The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-01-18
CRAZYMAN's CASTLE.
NOVEL STRUCTURE ERECTED
BY CIVIL WAR VETERAN.
For Forty-Two Years the Builder
Labored at 1t Daily, But
Never Completed His
Task.

NtNtf Ooiipictcu Ills
Task.
For 40 years passengers on the steam.
boats plying the Mississippi river be.
tween st. Paul and st. Louis have risen
at daylight, stayed up till dark. OF
passed up their meals that they might
see the far-famed "Crazyman's castle.
on the right bank of the Mississippi riv-
or, about so miles south of st. Paul
near the village Of Minneiska. MINI.
There is something intensely interest.
ing about the castle that excites the
wonder and admiration of all behold
ers, for II was the work of one man. COW
| ering period of more than 40 years and
that man man Of mystery" without
education as an architect or builder,
though polished, accomplished gentle.
man.
The castle was erected on a plateau
of rock near the river bank under the
shadows of towering bluff, and stands
out prominently like the home of some
feudal lord.
There came to Mlnneiska ~ years
ago. Putnam Gray. straight from the
battlefields of the civil war. Why he
came here nobody knows. Whether nc
came to seek seclusion from the world
and bury himself from friends and rela
tives no one has ever been able to dis.
cover. When he arrived he was still Ill
from wound in his head. caused by the
bursting shell ON the field of battle al
Shiloh.
For az years Putnam Gray has labored
daily to complete his novel structure
the only ambition of his life, and for
which he was often heard to say that
he wished his life would be spared.
He began collecting logs, driftwood
and wreckage. of which his castle" is
constructed. a circumstance which
makes his achievement in building all
The more remarkable.
During the first year of his residence
here he earned few dollars by tending
The government lights on the river at
that point. but aside from this period
he has never sought employment. other
than that Of building his castle.
He accomplished his work withou;
nails or other building material. save
that which he obtained from floating
wrecks. broken lumber. and logs tSat
came down to him on the current of The
Mississippi river. The main part OF th !,
castle is three stories high.
The lower story and foundation is
built of logs, carefully dressed. The Sec
ond story is constructed from the hulIs
of three wrecked steamboats,, while the
upper part is made of lighter materl-
al. such as the upper decks of steam
boats. Several frowning towers are seen
rising to twice or three times the height
of the main structure, while at each cor
ner is watch tower. Bubbling up in tho
center OF the ground floor Is spring OF
pure ice-cold water, which has bubbled
necessarily as the old man toiled To
complete his life work.
Putnam Gray is not insane. When he
first began to erect his castle" the
steamboat men called II crazy affair,
and this term has been applied to hin,
and his home, though since the steam
boat men have been compelled 10 &C.
knowledge that his work, with scant
tools and raw material, would do ere III
to many first-class mechanics. He Is
now rs years old, and the first mishap
which came TO him, after weathering the
storms OF 40 years, occurred last sum.
mer, when terrific storm swept the
river and partially demolished his still
incompleted castle"
81 can't finish 1t now" he cried. Il am
too old and feeble, and II was almost
completed" The tears came to the old
mans eyes and his voice trembled as he
gave vent to his feelings, but he did
something he never did before. The ST.
lent man became talkative, and to the
few sightseers who ever came to view
the storms work. he told where the vari.
GUS parts of the building had come
from-the stairways, holdings. and win.
dows from this or that steamboat which
had fioated ashore after being wrecked
But he gave the curious visitors no fur.
ther information concerning himself.
Thousands Of passengers on the pass.
ing steamboats, and as many visitors
have admired "Crazyman's Castle" for
more than quarter of century, and
none will forget It or the strange old
man who built II.