The Devil Comes to Clay County: A Demonic December Story

Image created in ChatGPT

Recently, researcher and author, Tony Breeden (you can find his work on multiple platforms including the websites Tony Breeden Books and Exotheology) shared a pretty interesting article with me. The article, which comes from The Martinsburg Weekly Independent dated 14 November 1874, tells the tale of a young pedagogue returning home from what I believe is implied to be the home of a girl he is courting, when he runs into a terrible creature. 

It was November 1st, and rather late at night when the young man was headed home in an area of Clay County near Oakton known as Back Creek. He was at a crossroads between the properties of Samuel Murphy and the widow Woods when an 8-10 foot creature suddenly appeared before him. 

The creature had large feet, and long arms that ended in huge, dreadful claws. A long, flaming tale whipped around the devilish form. A long, flickering tongue added to the fear the young man felt, as the creature stood in front of him, menacingly for approximately three minutes. Then, with a terrible sound, it ran off into the woods, leaving the terrified young man dumbfounded. The newspaper surmises that this was the devil himself, out looking for a victim to devour. 

But WHY would the devil, or one of his many minions, be out in rural Clay County, stalking young teachers out courting? Was this a liquor-fueled hallucination, or a young man's psychosis manifesting in a most demonic way? Does the proximity to Halloween play a part in the sighting...or is this just simply a fun story designed to pull in readership to a small West Virginian newspaper during the dark, cool days of late fall?

Martinsburg Weekly Independent
14 November 1874
Read online at Chronicling America

The OTHER Bridge Collapse

 

Elk River Bridge Collapse
Charleston, WV (15 December 1904)
Source: WV Regional History Collection

Synchronicity: The simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. 

As a paranormal enthusiast, a student of West Virginia history, or simply just a resident of the tri-state area, you're likely familiar with the tragic events of December 15, 1967. That evening, the Silver Bridge, spanning the Ohio River at Pt. Pleasant fell during rush hour traffic, taking with it 46 lives. The event is intertwined with the Curse of Chief Cornstalk and Mothman lore, as to many, the event seemed to be the end of a 13-month period of UFOs, Mothman sightings, and other incidents of high strangeness in and around Pt. Pleasant. Some even claim that Mothman was seen on or near the bridge that day. Many who would have been on the bridge received psychic visions that kept them from becoming victims themselves. Was Mothman a harbinger of doom...or did he cause the bridge to fall? 

Most likely the answer is neither. In fact, the paranormal experiences didn't exactly stop---just no one really felt like talking about them or going Mothman-hunting when so many people had lost their lives. Nearly everyone in town was affected in some way by the tragedy or knew someone who was a victim. The collapse of the Silver Bridge was known for years as one of the worst accidents of its kind. But it wasn't the first of its kind....

In a weird display of synchronicity, another West Virginia bridge suffered a major collapse, 63 years to the DAY before the Silver Bridge disaster. 

On December 15, 1904, at 8:15am the old suspension bridge over the Elk River in Charleston, laden down with ice and snow, plummeted to the water below, taking with it quite a few pedestrians, wagon teams, and at least six children on their way to school. Miraculously, only two people were killed (despite early reporting that it was many more), but scores more were injured. The deceased were 11-year-old Mamie Higginbotham and 15-year-old Wray/Ray Humphreys.

The bridge in question, located at the base of Lovell Street and connecting today's Charleston proper with the West Side/Elk City area, had been built around 1852. It had been damaged during the Civil War but rebuilt. However, it had recently been noted to be in bad shape, and its wobbly nature earned it the nickname of 'Drunken Bridge.' Despite that, I don't think anyone was expecting its cables to come free of their moorings on that cold, December morning. At the time, it was described as being one of the worst accidents of its kind....

What are the chances that West Virginia would suffer two deadly bridge collapses on the exact same day, 55 miles apart, 63 years apart? Both accidents happened on cold, icy days during times of heavy traffic. Perhaps it is all just one big coincidence, but perhaps this may be another example of the weird synchronicity and high strangeness surrounding the whole Mothman phenomenon. 

The website, My WV Home, has an excellent page on the history of the Elk River bridge collapse of 1904, including photos and articles not pictured below. Go check them out for a fuller picture on the devastation that occurred on that fateful day. 

Hinton Daily News
15 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
16 December 1904

Fairmont West Virginian
17 December 1904

The (Pt. Pleasant) Weekly Register
21 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
22 December 1904

Martinsburg Statesman-Democrat
23 December 1904

The Death of John Pancake: A TALA Tale

Former 2nd St. Bridge---Weston, WV
Source: WV Regional History Center

On January 22, 1917, John H. Pancake, a trusty patient of the Weston State Hospital went missing. He was last seen around 6 am that day, and according to local newspapers (without any explanation as to why), it was believed he either jumped or fell into the West Fork of the Monongahela River, which ran directly in front of the hospital. The river was very high, almost at flood level, and actions were taken to dredge the river in hopes of finding Pancake's body. The papers also note that his family back home in Hampshire County had not heard from him. 

