The city of Kirtland, Ohio, on the eastern portion of Cleveland suburbia, is usually noted for its historical significance, such as being an early headquarters for the Latter-Day Saints movement. Today, however, we’re going in a slightly different direction…
According to legend, Kirtland was home to an infamous doctor, Dr. Crow (or Crowe, or Krow) who, among other things, liked to do bizarre and somewhat illegal experiments on children. These experiments are said to have left these subjects with physical deformities, something along the lines of what we might see with Hydrocephalus, only with a darker, more sinister tone. (Hydrocephalus is a real medical condition caused by an excess of cerebrospinal fluid that backs up around the brain, causing the skull to enlarge in unusual ways, as well as developing symptoms ranging from headaches to impaired vision, sometimes making it hard to do things like go to the bathroom.)
They call Dr. Crow’s victims Melon Heads on account of the enlarged skulls, deformed faces, oversized eyes, among other deformities.
Some legends say that Dr. Crow ran an orphanage, conducting his experiments on children who were otherwise forgotten. Occasionally, he teamed up with his wife, Mrs. Crow, to conduct the experiments.
They say that at some point, the orphanage burnt down – the result of either a lightning storm, or perhaps a few of the children started to fight back. After this, nobody seems to know what happened to Dr. Crew – either he found an abandoned building or shed to continue his experiments, or he and the children he experimented on perished.
Either way, ghosts now are said to haunt the roads, the woods. At night, people have said they’ve seen a man, dressed all in black, often holding some kind of primitive medical equipment. Usually, however, it’s the children that are spotted. Children with oversized heads, large eyes that give them an otherworldly appearance. Children who are referred to as Melon Heads.
Any Truth to the Legends?
As is frequently the case – the historical record gives us absolutely no clues. There is no indication that there ever was a Dr. Crow who lived in the area, let alone anyone with a name spelled or pronounced closely that could be the doctor in question. We know about all the orphanages that were in the area, and none of them could have hosted the events that the legends dictate.
Similarly, we’ve found no record of any children, whether Hydrocephalus patients or not, who were documented in the area.
So … as far as the historical record goes, there’s no evidence that any part of this legend has any degree of truth, whatsoever.
For that reason, I must come to the conclusion that these are great stories to scare children around a campfire … and little more. But… there’s a slight chance there could be a wee bit of truth somewhere. Then again …
We Aren’t Alone
Both Michigan and Connecticut have similar legends.
The southern span of the forest region of Ottawa County is said to be haunted by Melon Heads, although these appear to be connected to a place that did exist – the Dorr E. Felt Mansion in Saugatuck, which used to be neighbors of the Junction Insane Asylum which may have had a history with Hydrocephalus patients.
Their legend states that these children ran into the woods to escape the cruel medical treatment, or from exhaustion, and ultimately became feral.
The asylum in question never really existed as it was described by the legend, however the place it was supposedly a part of was at the time a prison, so there is a remote chance it dealt with Hydrocephalus inmates.
The 2011 horror film The Melonheads is, supposedly, based largely on this legend.
Connecticut has its own Melon Head legend, although this one has a much wider geographic imprint, depending on which version of the story you’ve heard.
In one version, an asylum in Fairfield County burned down, but many of the inmates escaped and were forced to live on the land. Because so many of them resorted to cannibalism, this caused their offspring to develop symptoms of Hydrocephalus.
The other legend has the Melon Heads as descendants of a Colonel-era family, with the Hydrocephalus caused by either a curse put upon the family, or the result of inbreeding – if not both.
While all these legends are vastly different, there are a few commonalities, however loose they may be.
Where Did the Stories Come From?
Quite often, legends like this one date from the time when we were just beginning to understand modern medical science. There were still those who believed that medical abnormalities were caused by devious forces, such as witchcraft, or anything of an occult nature.
Sadly, this began an era of medical experimentation which, now that we look back at it, was relatively horrific. The victims of this experimentation were often people that society dehumanized or at least didn’t equate to the same level of humanity that regular people maintained. In other words – people with some form of mental, physical, developmental or occupational disability.
Under the guise of “helping them” they would be placed into asylums that appeared to be better equipped to handle those with special needs. Yet there was also an element of hiding these people away from “polite society” to ease the shame families felt because Aunt Irma would often fart at the dinner table. Or, when she had the absolute nerve to argue with a man. (GASP! The horror! How dare she express opinions that her father or husband didn’t tell her she had.)
They didn’t know why people were the way they were, so they did some terrible things in hope of finding that out and maybe learning something else in the process.
