Sometimes, events can be too strange and unsettling to explain—so they’re eventually forgotten altogether.

If you’ve ever heard of “Eugene the Mummy,” you should know that he was a real man who passed away in Ohio. He came to a small town in Ohio for work, died of natural causes and was never identified. To this day he has yet to be identified and it took nearly 36 years for the town to bury him. Read on to find out how, when and where this strange piece of Ohio history unfolded:

The small town of Sabina, known as “The Eden of Ohio,” was once home to “Eugene the Mummy,” an unidentified dead man who became an unusual roadside attraction—and was displayed in the town for more than 36 years.
J Stephen Conn/Flickr
In the late 1920s, an unknown man was found walking along a road just a few miles outside of Sabina.
Although he was rumored to be looking for work, he was found dead days later on the side of the road, supposedly from natural causes.
Aseopposea/Wikimedia Commons
The body had no identification on it, only a slip of paper with a Cincinnati address of 1118 Yale Ave.—which lead to nothing more than a vacant lot.

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Although the body was never identified, the unidentified man became known as Eugene simply because a man named Eugene lived near the address on the slip of paper that lead to the vacant lot.
metropolisvideo1/YouTube screen shot
Eugene was taken to the local funeral home, where he was embalmed and held for identification—an identification that was never made. For more than 36 years, Eugene rested on a couch in a small building behind the funeral home. When people got word of this strange display, they came form all over to see Eugene. Locals frequently gave directions to out-of-towners passing through. Over the years, millions of people from all over the country came to Sabina and observed Eugene, yet no one recognized him.
Eugene was finally buried after multiple disrespectful pranks were pulled with him. Locals even report that one night some college students stole the body and placed him on a park bench on campus.
Eugene of Sabina/Facebook
Today, Eugene rests in a grave in the town’s cemetery. The headstone reads: "Eugene, Found Dead: 1928, Buried: 1964."

 

To view an in-depth news segment on this story and hear locals talk about what it was like having Eugene displayed in Sabina for a number of years, watch the video below:


What do you think of this strange piece of Ohio history? Did you know about it? Let us know your thoughts!

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