It wouldn't be until the morning of February 3rd that his body was finally found. It was found floating at the foot of the 2nd Street Bridge. His death was ruled a suicide by drowning, and the date his body was found was given as his official date of death.

Unfortunately, not much is known about John H. Pancake, and what little I could find came from his death certificate. Mr. Pancake, who was 58 years old at the time of his death, was described as a single, white, male farmer from Romney, WV. He had been institutionalized at Weston State Hospital since September 19th, 1908...a little over eight years. 

His reason for being sent to the asylum were not listed on his death certificate, nor could I find any newspaper articles to explain his condition. And, although his body was sent home to Romney for burial, I cannot find exactly where he is buried.  There are quite a few John Pancakes from the Hampshire County area, but no John H. Pancakes. 

Perhaps we will never truly know John H. Pancake and what led him to spend his final days at the Weston State Hospital. But, I'll continue the search for additional answers in hopes that yet another patient will be respectfully remembered. 

Historical Note: The 2nd Street Bridge where John's body was found was the third such bridge crossing the West Fork River at this location. It was built in June of 1891 to replace the former bridge that had fallen into disrepair. This iron bridge was the site of another tragic chapter in Weston's history. In 1892, a black man accused of murder was lynched off this bridge. A photograph of the event was sold as a souvenir, documenting a dark practice in vigilante law enforcement.  You can read about that in my post (A Lynching in Weston).  

A new, concrete bridge---the bridge that visitors see today---was built in 1922. There's a wonderful article about the history of bridges at this location by Anna Cardelli. You can find it on Clio (The East and West Second Street Bridge). 

Looking for more information on the Weston State Hospital, also known as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum? I have a whole page of articles about the haunted history of this iconic location, with more being added all the time! 

TALA TALES

Martinsburg Evening Journal
31 January 1917

The West Virginian (Fairmont)
05 February 1917

Death Certificate for John H. Pancake
WV Vital Statistics

The Murder of William Farmer: An Old Hospital on College Hill Story

Stone, Ky ca 1913

Want some insider information? On Saturday July 11, 2026 Appalachian Ghost Tours will be hosting a public ghost hunt at one of southern West Virginia's most popular haunts....The Old Hospital on College Hill! Tickets for this event will be limited, but they will be an absolute STEAL. If you've been looking for an opportunity to investigate this awesome location, this will be the perfect opportunity. Please follow AGT on FaceBook for updates on when tickets for this (and many other awesome events throughout the year) go on sale!

I've been lucky enough to have investigated the Old Hospital on College Hill a handful of times, and it is one location that never disappoints. We've always had some crazy activity, and there really isn't one floor that isn't just as active as all the rest. We've even had activity begin almost from the second we started bringing in our equipment. So....in preparation for the big event, I'll be posting as many articles as I can about those who passed through the hospital's halls. Although there are a few more well-established stories associated with the hauntings, and a few names continue to pop up over and over through EVP and spirit box communications, you really never know just who will try to make contact with you, wanting their story told. William Farmer may be one of those spirits that cannot rest until he tells his side of things.

William (W.A.) Farmer was a 28 year old employee of the Tierney Mining Company, living at Stone, Kentucky in Pike County. According to contemporary newspaper reports, Farmer had gone to the home of fellow employee, Richard Tolbert, to confront him over a quarrel involving Tolbert's wife. 

It is believed that Tolbert, who fled after the attack, shot Farmer in the neck after he wrested away the gun that Farmer had just fired at HIM. As of this writing, I couldn't find any follow-up as to Tolbert being charged with the crime, so it's possible that the self-defense claim held true, at least in the eyes of the law. 

Farmer was brought to the nearby Williamson Memorial Hospital, located across the river in Williamson, WV. He passed away the next day from his injuries. The date was February 19, 1929. This event would go down on as being Pike County's first official homicide of 1929. Unfortunately, Williamson Memorial, now known as the Old Hospital on College Hill, would see many, many homicides during its years as the biggest and most modern hospital in the area, serving citizens from both West Virginia and Kentucky. Do some of those victims still roam the halls of the old hospital? Come join Appalachian Ghost Tours on July 11th to find out!

MORE Old Hospital on College Hill Articles

The Daily News (Pikeville, KY)
28 February 1929

Death Certificate for W.A. Farmer
Source: WV Vital Statistics