The Fire-Breathing Monster of Flatwoods and Other Weirdness

On September 12, 1952, seven people in Flatwoods, WV would witness a sight that would not only affect their lives forever...but would become an event cemented in the study of ufology for decades.  After a group of boys playing football observed what they thought might have been a meteor or even a plane crash on a nearby farm, five of the boys, including Eddie and Freddie May, were accompanied by their mother, Kathleen May and Gene Lemon, a 17 year old National Guardsman in pursuit of the wreckage.

You know I love to share vintage newspaper articles covering strange happenings, and since I've already discussed the Flatwoods Monster incident a few times before (plus, there are so many other great resources on this case) I thought today would be a good day to just share the UP article that hit newspapers across the country! The clipping I chose at random comes from the Record American (Pennsylvania) of September 15th, but the same article, with differing headlines, would be published in MULTIPLE newspapers on the 15th and 16th. I'll transcribe it below for easier reading:

The Record American (Pennsylvania)
15 September 1952

West Virginia Folks Saw Monster with Green Body, Red Face

Sutton, W.Va. (UP)---Eyewitness accounts of a tall, glowing monster with a blood-red face skulking in the hills divided Braxton County Monday into two camps---believers and skeptics.

Seven persons said they saw the unearthly being, described as "worse than Frankenstein," in the hills above Flatwoods, W.Va. Friday night.

State police and a number of residents hooted at the reports as a product of mass hysteria. Police said the eyewitness' guess as to the monster's height varied from seven to 17 feet.

The excitement began when the two young sons of Kathryn May, a Flatwoods beautician, said they saw a "flying saucer" land on C.B. Fisher's farm near here.

Mrs. May, National Guardsman Gene Lemon and five boys climbed a hill on the Fisher farm to look for the "saucer."

Mrs. May said a "fire-breathing monster, 10 feet tall with a bright green body and a blood-red face," bounced and floated toward them."

"It looked worse than Frankenstein," she said. "It couldn't have been human."

Lemon, 17, said he thought he saw a 'possum or coon until he put his flashlight on "the thing." It was then that he saw the monster with the blushing face and green body "that seemed to glow."

Mrs. May said Lemon stared and then screamed as the monster duckwalked toward them. All of them fled, occasionally looking over their shoulders. 

The monster, Mrs. May said, had an overpowering metallic odor that nauseated them. She said they vomited for several hours. A. Lee Steward, co-publisher of the Braxton County Democrat, received the first report from Mrs. May. The veteran newspaperman organized an armed posse and went to the scene. 

"The odor was still there," Stewart said. "It was sort of warm and sickening. And there were two places about six to eight feet in diameter where the brush was trampled down." 

Stewart did not know what to think. 

"I hate to say I believe it, but I hate to say I don't believe it," Steward said. "Those people were scared---badly scared, and I sure smelled something." 

Authorities said they believed the "flying saucer" which Mrs. Mays' sons saw was a meteorite. The incident occurred during a meteor shower over a three-state area. 

Theresa's Note: On September 13, 1952 newspapers along the East Coast noted that reports of meteorites being seen in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio had flooded local law enforcement the night before. Many witnesses assumed they were witnessing planes going down in fiery crashes. A woman in McMechen, WV reported seeing a noiseless object, shooting blue and white flames out of one end. A man in West Liberty stated he saw several objects that looked like Roman candles. And, a Hinton preacher saw what he described as an "old time streetlight". Many witnesses to these "meteorites" claimed that the objects were moving horizontally and at very low altitudes. 

I'm not an expert in astronomical matters, but it seems like these were a little more than your normal meteorites, especially when you take into consideration the incident at Flatwoods, as well as similar incidents at Frametown and Wheeling (more about those in upcoming blogs!). There was even a couple of UFO reports from Raleigh County that occurred on the 13th of September. Was there a massive invasion across the East Coast that September...or was it simply a combination of natural phenomena and mass hysteria? 

Hinton Daily News
13 September 1952

The Flatwoods Monster Lantern

Flatwoods Monster Lantern
from my personal collection

Postcards. T-shirts. Stickers. All of these make great souvenirs for those wanting to remember all the fun events they attend and all the scenic travel destinations they visit. But...for a truly unique experience, one needs a truly unique souvenir!

