The Grafton Monster

From the Grafton Monster Facebook Page

West Virginia is home to a number of strange and unusual incidents, and quite a few popular 'monsters' of pop culture today got their start here in the Mountain State! Joining Mothman, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster is a weird, white, headless horror from Taylor County known as the Grafton Monster. 

On June 16, 1964, Robert Cockrell was headed home along Riverside Drive in Grafton. For the most part, Riverside Drive is a straight stretch of road with the Tygart River on one side, and much of the other being either steep cliff or heavy underbrush. At around 11 p.m., Robert had just rounded the last curve and had hit the straightaway. Going about 50 mph with no other car in sight, he flipped on his high beams. The bright lights of his vehicle illuminated something that immediately grabbed his attention. Standing to the right of the road, in the narrow strip of land between the road and the riverbank, white a GIANT white mass.

Standing 7 to 9 feet tall and measuring about 4 feet wide at its widest point, this THING lacked a discernable head, but Robert knew immediately it was some type of living creature. It had seal-like skin, or some type of covering with a distinct sheen to it. Understandably, Robert floored it and raced towards his house. But, by the time he got there, he had calmed down and realized that as a reporter for the Grafton Sentinel, he really should go back and investigate.

Robert grabbed two buddies, Jerry Morse and Jim Mouser, and the three men headed back to the spot where the creature had been seen. Fortunately for them, the monster was nowhere to be found, and it didn't leave any tracks that would have aided in its identification or direction it took off in. What they did find, however, was that quite a bit of the vegetation in that area had been mashed down, like you'd expect to see if a giant creature had been stomping through. 

The three men looked for about an hour and never saw any proof of the monster. What is strange, though, is that intermittently, they would hear a strange whistling sound coming from the river that they just couldn't place. Robert made a decision to keep quiet about the whole incident, but it leaked out and by the next night, dozens of teens ascended on Riverside Drive, armed with such things as mallets and crowbars, to do some literal monster hunting. Robert claims that at least 20 people mentioned that they had seen something similar in the area, and it was even claimed that the creature was spotted in Morgantown and made its way south to Grafton implementing the river system. 

Two newspaper articles appeared in the Sentinel in the following days, but as opposed to being a serious account of Robert Cockrell's experience, these articles were more tongue-in-cheek, focusing on the teen monster hunting aspect, and theorizing that the monster was nothing more than either someone pushing boxes on a handcart, or a combination of boredom fueled by ANOTHER monster sighting from Michigan that was making newspaper headlines across the country. Known as the Dewey Lake Monster, there were a few definite similarities, but it doesn't seem plausible that Michigan's creature would come vacation in West Virginia for the season. Other explanations explored included an escaped polar bear or even someone hauling a refrigerator. 

By July, Robert had reached out to West Virginia's own colorful and controversial UFOlogist, Gray Barker. Barker interviewed Robert and even wrote an article chronicling the account. That article doesn't appear to have ever been published, but it, along with some letters back and forth between Barker and Cockrell, including newspaper clippings, are preserved in the Gray Barker archives, housed on the campus of the Harrison County Public Library in Clarksburg. 

Unlike the Mothman sightings that would hit Point Pleasant two years later and last over a year, nothing more was mentioned about the Headless Horror of Grafton, and the monster faded into obscurity for many years. Lucky for us, the tale was rediscovered and shared to the masses through an episode of Mountain Monster and of course, the creature's inclusion in the popular Fallout 76 video game. 

Today, the Grafton Monster has its own pop culture following and has taken up its rightful place in West Virginia folklore. There's even an annual Grafton Monster Festival held in Grafton, featuring speakers, vendors, and so much more. And, if you ever find yourself on Riverside Drive at night, make sure to turn on your high beams and scan the riverbank. You never know what you'll encounter! 

Articles from the Grafton Sentinel
Gray Barker Archives

Theresa's Note: I may transcribe the newspaper articles, the correspondence between Barker and Cockrell, and Barker's unpublished article at a later date. Instead of making a separate post, I'll probably just update this one, so if that's something you're interested in, please check back! You can also find these documents transcribed in Tony Breeden's Gray Barker's Book of Monsters Volume II. 

No Cottage #13 for Lake Shawnee!

Lake Shawnee (2024)

"Somehow they [hotel guests] feel that to occupy room 13 would be to invite fate to make them the principal ingredients in a murder mystery, with hotel towels used for strangulation purposes."--Conley T. Snidow

Happy Friday the 13th! Today is a day that I love to share strange superstitions and quirky coincidences regarding Friday the 13th, and the number 13 in general being feared and thought 'unlucky.' Today's post was especially fun to share because it directly ties to one of West Virginia's most famous haunted locations: Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Mercer County! 

Lake Shawnee has been on my mind a LOT lately, as I prepare for the first ever Haunt Fest on June 21st. Haunt Fest is an amazing paranormal and vendor convention, hosted by Appalachian Ghost Tours. Dozens of vendors, speakers, workshops, ghost hunts, and much more await those brave enough to spend the day at the site of the former park. For those who are REALLY brave (or just really tired) overnight camping will be available for an additional fee (please register with Lake Shawnee beforehand). But, unfortunately, things will look a little different than they did nearly 100 years ago. You will have to bring your own tent, as opposed to staying in the state-of-the-art vacation cottages that were such a draw when the park was in its early years. 

Lake Shawnee, or Shawnee Lake as it was more popularly known, opened in the summer of 1926 under the ownership of Conley T. Snidow and his family. Both a lake and a swimming pool were the main attractions, with a few rides added in over the years. Nightly dances were a staple and many, many groups held meetings, picnics, and other events at the park. Visitors came from miles around, and many rented out a cabin or cottage on-site to make the most of their vacation. 

