology. What a fascinating tale Mae. I’d love to know how the rest of Tom’s life played out.
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I’d also love to learn what happened to Tom afterward, and if he ever got his memory back of those missing four years.
When it comes to Thunderbirds, I always think of Native American culture, too. I was surprised to learn how much they factor into other legends and myths. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!
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