I love traveling the great state of West Virginia, taking in her majestic beauty and learning about her fascinating history. And, over the years, I've tried to commemorate my trips with some fun souvenirs. Aside from the everyday postcards, stickers, t-shirts, etc., my collection contains reproduction grotesques from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, a fidget spinner from the former WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville, and more Mothman plushies than any child could ever need. However, one of my favorite pieces I've collected is a treasure just as unique and fascinating as the story from which it originates: The Flatwoods Monster Lantern.

John Gibson with Lantern
Source

The story begins on September 12, 1952 when a group of kids playing ball in Flatwoods, West Virginia saw a strange sight overhead. Thinking a meteor had crashed on the hill near the Fisher farm, the boys headed to investigate, stopping at the home of brothers, Freddie and Eddie May. There, they were joined by their mother, Kathleen May, Eugene Lemon, a young National Guardsman, and the family dog. Grabbing a flashlight, they ascended the hill where they'd see something that would become the source of legend for years to come. 

The red-faced, spade-headed, pleated-skirt-wearing alien (?) that was seen up on that mountain that day is one of the strangest creatures to show up in UFO history and has since become a pop-icon the world over. Thanks to video games, artists, television shows, and social media influencers, the story of the Flatwoods Monster and its one-of-a-kind appearance have become almost mainstream. Braxxie, as the monster has affectionately become known as, shows up in various media across the world and instantly recognized by even those not in the paranormal community. 

UFO Researcher, Barbara Hudson
Charleston, WV 1969
From Gray Barker Archives

A monster as unique as the Flatwoods Monster deserves an equally cool and unique souvenir, and back in the late 1960's, the local chapter of the Jaycee's found a way to accomplish that...as well as keep the story of the monster alive AND make a few bucks! 

John Gibson doesn't remember whose idea it was exactly to create a LANTERN based on the 1952 monster sighting, but he was put in charge of the project and he ran with it! He had a little help from a pal named Bob Bossert, though. Bossert was a paint salesman. He also knew someone who could make ceramic molds. Together they worked on what would be the first run of Flatwoods Monster Lanterns. 

Complete with a paint lid base for a candle, and a paint can handle as the lantern handle (and of course, painted with Bossert's own paint inventory by his own family), a small run of Monster Lanterns was produced, and sold out rather quickly! The following production runs eliminated the paint can candle base, as it confused people, but the lanterns continued to sell better than expected. At $5 a piece, a profit of $500 was quickly made. Lanterns were sold at various events around the county, as well as being sold at a roadside stand during peak traffic times. An 8ft tall plywood sign would announce to travelers on Rt. 5 that they could own a piece of Fortean history for just $5. Apparently, a collection of lanterns was also sent to Charleston, WV to be sold off during a UFO convention held in 1969. 

L to R: Gray Barker, James Mosley and Ralph Jarrett
Charleston, WV 1969
Gray Barker Archives

Unfortunately, sales began to drop off, and John Gibson got busy with a new job, so production on the lanterns was put on hold throughout the 1970's. However, when the Clarksburg library was about to open its Gray Barker Archive in the 1980's, the librarian reached out to John. John brought a lantern to donate to the collection, which sparked a renewed interest in them from the UFO community. Production began again, and to this day, you can pick up your own unique souvenir of the Flatwoods Monster!

Darlene's Ceramics in Marietta, OH is responsible for creating these wonderful pieces of Fortean home decor, and even though the price has increased a bit (they usually sell for $80), you can find them at various locations around Flatwoods, including at the Flatwoods Monster Museum in Sutton, WV. I'm lucky to have one of these in my collection, but I feel kinda bad about how I acquired it...

Original Mold
On Display at Flatwoods Monster Museum

                                              

I'm not entirely sure when and where I first saw or heard about these lanterns, but I had known for a while that I REALLY wanted one. I was in one of my favorite local antique stores and as I had walked in the front door, a guy had one of the lanterns in his hand, asking the owner for a price. After a price was given, the guy frowned and put the lantern back down. I followed him down the aisle and as soon as he put it down and walked off, I snatched it up, ran to the front, paid for it and left! So yeah, I sniped a lantern, but I gave it a good home! It sits on the bookshelf year round, and at Christmas time, it's red and green color scheme make it a perfect center piece for our holiday mantle. A battery operated tea light candle completes the ambiance. 