The Virginian Hotel
Princeton, WV

By 1936, the park boasted thirteen...yes, THIRTEEN cabins or cottages on the property. However, in the Bug Dust column of the Beckley Raleigh Register, Snidow makes it a point to ensure potential guests that they never had to stay in the 'unlucky' Cabin 13. You see, the Snidow family reserved two of the cabins for their own use, leaving only eleven rentable cabins. 

The column further goes on to explain that this was a conscious decision on Snidow's part, due largely to Snidow's experience as a hotel owner and dealing with superstitious guests. In addition to Lake Shawnee, Snidow also owned and operated the Virginian Hotel in downtown Princeton, WV. He quickly learned that guests did not want to stay in a Room 13. To quote the article: "Somehow they [hotel guests] feel that to occupy room 13 would be to invite fate to make them the principal ingredients in a murder mystery, with hotel towels used for strangulation purposes."

Ironically, 60 years later another cabin, Cabin #13 at Babcock State Park in Fayette County, WOULD become central to a murder mystery when a preacher from Nitro, WV, Michael Flippo, murdered his wife Cheryl and tried to blame a mysterious intruder. Today, many believe that cabin to be haunted. But...that story is for another Friday the 13th. There's also a blog post in the works further exploring some legitimate bad luck associated with the Virginian Hotel, and how one tragic event may have led to a popular ghost story connected to the park. 

If you'd like to learn more about the history and the hauntings of Lake Shawnee Amusement park, you can check out my Lake Shawnee page here on Theresa's Haunted History, which will be updated significantly this summer. You are also cordially invited to come join Appalachian Ghost Tours on June 21, 2025 for the first annual Haunt Fest!  Learn about the history and the hauntings and then join us at 8pm to midnight for a ghost hunt of the park to uncover its secrets for yourself! Please see the AGT Facebook Page or Haunt Fest Event Page for more information. 

The Raleigh Register
21 July 1936

Breaking News: Mothman Does NOT 'Love Lamp'

Ya'll. We've been lied to. All those cute lil' images of Mothman and his obsession with lamps, found in cartoons, memes, stickers, and even festival cosplay are unfounded. According to a newspaper article appearing in the Charleston Daily Mail on November 17, 1966, just a day after the Scarberry/Mallett sighting----Mothman HATED any sort of lights!  This rather, 'un-mothy' behavior, may not make sense at first, until you realize that witnesses and locals alike did not initially refer to the iconic creature as Mothman. They called it the Bird, or the Big Bird. It wasn't until a few days later that a newspaper reporter dubbed the being 'Mothman.'  Here's a transcript of the article:

NIGHT RIDER IN SKY AFRAID OF LIGHTS

People in Mason County are talking about a flying man who is afraid of lights.

He is a 6-foot creature with a wingspan of 10 feet and can scoot along at 100 miles per hour. 

Wednesday about midnight the gray and white replacement to mundane flying saucers startled two young couples driving north of Point. Pleasant on W.Va. 62, they said. 

Once they spotted it, they headed for town at 100 miles an hour and along came their weird airborne friend, breezing about 50 feet above them with the greatest of ease, they told police.

But once they neared the lighted confines of the town, the high horsepowered night rider in the sky veered around and took off toward the dark and less populous countryside---the two couples told police. 

Charleston Daily Mail
17 November 1966

Trooper Sees UFOs Over Ashland, Kentucky

Ashland, Kentucky

Throughout 1966 and 1967, flying saucers filled the skies over the tri-state area and beyond. In Point Pleasant, WV, residents were reporting UFOs, Men in Black, psychic experiences, and of course, our infamous Mothman. But a little over an hour away in Ashland, Kentucky, there were also strange reports of things in the skies. One example comes from late November of 1967 when a former pilot turned police trooper allegedly spotted several UFOs over the course of several hours.

Despite the potential for backlash, Patrolman Roger Gussler admitted to his co-workers that he had seen four to five flying saucers on or around the weekend of November 25. For over three hours,
Gussler watched the objects fly over Ashland at an elevation of 15,000 to 20,000 feet. They appeared as red blinking lights, but behaved in a manner not common to any known aircraft at the time. The lights were blinking much slower than a human aircraft. Also, the objects would zip through the skies at great speeds, then abruptly stop---an act which the human body could not handle. 

Gussler was not outright ridiculed by his colleagues. In fact, three other patrolmen agreed to a stakeout at a ranger tower nearby later in the week. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an update as to whether or not they actually saw anything themselves. This is an interesting story, however, because the main witness is not only a member of law enforcement but is also a former pilot. Both these positions would theoretically put him at a greater advantage of discerning the difference between a normal aircraft and one not of this world, and if he were caught lying or deemed 'crazy,' then the damage to his career and reputation would be irreparable. So, even as an unverifiable event, it has earned a spot in the archives of Fortean phenomena here at Theresa's Haunted History!

Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro KY)
28 November 1967

 

Harvey Fairman's Ghost Seeks Justice

One of my favorite themes in ghostlore is the idea of a spirit coming back to seek justice and/or revenge on the person who was responsible for their death. This is a trope that comes up time and time again, especially in some of West Virginia's older ghost stories, including this little gem from 1884. That year, the (Wheeling) Daily Register ran an article about a ghost sighting from Wayne County, WV that "silences the Wheeling [ghost] stories with its superior horrors." It is the tale of Harvey Fairman.

