markgrago
For those of you who grew up in the Koppel/New Galilee area, there is no dispute in who Charlie-No Face was. But who was he really? His story and life are one of the most fascinating in all of Pennsylvania urban legend and folklore; if you have studied Pennsylvania urban legend, you know this story. While there are many stories that circulate about him, it is really not that difficult to get to the man himself. We can start with what is actually known. The legendary status of Charlie-No Face is comparable to that of Michael Myers or The Boogeyman himself; however, at one time, he was a normal boy whose curiosity and courage got the best of him.
His name was Raymond Robinson, and he was born in Beaver County on October 29th, 1910. His father worked in a sandstone quarry in Big Beaver. According to census records, Ray grew up in Morado just north of Beaver Falls. His father died suddenly when he was 7 years of age, and his mother married Ray’s uncle. Sometime later, tragedy struck!
On a hot summer day in 1919, Ray was challenged by one of his friends to climb a pole on the Morado Bridge; this was a bridge that connected Wallace Run Road to Morado so passengers could connect there and ride back to Beaver Falls. While climbing this bridge, Ray, accidently, came into contact with live wires and was severely electrocuted; he was rushed to Providence Hospital where he spent many weeks in critical condition. He was not expected to live; his electrocution burns disfigured his mouth, loss of his eyes, part of his nose, and even severed his right arm below the elbow! It was finally decided by a team of doctors to have Ray transferred to Pittsburgh to receive a number of operations in an attempt to rectify some of his deformities. It proved, nevertheless, to be futile, and Ray returned home. From there, he lived the rest of his life in seclusion, save for cutting grass in the yard from time to time. Sometime around 1920, the family bought a house in Big Beaver Township. (Most folks agree that the location of the home was on Mount Street just outside the limits of Koppel. I am not certain if it is still there.) 
It was around this time that Charlie-No Face the Legend was born. Because of his severely disfigured face, Ray was unable to work or return to school. He passed the time inside his house by listening to the radio, making crafts, and hiking in the woods near his home. However, his status became famous by his nightly walks along Route 351 that connects Koppel with New Galilee. It was here on these nightly walks that Ray, somehow, began being called The Green Man; some of the local folks say it was because he wore green khakis at night while he walked or that parts of his skin under the streetlights glowed an eerie green.
These nightly walks continued for many years in the 1950’s and 60’s. He kept his course with a walking stick while one foot on the road and the other on the gravel shoulder. Generally speaking, most folks were kind to Ray. They would give him cigarettes and beer in exchange for conversation and photos. However, some of the kids were cruel to him by lacing his cigarettes with drugs and curse and throw things at him. As the years went on, Ray’s parents passed away in the early 1960’s and he and his sister continued to live in the house until her passing sometime in the 1970’s. Ray’s health and age finally caught up with him and he lived out his final days in Beaver County Geriatric Center (now Friendship Ridge).
Ray died on June 11th, 1985. He is buried in Grandview Cemetery in Beaver Falls. (If you have visited this place, you know how quiet and gorgeous a place it is. Ray would be pleased.)
Over the years, many terrible and frightening stories have circulated about Mr. Robinson; none of them are true! My Mother had met him several times as a teenager and she told me that he was a very friendly and outgoing person, completely normal in many respects, just badly disfigured. She said when he walked at night, he would wear a hood over his face so he would not frighten anyone or gain attention; however, that is exactly how folks recognized him.
Many of us in Beaver County know the urban legend of Charlie-No Face, but FEW actually know the kind and generous man he actually was. Some of these stories place him all over the region, when he, in fact, never journeyed outside of Beaver County ever again.
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