The Vegetable Man

West Virginia is a pretty weird place! We've got Mothman. We've got the Grafton Monster. We've got the Flatwoods Monster. We even have Sheepsquatch, the Ogua, and a variety of Bigfoot roaming the hills of our state. But, it terms of weirdness, all these pale in comparison to the story of The Vegetable Man.

Sometimes referred to as the Veggie Man, this absolutely eerie West Virginia creature first appeared in Fortean literature in a 1976 newsletter published by West Virginia's own controversial ufologist, Gray Barker. However, the encounter with the Vegetable Man actually dates back to nearly a decade before.

In July of 1968, a local bow hunter named Jennings Frederick was roaming the woods outside of Fairmont, WV. The U.S. Air Force veteran was hunting woodchucks, unsuccessfully, and was about to head back, when he heard what was described as “high-pitched jabbering, much like that of a recording running at exaggerated speed.”

Just then, Frederick looked up and saw one of the weirdest creatures to ever have been reported in West Virginia, and possibly, the whole country. He described an extremely tall being, well over 7 feet high. Although it was vaguely humanoid in shape, the creature was extremely thin. It's coloring was a yellowish-green, which in my mind creates a picture of a chlorophyll-based stalk of celery!

Long ears and yellow, slanted eyes were also noted, but the most horrifying feature of the creature seems to be its arms. The arms, which were no bigger around than a quarter, ended in what appeared to be three long, slender fingers tapering off into suction cups.

Frederick observed that he thought the being looked sickly, which was confirmed with a strange, telepathic message he received as the whirring, high-pitched jabbering increased. "You need not fear me. I wish to communicate. I come as a friend. We know of you all, I come in peace. I wish medical assistance. I need your help."

Frederick didn't have the opportunity to make sense of what the creature was trying to convey before it reached out and wrapped it's 'hand' around his arm. The suction cups attached to his arm and begin sucking his blood, sending a jolt of pain up his arm. However, as the blood could be seen seeping up through the creature's arm and body, where it reached the yellow eyes and began to swirl and oscillate. This hypnotic effect seemed to alleviate Frederick's pain as it 'fed' on his blood for the next two minutes.

When the Vegetable Man had finished its vampiric feeding of poor Frederick, it sprinted up a steep embankment and disappeared at a supernatural speed, leaving Frederick's arm in pain and with several small wounds where the creature had suckled. Before fleeing the scene himself, Frederick heard what he interpreted as the creature's craft being propelled by a propulsion system.

No one ever saw the Vegetable Man again, and it is understandable why Frederick would wait so long before telling his unbelievably weird story of what seems like a close encounter with an extremely odd creature from another planet.

As an interesting side note, I can confirm that a Jennings Frederick and a Jennings Frederick, Jr. did live in Fairmont, WV. Jennings Frederick, Jr., who went by Skip, did serve in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War and his obituary interestingly notes that he loved art and science, and was known to be able to draw whatever he saw. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2012 at the age of 62.

Further Reading:

Cryptid Wiki---Veggie Man

Vegetable Man: Cryptopia by Rob Morphy. 11 July 2016

Avon, Indiana's Haunted Bridge

Avon Haunted Bridge--Source: Visit Hendricks County

Avon, Indiana is a small town located in Hendricks County, almost in the center of the state. And, like most small, mid-western towns, Avon is home to a local urban legend: The Legend of Avon Bridge. 

In typical urban legend fashion, stories as to why exactly the bridge is haunted not only differ depending on who is telling the tale, but also can't really be proven or disproved by historical documentation. Further, the stories as to what the 'haunting' entails also seem to differ from telling to telling, making the location a quintessential urban legend hot spot!  Here's what we do know:

The Avon Bridge can be found in Washington Township Park, its distinct arches spanning across County Road 625 East. Built in 1906, the bridge was designed by engineer, W.M. Dunne for the Big Four Railroad.  Today, it is still owned and operated as an active train bridge by CSX.

It's also one of the most popular places to go at Halloween for a little spooky fun!

Stories tell that one of the workers who built the bridge, sometimes noted as an Irish worker, and sometimes an African-American one, drunkenly slipped and fell into the wet cement used in the construction of the massive arches. His body was never recovered, and his ghastly moans for help can still be heard, over 100 years later, each time a train crosses.

Another story involves a young mother who was taking a shortcut home across the train bridge while carrying her baby. While on the bridge, a train quickly approached, and the young mother was caught off-guard as to what to do. She went to set the infant down, but it fell to the ground below the tracks, causing the mother to subsequently fall after it.  Both were killed, but again, when the train rumbles by overhead, people below the bridge can hear either a woman's mournful scream, a baby's wail, or both. 

It's customary to honk your car's horn as you drive under the bridge, presumably to drown out the eerie sounds that you might hear, especially if you're passing under the bridge on Halloween.  But, a word to legend trippers---by some accounts, the area is closed after dark, so if you want to experience the spooky sounds of the Avon Bridge, you'll have to go before dusk. Feel free to blow your horn as you drive underneath, but take a second to stop and listen; if there's a train overhead, ghost or not, you're sure to hear some strange sounds! 