One summer evening, Alexander Moore was out hunting in an area near Bartrum Fork in the Big Lynn area of Wayne County (today, in the area of Genoa). Around dusk, he encountered a rather large, and rather strange goose-like creature, which was behaving oddly. He followed the goose, yet it disappeared into some bushes. Suddenly, Moore found himself face to face with a ghost...not a goose. 

He immediately recognized the ghost as Harvey Fairman, a farmer who had disappeared five years earlier. One winter night in 1879, he was out getting firewood but never returned home. Some thought he simply abandoned his family, while others claimed that the devoted husband and father would never do that. A search party was organized but was unsuccessful in locating Fairman. So, without any sort of evidence, it was largely concluded that he must have been murdered, and his body hidden. His family moved to another county and nothing more was ever said about ol' Harvey...until July of 1884.

Staring at this ghostly apparition, Moore was frozen in fear as Fairman gestured at his own neck. His throat had been slit ear to ear. Luckily, the paranormal doesn't follow our earthly laws of physics and despite such an injury, Fairman was able to speak to Moore. He told him that he had been murdered. For two days, his body had been hidden under his own granary but was later moved and hidden in a hollow tree nearby. Having given this statement, the ghost 'melted away,' leaving Moore to 'drag himself home.' 

Moore went before a Wayne County Justice of the Peace to give his version of events, and it was decided that an investigation should be opened to both look for the hollow tree presumably concealing Harvey's skeletal remains, as well as to inspect the granary for signs of a murder. 

Harvey failed to mention WHO killed him and WHY. And, unfortunately, the anticipated follow-up with a local correspondent either never came, was never published, or I simply haven't found it yet. In any event, it doesn't appear that Harvey Fairman ever truly received justice. Yet, no additional stories have surfaced of him reaching out from beyond the grave to anyone else unlucky enough to encounter a strange goose in the woods. 

The Daily Register
28 July 1884

St. Albans Lady in Black

 

Bridge over the Coal River
St. Albans, WV 1870

During the summer of 1871, the little river town recently renamed 'St. Albans,' located in what is now Kanawha County, WV was plagued by a ghost. This wasn't just any ghost; it was an infamous Lady in Black. An anonymous correspondent was quoted in a Wheeling Daily Intelligencer column from July 7th that a mysteriously lady in black had been spotted around town beginning in late June.

The first witness was a St. Albans resident named Mr. S-----. Mr. S----- was returning home late one evening from 'business' when he encountered the apparition. However, it didn't occur to him that she was anything other than a flesh and blood woman, except for maybe the fact that when he approached her, she disappeared into the bushes. 

He saw her several times over the next week, always between the hours of 11pm and midnight. He mentioned the weird behavior of this strange woman and shortly after a group of gentlemen out for a nightly stroll encountered her for themselves. One of the men was determined to discover who the mysterious woman was and began to go after her. However, the faster he went, she went, until both were at a run. He never did catch up with her. 

Others came forward and claimed that they, too, had seen the mysterious woman between 11pm and 12am, always on the same path. She was seen as if coming from the home of Colonel Cunningham and heading towards the old bridge. No one ever claimed to have known her true identity. 

Theresa's Note: Over the years, I've come across quite a few 'woman in black' tales from various towns across West Virginia and beyond. These tales all seem to have very similar elements; an unknown woman in black is seen very late at night by gentleman out doing, well, whatever. When she is approached, she speeds up and cannot be caught. These tales tend to be morality tales, or warnings to the men of town that they shouldn't be out and about so late at night. But I wonder if this ghostly woman was in fact, a real woman who perhaps was up to no good herself. It's odd that the correspondent made sure to note that she was seen coming from the area of Colonel Cunningham's residence (a Union soldier who had acquired much of Philip Thompson's land after the Civil War) but failed to give the full name of the main witness. Personally, I'd like to believe that the mysterious woman was simply a ghost, perhaps mourning the loss of a lover or son lost in the War, making her evening stroll down to the Coal River. If you're in the area, keep your eyes open. Even if you don't see the Woman in Black, chances are that in THAT area, you're bound to see something strange and unusual!

Guyandotte's Lady in Black

The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
07 July 1871

Cicada Used in 'Armed' Robbery

"Hands up!"

A giant, eerie creature with wings and menacing red eyes. At any other time, such a description found here on Theresa's Haunted History would probably indicate a post about West Virginia's infamous Mothman. However, on this particular Weird Wednesday, we're talking about something quite different, yet arguably, just as strange.

On June 4, 1987 two men in their 20s were accused of robbing the Cincinnati, OH restaurant, Grand Slam. They walked into the establishment and approached Marquisa Kellogg, a 22-year-old cashier. Instead of a firearm, or even a knife...the 'deadly weapon' of choice brandished by the alleged robbers was a big, nasty cicada. Yes, a cicada. 

Despite being a harmless insect, Marquisa fled in terror at having this thing thrust at her, which left the cash register unattended for several minutes while she composed herself. Upon returning to her post, she found the men (and their bug) gone, along with $25 in cash. Unfortunately, there were no security cameras there at the time, and no one saw the men take the money. To my knowledge, they were never identified. 

That summer, the 17 year cicadas were out in full force across the Eastern United States, including in Ohio, where local police would even claim that the insects were to blame for an increase in traffic accidents. In a later article by David Sarasohn of the Flint Journal, a rather tongue-in-cheek discussion emerged as to whether or not brandishing a cicada could qualify as a deadly weapon under the law, and thus, up the charges to first degree armed (winged?) robbery. 

