Written by Maggie Hatfield
Artwork by Liz Pavlovic
Among 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 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.
Mothman
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.
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.