Sources and Further Reading:

Visit Hendricks County: The Legend of the Avon Haunted Bridge, by Ericka Bethel. 22 October 2020

WishTV: Avon's Haunted Bridge: The Truth Behind the Tales, by Nina Criscuolo 27 October 2017

Welcome to a Spooky 2021!

Happy New Year from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

It's January, which means it's time for me to once again attempt the Ultimate Blog Challenge---that means that once again I'll be attempting to write a brand new blog EVERY DAY throughout the month. I haven't been doing too well with these UBC's, but I think January 2021 will be different.  This year, not only do I feel super motivated, but, I've 'cheated' just a little bit.  I've already started! I was able to use some of my down time over Christmas break to schedule-post quite a few blogs for January, and I think you'll really enjoy some of the strange and spooky topics coming up. (Unfortunately, I found out AFTER this was written that the UBC has changed it plans. Instead of a January challenge, they're doing a February challenge---which means you'll get TWO months crammed with new content here at Theresa's Haunted History!)

In addition to the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I've tacked on an added challenge for myself. Round 2 of my Haunted America page has been incomplete for quite a few years now. With only 12 states left to cover until completion, I thought the UBC would be a great motivator to finish that up. Over the course of the month, I'll be sharing the legend of a haunted bridge in Indiana, a library in Kansas where the head librarian refuses to leave, and a ghostly museum in New Mexico.

There will also be Friday Funnies, book reviews, vintage newspaper articles, personal ghost experiences, cryptids, haunted places in West Virginia, and a healthy dose of all things strange and fascinating. I hope you'll join me on this wild and weird paranormal ride, this month and throughout the year. Instead of my usual listing of resolutions and goals for the whole year, I think I'll be taking things one month at a time. Check back often to see if I can actually complete January's 31 Days of Blogs/12 Haunted America series, and whether or not I continue another challenge for myself in February!  

Let me know what spooky things 2021 has in store for you!  Are you planning any awesome investigations, or going on any ghost tours? Do you have a new book, YouTube channel or Podcast you'd like to plug? Lemme know in the comments below, or join me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook and share your paranormal plans for the year!  Stay spooky, everyone. 

Top 5 Spooky Posts of 2020

2020 was a crap year for a lot of reasons, and it was a crap year for Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State blog. Not counting this submission, I've only managed to knock out 50 new blogs over the course of the entire year. Therefore, I thought it would be fun (and EASY) to take a look back over those 50 posts and share with you which ones did the best!

5. Bellaire's Sheeted Apparition: (Published January 2, 2020) Bellaire's Sheeted Apparition was a short, vintage newspaper article from 1892, discussing a spook that was terrorizing the people of Bellaire, Ohio, just across the river from Wheeling, WV. 

4. Cold Hands-My Experience at the Ridges: (Published January 3, 2020) What started off as a funny lil' spooky photo turned into an opportunity to share one of my personal ghost experiences. Back in my early days of investigating, I visited the Ridges, an old asylum in Athens, Ohio, and actually got to feel what felt like a small, ghostly hand slip into mine. 

3. Pressing Questions-Familiars: (Published January 17, 2020) This was another Friday Funny, featuring one of my favorite woodcut artworks of a witch and her familiar. It is suggested that perhaps in olden times, witches spoke to their familiars, no matter how grotesque, in the same sweet, soothing, coddling tones that we use on our pets today. 

2. 1952 Louisville Poltergeist: (Published May 2, 2020) The Louisville Poltergeist story was my personal favorite blog to write in 2020. I had stumbled across a newspaper article mentioning it, did a little additional research, and came to the conclusion that what was deemed a hoax, was to me much more complex. Shortly after this blog was posted, I was contacted by a family member, letting me know that the little girl in question had recently passed away...but not before making a successful, loving life for herself and others. There was a lot more to the story than published in the newspapers, and it seems that paranormal activity followed the young woman her entire life. 

1. Fresh Seafood Company: (Published April 28, 2020) Behind the Louisville Poltergeist story, this one was probably my second favorite. I LOVE finding new-to-me haunted locations in West Virginia, and this one is actually VERY close to me! The Fresh Seafood Company is a modern restaurant located in Jefferson, WV...but was once a private residence. It's now haunted by the apparition of a man in a plaid suit.

So there ya have it.  These five blogs were the best performing posts written in 2020. There were a few posts written in previous years that did better than these five this year, so I hope that in years to come, these five will continue to be read and enjoyed by readers of Theresa's Haunted History. I look forward to stepping up my game in 2021 and producing many more quality works for ya'll.  If you have a moment, look over in the sidebar at what I've published in 2020 and let me know in the comments below or over at Theresa's Haunted History's Facebook page what YOUR favorite blog post of 2020 was.

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve and I'll see ya in 2021! Stay spooky!

Krampus 2020

Fear on the Farm

It's a family tradition to have our annual Christmas-time photo taken with Krampus! This has been a part of our holiday celebrations for the past 4 years, with the last three having taken place at Mike Winland Studios.  But, 2020 hasn't been a normal year by any stretch. With a new family dynamic added to the chaos of the pandemic, I was ready to accept that there would be no Krampus this year.