But, is this story too weird to be true? Unfortunately, yeah...but there is a basis in truth to the whole tale, as Marquisa told a local newspaper in 2021. Decades after her story went viral, Marquisa was interviewed about what really happened that summer at Grand Slam. According to her, she and a friend were sitting outside the restaurant. She decided to play a prank on him, and grabbed a handful of cicadas that had accumulated there in abundance, and put them on him. Of course, he screamed and flailed around a bit, while Marquisa laughed. She then went inside to wait on two male customers. She knew these guys from the neighborhood, and considered them friends. While she was with them at the register, her friend from outside took that moment to exact his revenge. He rushed up to Marquisa and tossed a handful of cicadas directly at her FACE. 

Understandably, she booked it out of the way...and out of sight of the open register. When she returned, she noticed that the bills in the till were no longer straight and organized. She counted down her drawer and found that $25 was missing. The two customers swore they didn't take the money, and Marquisa was forced to call the police and make a report of a robbery. A poorly written police report (Marquisa believes the cop sold the story to the media) was picked up and published in newspapers across the country. 

As West Virginia and surrounding areas are currently dealing with our own cycle of cicadas, I can only hope that no one reading this takes a certain inspiration from the events transpired in Cincinnati back in 1987. These poor little creepy crawlies don't have much time here above the soil, so please don't implicate them into a life a crime, nor use them to terrorize your friends while they are at work. 

Stay weird, stay spooky, and watch out for those cicadas. And a big shout-out to the Facebook page, Historian of the Strange, where I first learned about this extremely interesting and bizarre story! 

The Bay City Times (Michigan)
06 June 1987

The Flint Journal (Michigan)
07 August 1987

The Times Recorder (Ohio)
16 June 2021

Stay Out of the Ohio River!

My AI attempt at illustrating
Naomi Johnson's attack in the Ohio River

I would NEVER advise anyone to go swimming in the Ohio River, especially around the Huntington, WV area. However, there was a time when the Ohio River flowing near Evansville, Indiana, was not only relatively clean, but it was fairly shallow at a maximum depth of 15 feet, and reasonably slow moving, at less than 1mph. Therefore, when temperatures became unbearably hot one summer day, two friends in the Dogtown area near Evansville decided the Ohio River would be the perfect place to cool off with a swim. 

It was Sunday, August 14, 1955. Naomi Johnson (35-year-old wife of Darwin Johnson) along with her three children and her friend Louise Lamble (wife of Chris Lamble) went down to the river for a swim. While the children played on the shore, Naomi swam out about 15 feet. Suddenly, she felt an enormous furry, clawed hand grab her left leg from beneath the water! It managed to pull her under, but she squirmed free. She resurfaced and managed to scream before the creature grabbed her again and pulled her under. Meanwhile, Louise was about 4 feet away and although she couldn't see what had a hold of Naomi, was desperately trying to get to her friend. Naomi managed once again to resurface and grab a rubber innertube that Louise had brought along. As she struggled to pull herself up onto the innertube, it made a loud, rubbery thump, which apparently scared the creature away long enough for the women to get safely to shore. 

Naomi's leg was covered in scratches and bruises for which she sought medical treatment. And although I couldn't find it in any of the news articles at the time, there was apparently a strange greenish-bluish handprint-shaped stain on her leg, which couldn't be washed off. My guess would be that if this 'fact' was known at the time the articles were written, it was probably just explained away as being a bruise and not some supernatural proof of contact with a strange being. 

Evansville Press
15 August 1955

Although it was a frightening and probably traumatic experience (Naomi even swore off ever swimming in the Ohio River again and vehemently warned neighbors that they, too, should avoid swimming there) one would think that the story really wasn't all that important to the annals of Fortean history. After all, no one actually SAW the furry claw that had a death grip on Naomi's leg. Was it actually some sort of monster...or could it have simply been a misidentification? One theory is that it could have been some plant material or other debris that Naomi got caught in. The sequel to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, called Revenge of the Creature, had just been released to theaters across the USA a few months before. And, having a 13-year-old son, Naomi was probably pretty familiar with popular movie monsters. It's possible that in that scary moment of almost drowning, those movies came to mind, and she mistook a piece of debris wrapped around her leg as being a hairy claw. 

But the story doesn't actually end there. In fact, it goes off into several directions and had me hopping down different rabbit holes, which cannot possibly be done justice in this one blog post. Nevertheless, I'll try to summarize a few of the directions in which this story took me, and as always, provide you with links and sources for more information. Anyway....

One week later, another strange incident would occur. On Sunday, August 21, 1955, a family in Kentucky were victims to a siege of "little green men," which would come to be known in the ufology field as the Kelly-Hopkinsville Little Green Men incident. The little creatures, believed to have ascended from a UFO spotted in the area, terrorized the family's property for hours. Their description, especially that of their long, webbed fingers with sharped claws, immediately resonated with Naomi when she read the story in her local paper. In a later news article, Naomi reiterates that the arms of the creature must have been long to have grabbed her the way they did (a description shared by the Hopkinsville creatures) and also was twice as strong as a human. 

Not only is she certain that the hand that grabbed her was the same as the hands on these little creatures, but hearing also that they were associated with a UFO landing nearby sparked a memory for her. Apparently, right before entering the river a week before, she and the rest of their swimming party had seen their own UFO! They had seen a shiny object in the sky, "about as big as the bottom of a bushel basket." Mrs. Lamble also saw the object, which they jokingly said at the time must have been a flying saucer, but her description was slightly different. She described a "long, slender looking light about the size of a wash pan or dishpan," but couldn't be more descriptive than that. 

