The Legend Of The Green Man: Raymond Robinson Had No Face, Friends

By | January 23, 2020

Robinson's face was burned off as a boy

Have you heard the one about Green Man? You know, the guy without a face who walks the highway at night? Supposedly, he fell into a vat of acid, but some people say that he removed his own face. He could also be a fisherman who was struck by lightning or a young boy who was electrocuted by downed power lines, depending on who you ask. People call him Green Man or Charlie No Face, but this urban legend got its start in real life. The real Green Man, Raymond Robinson, wasn't green at all, but his face had been burned off in a childhood accident. He lived his life as best he could while taking walks through western Pennsylvania. Throughout his life, he attracted the attention of locals and tourists who wanted to see the legend in real life.

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Source: Wikipedia

Born on October 29, 1910 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Robinson was just a regular boy for the first nine years of his life. He played with his friends and found fun in the fields and streams behind his parents' home. On June 18, 1919, however, all of that would change.

On that day, Robinson and his friends decided to play at the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler, and New Castle Railway Co. bridge spanning Wallace Run. The bridge carried massive amounts of electricity, and it was nowhere for kids to play. Tragically but predictably, Robinson was injured by an electrical line while climbing a pole. He survived despite his grim prognosis, but his face was completely destroyed, and he went through the rest of his life without eyes, a nose, or a right arm. Many people would fold under this kind of pain, but Robinson refused to let his injuries force him into solitude.

He kept busy during his day-to-day life

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Source: All That's Interesting

Robinson didn't spend his life lamenting his physical impairment. Instead, he hung out with his family in Koppel, Pennsylvania while weaving doormats, wallets, and belts as a way to make some extra cash. At times, he wore a prosthetic nose and a big pair of glasses, but he was just as comfortable bare-faced, and his loved ones had long become accustomed to his appearance. His nephew said:

He never discussed his injuries or his problems at all. It was just a reality, and there was nothing he could do about it, so he never spoke about it. He never complained about anything.

For fun, Robinson listened to the radio during the day and walked along State Route 351 with a walking stick for hours at a time.