Fortunately, a friend tagged me in a Facebook post announcing that Fear on the Farm  in Winfield would be offering a two-day Christmas event!  They'd be doing a haunted trail, but they'd ALSO be doing pictures with Krampus! It was short notice, but I knew that I had to make Krampus 2020 a reality!

The first day of Fear on the Farm's event took place on December 18th, which also happens to be my birthday! So, as part of my birthday festivities, my husband and I celebrated our second Christmas together (first Christmas actually living together) with a portrait with Krampus!

I was also pleased to see Tiffany's Twisted Creations was there and following with the annual tradition, I also bought a few pieces, including some ornaments for my husband and I's first tree together. 

This year was a big change, for many reasons. It's been a difficult, unpleasant year for many reasons, too. I'm just glad that I was able to keep some traditions alive, and make new traditions with my husband. Happy Haunted Holidays! 

My goodies from Tiffany's Twisted Creations

LAST YEAR'S EXPERIENCE WITH KRAMPUS!

Mothman Christmas

 

Can you believe there is only ONE WEEK LEFT UNTIL CHRISTMAS!? 20202 has simultaneously dragged on and flew by and in about 2 weeks, we'll finally get the chance to bid it adieu, and try again in 2021. Today's also my birthday and I'm feeling old and depressed. Therefore, I'm glad I have this adorable Cryptid Club comic by Sarah Andersen to cheer me up! Obviously, if Mothman could have a favorite holiday, it would be Christmas, with all its bright, shining lights everywhere!

I hope you're having a safe and cozy December. Stay spooky, everyone!

West Virginia State Penitentiary Prisoner Pardoned for Christmas

Governor William E. Glasscock

Although most of the blog posts you'll find on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State directly relate to the paranormal, (most often ghost stories and hauntings) every once in awhile I like to shake things up with a little bit of history.  As the history covered in today's blog relates to the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville, it is indirectly related to the paranormal.  The West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville no longer serves as an operational prison, but that doesn't mean that the souls of plenty of convicts aren't still trapped behind the steel bars and thick, rock walls. The prison is routinely given the distinction of one of the most haunted locations in the country, if not the world. 

Throughout the year, community events and historic tours are offered, as well as private and public ghost hunts and tours. It's one of my favorite places to investigate, and I love researching as much about the history of the location as I can in order to have a broader understanding of what prison life was like for the many inmates that called Moundsville home over the years. One aspect of prison life I wasn't expecting to learn about were 'Christmas Pardons.' Apparently, it used to be a thing for the governor to grant either the longest serving or the oldest prisoner at Moundsville a pardon at Christmas time. This article, transcribed below, is from the Pt. Pleasant Register, dated 9 November 1910 and discusses the pardon of Joe Battle, who served 18 years at the penitentiary. Unfortunately, the article goes on to discuss how it will NOT be a very Merry Christmas for another prisoner, who is scheduled to be executed at the same time. (Source: Chronicling America)

OLDEST CONVICT

In Penitentiary Will be Pardoned

Christmas by Governor

After serving eighteen years behind the gray walls of the Moundsville Penitentiary, for a crime he alleges he never committed, Joe Battle, the oldest convict in that institution, will be pardoned on Christmas Eve by governor Glasscock. Each Christmas a convict at the penitentiary is pardoned and this year the aged negro was fortunate in the lottery. 

With but one exception, Battle has served the longest term ever served by a convict behind the walls of the Moundsville prison. Vergie Gibson, who was pardoned a little over a year ago, also served a sentence of a similar length. The woman was convicted of aiding in burying her husband alive after rendering him unconscious.  Three negroes aided her, two of whom were executed on the gallows of the penitentiary.

The aged negro who has not seen his home for eighteen long years is expecting the pardon and has made all arrangements for his departure. The little money he saved since his confinement in the prison which he earned by working in the shops he has purchased Christmas presents for his wife and children.

While the approach of Christmas brings joy to Battle, there is another negro convict confined in 'murderers row' who looks on its approach with horror. This prisoner is John Wayne, convicted murderer who killed Mrs. John Aliff several months ago at Quinnmont, Fayette County. Wayne will pay the penalty for his crime on the gallows of the prison on December 23rd. Warden Matthews is already prepping for the execution. The scaffold will be repaired by the prison carpenter within a short time. The same rope that snapped out the life of Frank Waldon and John Brown will be used for Wayne. It cost the state several thousand dollars to prevent this negro from being lynched after his arrest. Both Huntington and Fayetteville were for awhile under martial law. 

Want MORE articles on the haunted West Virginia Penitentiary at Moundsville? Theresa's Haunted History has plenty of articles about the ghosts and history of this spooky institution, with more being planned for the near-future. 

The Ghost of Red Snyder at the WV State Penitentiary

The Ghost of RD Wall

The Shadow Man of the WV State Penitentiary 

Theresa Travels to the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville

Theresa Travels BACK to the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville

White Gate Cemetery: Burial Ground for the WV State Penitentiary

Mingo Man is WV State Penitentiary's First Prisoner of 1910

The Execution of Hugh Bragg