Source

Within a week, two very strange incidents occurred, each involving a flying saucer and potentially a creature or creatures with long, furry, claw-like hands. And honestly, the distance between Evansville and Hopkinsville is not long, especially for a flying saucer! Presumably, such a craft would make the 83-mile journey well before the estimated hour and 15 minutes by modern car. Because of their proximity and shared details, these two events, whether related or not, are now closely tied together. But the rabbit holes don't stop with just that connection!

On Monday, August 22, an unknown woman drowned in the Ohio River at Evansville. She was described as an attractive brunette, about 20-30 years old. That evening, she had gone swimming in the river with two men she had met at a local tavern. The two men, who were questioned by police, said they tried to save the woman when it became apparent she was in trouble, but were unable to get to her in time. It wouldn't be until two days later that her body was recovered. 

I can only imagine how Naomi felt when she saw that another woman lost her life in almost the same place and same way that she narrowly avoided just a week before. But what happened? It is important to note that there is always an inherent danger when swimming, which increases exponentially in a body of water such as the Ohio River and also when you're swimming at NIGHT. Did she, too, get tangled up in some debris underwater? Were the men she was with not telling the truth about what happened that night? Or was she victim to an otherworldly creature lurking beneath the depths of the water? Again, drownings in the Ohio River were not uncommon. I actually found several articles about people drowning in the Ohio in or around Evansville, but it is kinda strange that this particular incident happened just a week after Naomi's experience, and a day after the Hopkinsville incident. 

Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblin/Little Green Men
Sketch by Bud Ledwith 
Source: UFO Evidence

These events all happened within a week during the summer of 1955. However, it wouldn't be the first time that a strange creature from the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana would cause problems. In July of 1903, a man named Frank Sedler was camping along the bank of the Ohio River on the Kentucky side, just across from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Around midnight, he heard a terrible scream coming from one of his kids in a separate tent. As he rushed to see what was wrong, he saw his one-year-old child in the clutches of a half-man/half-beast. The creature took off with the child, but when Sedler yelled, it dropped it at the river's edge, before jumping into the river itself. Sedler theorized that the creature was a baboon that had escaped from a boat show. 

Lawrenceburg and Evansville are admittedly quite a way away from each other, but what is fascinating is that in both the Hopkinsville case and Sedler's experience, MONKEYS were theorized to be the culprit as opposed to a monster, terrestrial or from outer space. And, since Naomi is so sure that what she experienced was the same thing as what was going on in Hopkinsville, her experience can theoretically be linked to monkeys as well. But why monkeys? 

I honestly can't answer that. If we can rule out escaped monkeys from circuses, private collectors, and zoos, where does that leave us? I saw an interesting idea brought up that perhaps the Hopkinsville "little green men," who weren't actually green, by the way, may HAVE come from that landed/crashed UFO seen by witnesses. In the 1950's, the United States was using monkeys as test subjects in its space program. What if all these flying saucers reported throughout the decade were experimental terrestrial aircraft containing monkey test subjects? Maybe these creatures were from another planet or even plane of existence and just resemble our earth primates. Again, I have no idea. What I do know, however, is that I will absolutely not be going swimming anywhere NEAR the Ohio River any time soon!

Sources and Further Reading:

Green Clawed Beast of the Ohio River

An Evansville Legend: The Attack of the Green Clawed Monster at Dogtown

The Courier-Journal 
24 July 1903

The Paducah Sun
16 August 1955

Evansville Press
15 August 1955

Evansville Press
23 August 1955
Pt. 1/2

Evansville Press
23 August 1955
Pt. 2/2

The Republic
26 August 1955

Leonard Boyce Rescued From Well: A HAPPY OHOCH Tale

Leonard Boyce at Williamson Memorial
with his nurse, Mrs. Madge Layne
The Weirton Daily Times 
14 August 1967

Thanks to the nature of this blog, too often I find myself sharing tragic tales of death and suffering associated with the haunted locations featured here. But, today, I wanted to share a HAPPY story from the former Williamson Memorial Hospital, now known as the haunted and historic Old Hospital on College Hill! 

On Friday, August 11th, 1967, Leonard Boyce of Lenore, WV set out to inspect a well on his family's property. Around 5:15 pm, the 15-year-old boy climbed down, but dislodged a rock, causing the wall of the well to collapse. The unfortunate youth was buried up to his shoulders in rock, mud and debris about halfway down the well. 

Rescue teams were immediately called in and worked throughout the night to free the boy. Several small cave-ins complicated the rescue operation as workers and on-lookers alike tried to keep the boy in good spirits. He was given water and hot chocolate through a tube throughout the night and encouraged to pray. Leonard admitted that at multiple times, he thought he was a 'goner,' and began to pray for forgiveness. When asked later what he was asking to be forgiven for, he confessed that he cussed sometimes. 

Heavy machinery finally arrived, and a trench was dug by the well. At about 5:07pm on Saturday, Tom Farley of Delbarton was able to pull Leonard out of a 30-inch opening, 14 feet down, feet first. Just prior, Leonard had been asking for a sandwich. 200 people were on-site to witness this miraculous recovery.

Leonard was immediately taken to Williamson Memorial Hospital, about 15 minutes away. He had a bluish complexion and his body was stiff and rigid. After 24 hours in the well, the boy's vital signs were good, but he had frost bite on his feet and needed intravenous feeding. He was entrusted to the care of Nurse Madge Layne, who was confident that the numb, hungry, and thirsty boy who had garnered so much attention for his harrowing 24 hours stuck in a well would be well enough to go home in just a few days. 

