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written by maggie hatfield
MOUNTAIN STATE
M
s
Local Flavor
artwork by liz pavlovic
A
mong the hills and hollows of the
Mountain State live the legends of
creatures from another realm. Two
that have earned worldwide fame are the
Flatwoods Monster, which is believed to have
arrived in Flatwoods, WV, in 1952, and
the Mothman, a terrifying presence that
showed up in Point Pleasant, WV, in 1966.
The fascination created by these purported beings brings
people from near and far to learn more about the monster
sightings and try to catch a glimpse for themselves. Now
with a festival to commemorate each creature’s West
Virginia homecoming, Flatwoods and Point Pleasant make
it easier than ever for curious onlookers to delve deeper into
the mysteries that are the monsters of the Mountain State.
Flatwoods Monster
Although not the first sighting of the Flatwoods Monster, the
incident that took place in Flatwoods, WV, on September
12, 1952, is certainly the one that stands out in people’s
minds. That evening, a fireball streaked across the sky, falling
behind a hill on G. Bailey Fisher’s farm. Witnesses went to
investigate and reported an alien creature 10-12 feet in
height with a colorless body, bright red head and glowing
eyes. When the group returned to the location later, they
only found a lingering odor, skid marks and trampled grass.
The Flatwoods Monster has not been seen since, but its
sightings stirred a curiosity that has never waned—and
the local community is encouraging paranormal fans to
visit where it all happened. The Flatwoods Monster Museum
commemorates the events with artifacts, memorabilia
and souvenirs. The Braxton County Convention & Visitors
Bureau has also placed five, 10-foot Flatwoods Monster
chairs around the county that guests are encouraged to
visit for photo ops.
The town of Point Pleasant embraces the folklore of Mothman,
recognizing his purported presence in 1966-1967 with a
12-foot-tall metallic statue of the creature. Next door to the
statue is the Mothman Museum, which houses historical
documents, eyewitness reports and the largest collection
of memorabilia from the movie “The Mothman Prophecies.”
Point Pleasant also hosts the annual Mothman Festival the
third weekend in September. People from all over the world
gather around Point Pleasant’s Main Street to celebrate
the red-eyed cryptid during this one-of-a-kind event. The
festival offers something for everyone, from local bands,
national guest speakers, authors and investigators to
guided tours of the TNT area, a 5k race and photo ops
with the Mothman himself. For information on the 2020
event, visit www.mothmanfestival.com.
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In November 1966, residents of Point
Pleasant, WV, began seeing a winged
creature in their small town. Over the course of a year, there
was a total of 26 sightings, many of which were in or near the
abandoned TNT area. As sightings increased, the number of
unexplained events occurring in town did as well, including
disruptions with electronics and automobiles and reports
of UFO sightings. When the Silver Bridge collapsed on
December 15, 1967, killing 20 people, locals wondered if
the engineering disaster was linked to the creature.
Gr
a l l yg a s
Mothman
The Flatwoods Monster and the Mothman aren’t the only unusual creatures reportedly found in the Mountain State.
In fact, West Virginia folklore is full of encounters with unusual beings. Here are a few more to be on the lookout for.
Fact or Folklore?
Sn
The movement to explore UFOs,
the paranormal and the infamous
Flatwoods Monster continues
to grow. In September 2019, the
town held its first-ever Flatwoods
Monster Festival, and event
organizers hope to host a second
festival in the near future.
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