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| Centralia Station ca 1905 Source: WV History on View |
Located in Braxton County, West Virginia, close to the Webster County line, sits the nearly abandoned ghost town of Centralia. Once a thriving lumber company town, Centralia was created around 1890 to be the main shipping point for all lumber above the Elk River going towards the iron fields of Virginia. Through the town ran the West Virginia and Pittsburgh Railroad, later becoming the B&O. With the construction of the railway, men from all over came to find employment.
One such man who sought his fortune in the construction of the railway was Jacob Beamer. Beamer was known as a hard worker, but when the workday was done, Beamer loved nothing more than to entertain his colleagues with wild and fantastic tales. However, one story Beamer told over and over again, was one he swore was actually true.
Jacob Beamer claimed that his ancestors were a race of people who were citizens of the moon and had the ability to teleport between the planets. They were guided in these travels by a special guardian moon spirit. On one trip to visit planet Earth, tragedy struck. A meteor hit the moon, knocking it off its normal orbit, killing those who lived there. The moon became uninhabitable, and Beamer's family was forced to forge a life for themselves here on Earth.
His insistence of the truthfulness of this story earned him the nickname "Moon Man." And, to further the mythos of this strange man, Beamer was prone to taking long walks along the tracks during moonlit nights. Some say he could be seen gazing wistfully up at the moon. Others claimed that he was often accompanied on these walks by a shadowy gray ghostly figure.
Unfortunately, it was during one of these moonlit walks that Jacob Beamer would lose his life. He was struck and killed by a fast-moving train while taking his stroll along the tracks. His body was discovered the next morning, but his head was never found.
Shortly after this grisly tragedy, Jacob Beamer's former co-workers and other witnesses around town began to report an eerie sight. On moonlit nights, a pair of ghosts could be seen, walking the tracks of Centralia. One apparition was obviously missing its head. The other apparition, a large, hulking gray entity, was seen guiding the headless apparition by the arm. Both appeared to be searching for something alongside the tracks.
One day, the pair may have found what they were looking for. One day around 1930, a deer hunter from Pittsburgh was hunting in the area when he saw the ghostly duo making their way down the tracks. However, this time, the smaller apparition was carrying something in the crook of his arm. Upon closer inspection, the hunter could see that the object he was carrying was a human skull.
For many years following this incident, Jacob Beamer and his moon spirit were not seen, prompting the townspeople to believe that he had finally found his head....and as a result, had finally found peace. Sightings of the ghosts remained a thing of the past until the original tracks were removed to make way for the creation of Sutton Lake. Following this event, the apparitions have allegedly returned. Some say the ghosts of Beamer and the moon spirit walk along the fields where the former tracks once laid, while others say they have moved to the newer tracks nearby.
Today, the location where the horrible tragedy took place, and where the ghosts may or may not still roam, is part of the Baker's Run Campground, just north of Sutton. Jeff Mace, who owns Jeff's Grocery, a store that specializes in selling firewood and other necessities to campers, believes that the exact location where Beamer's body was found sits near his store, and is happy to tell visitors about the story.
Baker's Run Campground has 77 campsites, many with both water and electrical hookups, or just electrical. Shower facilities, picnic tables, and fire rings are available, making this spot an excellent location for those in the area wanting to fish or simply to experience a possible headless ghost!
Sources and Further Reading:
Remote Campground in Central West Virginia Includes Its Own Ghost. By David Sibray 13 October 2024. WVExplorer Magazine
Bizarre Tale of Moon Man Lives on in Remote Braxton County Valley. By David Sibray 11 March 2024. WVExplorer Magazine
Headless Ghost of Centralia Braxton County. 27 July 2025. Hur Herald.
The Legend of Jacob Beamer: The Headless Moon Man of Centralia. Dixie After Dark YouTube.
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| The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer 21 September 1891 |