It's unlikely that those seeking ghosts at the Old Hospital on College Hill will encounter any hauntings associated with this story, but it is possible that a spirit residing in the halls of the haunted hospital may remember Nurse Layne and her dedication to her patients. If anything, this story reminds us that hospitals, while generally considered places full of negative energy, can also have happy memories attached as well. Although Williamson Memorial was a place where many died, sometimes under tragic circumstances, many others began life here...or as in other cases, had their lives SAVED here. Positive happy energy can leave an imprint on a location, too. 

If you want MORE OHOCH stories, check out my Old Hospital on College Hill page--LINK HERE! 

Tampa Bay Times
13 August 1967

Tampa Bay Times
13 August 1967

Pocahontas Ghost Causes Man to Faint

 

Today, Appalachian Ghost Tours, aided by members of WV Unseen, will return to the Pocahontas Fuel Company's office building in downtown Pocahontas, Virginia for a public investigation. I'm going to wait until after that investigation to publish a blog post on that particular location, but while we're waiting, I thought I'd share one of the town's historic ghost stories I found in the newspaper archives.  The following tale, transcribed below, comes from the Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press out of Bristol, Virginia, and is dated February 8, 1901. I honestly have no idea what the heck is going on in this story. Is it a true account, and if so did the gentleman actually see a ghost, or just a misidentification of a lady in a giant hat? Is it a bit of fanciful fiction, or even some sort of social and/or political commentary? I'll let you decide...

A POCAHONTAS GHOST

On Saturday evening a friend came in about 10 o'clock, just as all were leaving for a stroll down town. "Don't let me detain you," was his remark, "as I will go up stairs and take a sleep." In a short time he heard some noise below, slipped down in his stocking feet to the bottom of the stairs, stopping concluded that he had been dreaming. Started back, when he heard another noise, pushed the room door and standing in the middle of the room was a ghost with a horse collar extending over the forehead, about the size of a small stove pipe. He fainted. Just at time a lady entered the front door, and finding him in this condition, gathered a pitcher of water, the only water on the place, it being a dry day in Pocahontas, dashed it in his face, which revived him. He thought he had fallen in Bluestone. When he revived he found a beautiful young lady dressed in a splendid dotted white dress, with a very fashionable pompadoure hat. Not being satisfied with her looking glass she had come over to consult her young friend as to her make up. My young friend is only seventy years old, and I doubt if he gets another horse collar scare whether he will ask any of the young ladies to marry him or not. The young lady being one of the most beautiful and popular in the town, and her magnificent appearance on this occasion would have made an older man than my young friend faint. 

Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press
08 February 1901

William Campbell Paroled from WV State Penitentiary

WV State Penitentiary 1910
Source: WV History on View

During the early 1900's, it was customary for the governor of West Virginia to grant a Christmas-time pardon to an inmate of the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville. Usually, this was the oldest prisoner in age and/or the prisoner who at that time, had served the longest sentence and was no longer considered a threat to society. I like to feature these pardons each December, but it's rare to come across a NON-holiday pardon (or in this case, early parole) of an inmate. However, I did stumble upon one such case from 1908.

In 1905, William Campbell, an African American from Summers County, was sentenced to 12 years at the penitentiary for his alleged role in a robbery that took place on a Chesapeake and Ohio train. He, along with several other African American men were accused of robbing three white men of $1.20 in cash, a watch, and a knife. The three white men were forced to exit the train at Hinton, and Campbell was later picked up in nearby Ronceverte. 

Despite the victims not being able to positively identify Campbell, they couldn't say he WASN'T there either, so he was convicted, all the while maintaining his innocence. 

Campbell was described as a model prisoner but was unable to do much of the hard labor usually assigned to inmates as part of their punishment. Instead, he spent at least two years almost exclusively in the infirmary with a terminal case of tuberculosis. In May of 1908, the warden of the penitentiary wrote to Governor Dawson, requesting an early release on behalf of Campbell. Campbell wasn't given long to live, and he had relatives in Washington, D.C. willing to care for him. The request was granted, and Campbell went to spend the rest of his days in our nation's capital. Unfortunately, due to his extremely common name and lack of other details, I was unable to definitively confirm when Campbell did finally succumb to his illness. But, I think it's safe to say that his final breath was NOT taken behind the iron bars of the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville. 

Want MORE West Virginia State Penitentiary articles? CLICK HERE!

The Daily Telegram
Clarksburg, WV
22 May 1908

 

An UnHappy Mother's Day Ghost

Happy Mother's Day from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State! On a previous Mother's Day blog, I wrote about the strong bond between mother and child, and how that bond could not be broken, even in death. Usually, this bond is a beautiful and loving phenomenon, as illustrated in the case of the Greenbrier Ghost. Mary Heaster was so convinced that her daughter, Zona reached out to her from beyond the grave to seek help in bringing her murderer to justice, that she publicly testified this information, leading to the conviction of Zona's husband. But, today's story is a little different. When this mother passed away, her spirit reached out to them...not in a protective or loving way....but in a pretty scary way. It almost sounds like she was desperately trying to take one child WITH her. 

Did this 'ghost mother' have ill intentions toward her son, or was the ball of fire that landed on his chest, making him sick, and then her apparition carrying him towards the door before flinging him down just her way of trying to warn the family of something? Maybe she WAS being protective of the young boy, and trying to get him to the doctor! This story appeared in the July 6, 1888 edition of the (Wheeling) Daily Register, but occurs just across the river into Belmont County, OH. 

