There’s nothing worse than your furnace going out in the middle of February. The cold winter months may seem like an eternity away, but you won’t be saying that when you’re wrapped in your snuggie and every coat you own trying to stay warm until someone…anyone can squeeze you in for an emergency furnace installation.

If you replace your furnace before it’s breathed its last breath, you will feel extremely smug, and also very very warm and cozy. But you’ll feel even MORE smug when the new A/C unit you got for freeeeeeeee is keeping you cool when summer comes.

Be smart. Be smug.

After all, it’s not every day someone just gives you a new A/C unit!

Let’s talk cryptids. Because every good state has one, and in Ohio, we don’t just have ghosts, UFOs, and haunted amusement parks—we’ve got Grassman.

No, not your neighbor who refuses to mow his lawn until it reaches “prairie restoration” levels. The Ohio Grassman is our very own Bigfoot-adjacent creature, spotted for decades in the hills of eastern Ohio, especially around Salt Fork State Park.

Picture this: a massive, 7- to 9-foot-tall ape-like figure covered in dark matted hair, reportedly weighing over 300 pounds, and (bonus) supposedly smelling like wet moss and swamp water.

First sightings go back to the 1800s, when early settlers described a "wild man" roaming the woods and stealing food. But it really took off in the 1970s, with sightings near Minerva, Ohio that involved multiple family members, police, and a whole lot of panic.

The Minerva Monster, as that specific sighting became known, is often lumped in with the Grassman legend. Witnesses reported glowing eyes, loud grunting, and rocks thrown at homes. The local sheriff investigated but never found solid evidence—just a lot of freaked-out folks and trampled brush.

Some say the name comes from nests made of thick grass and reeds, which the creature allegedly builds to sleep in. (Because apparently cryptids enjoy glamping too.)

Others just think it sounds cooler than “Ohio Sasquatch,” which let’s be honest, does feel a little like branding from a minor league hockey team.

And some say he’s called the Grassman because his diet is mostly grass—which honestly sounds less “cryptid” and more “Coachella cleanse.”

Either way, someone get this guy a cheeseburger. 🍔

Experts tend to chalk Grassman sightings up to misidentified animals (bears, usually), hoaxes, or the ever-powerful force of suggestion.

Once you know something might be lurking in the woods, your brain starts to fill in the blanks. And if you're camping with your cousin who watches nothing but paranormal YouTube… well, good luck sleeping. 😱🦧

Ohio’s woods are deep, quiet, and weird. Salt Fork alone spans 17,000 acres, and it’s easy for us to forget just how big and undeveloped huge parts of the state are. Could something be hiding out there? Something big, smelly, and camera-shy?

Whether you’re a true believer or a friendly skeptic, the Grassman has become part of Ohio folklore. There are festivals, documentaries, and even night hikes devoted to finding him. And at this point, he’s more than a monster—he’s a vibe.

Let’s just say… if you hear heavy footsteps and the smell of swamp hits your nose, maybe don’t investigate alone.

Especially if you're in flip-flops.

Take a peek and see if it’s Bigfoot… or just a very outdoorsy uncle.

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization maintains a detailed log of 19 classified sightings in Portage County, including eyewitness accounts of nighttime encounters, tracks, vocalizations, and daylight sightings dating back to the 1960s.

If you're curious about the raw reports—from Class A (visual) to Class B (indirect evidence)—this is the full deep dive.

➡️ Explore BFRO Portage County sightings

In March 2008, two women fishing along the Rocky River in North Olmsted (part of Cleveland’s metro area) reported a Class A Bigfoot sighting: a large figure seen plain in daylight across the river.

Even after they lost touch, both women stuck to their story—which honestly makes it even weirder.

➡️ Read the full BFRO report – Rocky River Reservation

A 1995 report details how three hikers near Brandywine Falls heard a strange howl and saw a bipedal, fast-moving creature charging through a swamp.

And let’s just say, if The Grassman really can power through chest-deep swamp land at top speed, I’d be outta there too.

➡️ Explore the Cuyahoga Valley NP hikers’ story

Two hiker-turned-sleuths claim they spotted a Bigfoot-like creature in Salt Fork State Park (about 2 hours southeast of Cleveland).

The park hosts an annual Bigfoot conference and has over 36 sightings attributed to the area.

➡️ Read more about the centuries of Salt Fork sightings

Planning a trip to Salt Fork State Park to see if the legend holds up?

Bring snacks. He might just want a granola bar and someone to talk to. 🦶🌾Unless he’s actually just a bear. In which case - def no snacks. 🙅‍♀️

P.S. If you love Bigfoot lore as much as I do then you won’t want to miss the Ohio Bigfoot Jamboree coming up in early October!