Daily Register (Wheeling, WV)
06 July 1888

Preston County Wild Man

Newburg ca 1910
Source

I wasn't planning on sharing another Wild Man story so soon, but as I was going through some old newspaper articles I had saved, I came across this story from the September 27, 1879 edition of the West Virginia Argus. It discusses a wild man located near 'Newfield.' Now, I couldn't find any confirmation of a Newfield anywhere in or near West Virginia, but the Argus is based in Preston County. There IS a town in Preston County named Newburg, which was incorporated in 1868 as a railroad town. If I had to guess, these events actually took place in Newburg.

Anyway, this is another story where the entity in question is not really a Bigfoot-type wild man but is obviously a human. However, similar to my recent story about the wild man seen around Berkeley Castle (see article HERE), this particular wild man has attributes that seem almost supernatural in nature. He is able to move with superhuman stealth and swiftness, and according to the article, glides almost snake-like, avoiding blows that should have easily hit their mark. 

This wild man was also pretty darn bold. Most of the wild man stories I post tend to feature those who are very shy in nature, trying to avoid contact with the civilized world as much as possible. This wild man, however, not only walked right into a guy's house as he was playing euchre with friends and hopped in his bed, but then SHOT HIM, hitting him in his hair, the next day. 

I've transcribed the article below with paragraph breaks to make it a little easier to read, and also included the original. In addition to the name of the town being a little off, there are some other minor errors, which I tried to leave in for the sake of posterity. 

A Wild Man

Newfield has come to the front with a hairy wild man, so awful mysterious, and formidable that he opens up a new field for thought and investigation. He has been seen by some of the most unimpeachable residents of, and visitors to, South Section. He is described as over six feet tall, clad in rough and scanty attire, and wearing a grizzly beard that reaches almost to his knees. 

Although he has chased several fishermen who have invaded his secluded domain in quest of brook trout, and shot a peaceable farmer near Newfield station, no active steps have been made toward his capture, and yet he roams at large. His latest and most daring exploit occurred about a week ago, when he left the gloom of the forest and actually entered an unoccupied dwelling in the broad light of day.

Large and heavy as the wild man is, he glides so swiftly and silently that he frequently is at hand before his coming has been observed. In this silent, ghost-like manner he is said to have floated into the house of a farmer named Payne. The farmer and three companions were engaged in an interesting game of euchre and were not aware of the wild untilan's company. Payne felt something bushy touching the back part of his head, when, looking up, he found it to be the great beard of the strange hermit. Payne jumped to his feet, and would have struck the silent visitor with a chair, but he avoided the blow, and with mysterious steps made his way to an adjoining room and stretched himself upon a bed.

Payne followed him and again raised the chair to strike him, but again he seemed to glide from beneath it, and this time he made his exit through the window by a gliding, snake-like motion, but as silently as a wreath of smoke ascends to the blue ether. The farmer watched him and saw him leave his premises and enter a patch of woods near by, and supposed he had disappeared for good, but during the evening of that same day he returned and was seen standing under a tree near the house as though deliberating whether to enter the house. After standing there a short time, he turned around suddenly and ran rapidly back to the woods. 

Next day one of the farmer's cows strayed away and he started off to look for it. Shortly after he left the house his family heard the sharp report of a rifle, and in a few minutes back came Payne, pale and breathless, and well-nigh done for. As soon as he could set the machinery of speech in motion he described in graphic language the cause of his excitement. It was an encounter with the wild man. He said he was walking through a small clearing, calling "ko boss, ko boss," when without warning he heard a rifle discharged close by and felt the wind of a bullet as it whistled over his forehead through the rim of his felt hat and through his erect hair. He fell flat upon the ground, partially stunned, and it was well he did, for the wild man, thinking his first shot had proved fatal, shouldered his piece and strode off into the underbrush. This strange episode is at present the theme uppermost all through South Section, and it is said that a posse of hunters are preparing to track the wild man, and if possible effect his capture alive or dead. 

West Virginia Argus
27 September 1879

TALA Tales: Dean Metheny

Find-a-Grave
Photo by Elaine Everitt

Whether there for an overnight investigation, or just a paranormal tour, visitors to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV are inundated with tragic tales of the patients who once called the old hospital home. Many believe that quite a few of those patients remain there to this day, and guides share their stories, as well as possible interactions with them in the spirit realm. One particular haunting that leaves an impression on all who hear of it, is the ghost of Dean Metheny and his tormentors. 

Dean Metheny was born October 20, 1937 to parents Pauletta and Lewis Metheny. Unfortunately, Dean would suffer developmental delays. Those who knew him described him as very sweet and child-like. For the most part, he was a docile, happy guy...until he wasn't. Dean was prone to violent outbursts, most likely an expression of frustration brought on by not being able to clearly communicate his needs and wants to those around him. 

As a grown man, it would have been increasingly difficult for aging parents to not only control these violent outbursts, but provide adequate treatment and care for his condition. It was decided that the best place for him to be was in a state institution, which in this case was the Weston State Hospital. 

In September of 1987, Dean was just a month away from celebrating his 50th birthday. Due to his violent outbursts, he was assigned to Ward F, along with some of the more violent patients at the hospital. It is said that on the day in question, Dean spent time coloring with a nurse, before being sent to a seclusion dorm. Secluded, it was not, however. In the room with him were David Michael Mason (25 years old) and James Woods (30 years old). Annoyed by Dean's child-like demeanor, the two men decided to make him be quiet. They wrapped a bedsheet around his neck and strung him up over a pipe in the room. There they kept him until he lost consciousness. Then, they took him down, let him regain consciousness....and then they did it again. This went on for several sessions before the two men either got bored, tired, or scared they were going to get in trouble. 

To put an end to their games, one of them held Dean's head down and positioned one of the legs of the metal-framed bed over his head. The other man then jumped up and down on the bed, piercing Dean's skull and killing him. On one of my visits to the asylum, a tour guide said that when asked why they had killed him, Mason and Woods claimed that they didn't kill him---a ghost did. I'm not sure if this was actually the case, because I can't currently find any other mention of that story. It may be something confused with an 1877 murder at the asylum where a patient killed his roommate and then claimed that God had made him do it (see article HERE). 

Dean's body was taken home to his family, and he was buried in the Shady Grove Cemetery in Bruceton Mills. His killers, already institutionalized for violent crimes, didn't really suffer any consequences for taking a life. In fact, Mason would go on to be involved in the death of ANOTHER patient several years later. In 1992, Mason beat up George Bodie, who died shortly after. It was ruled that even though he died of a heart attack, it was a result of the interaction with Mason. (See article HERE)

TALA 2017

Today, ghost hunters have claimed that the quiet, shy ghost of Dean likes to interact them in the area of his death, which was ironically fairly close to the nurse's station. Dean, who was believed to be mute (possibly deaf/mute) enjoys communicating in ways he wasn't able to in life, by using devices such as flashlights and the Ovilus. Some visitors have even felt a gentle hug in what is known as 'Dean's Room.' But witnesses have often reported that not long after making contact with Dean, at least one (and sometimes two) shadowy male figures will show up. These shadow beings produce a feeling of nausea and uneasiness to many who witness them, and it is reported that there is a considerable mood shift. This is when Dean tends to quiet down and disappear, prompting many to believe that the shadows, which didn't show up until AFTER Mason's death off-site, are the spirits of his tormentors. 

Theresa's Note: For years, I've put off sharing this particular story out of respect for both living family members/parties involved, and because I never actually LIKE to share tragedies. As a paranormal researcher/investigator, I have a lot of conflicting feelings about sharing stories like this. On one hand, I don't want to exploit the tragic nature of death and suffering for the sake of a good ghost story. But on the other hand, since these stories ARE a part of history and ARE a piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding why locations are haunted, I feel like it's important to share them as accurately as possible, giving a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves. 

Interestingly, the sources that I remember being available on this specific case are almost impossible for me to find now. I can't even find any relevant newspaper articles on my archive services of choice. Sometime in the near future, I plan on going to check out the microfiche collection at the library, so if I find anything of note, I'll update then. And, if you do get the opportunity to investigate this fascinating location, maybe take along some crayons and paper and take a few minutes to color with Dean. Speak gently to him and listen for him to communicate back in his unique way. Hopefully, he'll one day finally find the peace and safety he deserved, but was so tragically denied. 

Want MORE TALA Tales?

The Wild Man of Berkeley Castle

 

The Hills Behind Berkeley Castle

Wild man stories, as found in old newspaper articles, can be broadly categorized in one of two ways: 1. potential Bigfoot-type creatures, or 2. Real humans, often those suffering from mental illness. The wild man of Berkeley Springs seems to fit into the category of being human---but maybe not your average crazy guy.

In the spring of 1902, the citizens of Berkeley Springs were trying to capture a 'wild man.' This fellow, clad in a blue coat and trousers, was apparently living in the area. At the time, the Samuel Taylor Suit castle was unoccupied. Several witnesses claimed that the man was sleeping at night in the castle. Around dawn, he'd shimmy down the stone columns of the castle, and retreat into the wilderness behind the estate. He was said to have been as swift as a deer, and able to easily navigate the rocky, craggy hillside. He also had a keen eye, and was able to detect any would-be captors. 

But who was this not-so-wild wild man? By the color of his clothing, it may suggest that he was a veteran of the Union Army. Certainly, the Eastern Panhandle saw quite a bit of action during the Civil War, but by 1902, this man should have been about 60 years old or older. Could a man of that age really move around the rough terrain that easily? But...what if he was not a LIVING man, but a ghost?

Berkeley Castle was built by Samuel Taylor Suit in the 1880's as a way to woo his young wife, Rosa Pelham. Suit died after a brief illness in 1888, never seeing the castle's construction fully complete. Rosa finished the castle, but blew through her inheritance by hosting lavish parties at the castle. It is rumored that her husband may or may not have died of natural causes, a claim which gained further suspicion as two of Rosa's lovers also died in the castle. 

Was the man in blue simply a squatter, taking refuge in an empty castle at night...or was he the ghost of one of Rosa's lovers? Could he be the ghost of a Union soldier who died in the area during the Civil War? I'll let you decide!   

Check out my previous blog post on the Ghosts of Berkeley Castle!

Martinsburg Herald
19 April 1902

The Devil Steals a Body

Obviously, I come across some really weird stuff in my research, but this incident from Arkansas in 1913 is probably one of the weirder things I've seen in a LONG time. According to an article that appeared in the Fairmont West Virginian on June 21, 1913, a group of mourners were sitting up with the corpse of farmer near Waldron, Arkansas. To everyone's shock, a creature, complete with horns and a red-painted face entered the home, wrapped in chains. The red-furred creature was also clad in white robes, and apparently did not utter a word as he entered. Understandably, the witnesses fled, and upon returning, found the coffin of the farmer completely empty. Was this some cruel prank, or did the Devil himself come to collect one of his own?

The Fairmont West Virginian
21 June 1913