If you can't make it to town to purchase your own Flatwoods Monster Lantern, you CAN order one on-line when they are in stock from CryptidMart. Also, during the 2020 Covid lockdowns, Andrew Smith, who runs the Flatwoods Monster Museum, finished an excellent 22 minute documentary on the history and production of the lamps. You can watch it for free at YouTube! 

Information for today's blog post comes from The Lantern, a Short Documentary by Andrew Smith (2020), as well as Braxton County's Visit Braxton Website. 

Did Members of the Flatwoods Monster Fleet Make it to Raleigh County?

Source

1952 was a BIG year for ufology, especially here in the Mountain State! By now, most of my readers are going to be pretty darn familiar with the September 12th sighting in Flatwoods (Braxton County) by a group of school boys, National Guardsman Eugene Lemon, and mother of two of the kids, Kathleen May. What they encountered up on a hill on the Fisher farm would forever be known throughout the world of high strangeness and eventually into the mainstream, as the Flatwoods Monster. 

Skeptics will just say that the boys followed a meteor, and were surprised by an owl sitting in the tree branches. And, while its true that reports of a meteor were reported that night over several states (including West Virginia) what they saw was no owl. It was a spade-headed, red-faced monstrosity with glowing yellow eyes, stick-like arms, and what can only be described as a lower half shaped like a pleated skirt. 

Sounds pretty far-fetched, right? Despite the documented physical effects from the encounter and the fact that none of these witnesses had any reason to lie...or to NOT be familiar with what an owl looked like...it's a super strange story. It just doesn't FIT in with more common UFO reports. But because of all that, that's why I think this story has continued to fascinate so many people over the years. However, the story doesn't end in Flatwoods...

Following the Flatwoods encounter on September 12th would come the Frametown Monster incident the next evening, when a couple with a young baby driving along State Route 4 between Frametown and Gassaway had their car engine stall, and witnessed a reptilian creature before finally being able to drive off. There was also the Bashful Billy incident in Wheeling, WV on September 15th where a 'meteor' crashed near the Vineyard Hills housing development, but disappeared...not before the rumors started flying though. I'll be covering both of these cases in future blogs, but for today, I wanted to focus on two reports from Raleigh County that came out in the days following the Flatwoods sighting.

Flatwoods Monster

The first sighting comes just the day after the initial Flatwoods encounter, on Saturday September 13th. Around 11pm, 16 year old Franklin Smedley and two other boys witnessed what looked like gallon-bucket sized orange objects flying over an area of Raleigh County called East Gulf. Franklin initially saw two of the objects, which moved faster than any airplane he'd ever seen, but didn't say anything because he didn't believe in flying saucers. However, when four more of the objects showed up, he alerted his friends, and all three got a good look at the objects.

The next morning, Smedley's father would tell the tale of the flying saucers during Sunday school. It was then that Mr. Shelby Deaner felt brave enough to confirm that he and his wife had also seen the objects the previous night. The couple was out watching for meteors, but shortly after going inside to get ready for bed, Mrs. Deaner looked out the window and alerted her husband. They both saw two orange objects at the same time the boys' had seen them and noted that they appeared to be moving at least twice as fast as an airplane that had passed overhead thirty minutes earlier.

The Smedley/Deaner report of East Gulf was documented in the Tuesday, September 16th edition of the Raleigh Register and reported without bias. However, an article appearing a few days later in the same publication would be a little more...tongue-in-cheek. It shared the story of Mrs. Earl Hutchinson of Skelton who reported 'something shiny' seen in the sky near the Greenbrier Dairy (Interesting side note: My grandfather was working at the Greenbrier Dairy at this time!) This thing didn't zoom across the sky like the Smedley/Deaner objects. Rather, it hovered. Mrs. Hutchinson initially believed it was a man with a parachute, as the object appeared to swing back and forth and jump up and down. That article expresses the idea that maybe the Flatwoods Monster was en route to Beckley to meet up with some other monsters? (Check out my Beasts of Beckley blog!)

So just what was going on in mid September of 1952? Why were all of these UFO/Monster sightings reported across the state within just days of each other? It simply could have been monster mania brought on by a recent meteor shower and a series of misidentifications and hoaxes. Or, it could be something else. In his book, The Braxton County Monster: The Cover Up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed, author Frank Feschino poses a very interesting theory. Feschino believes that there was actually some sort of 'invasion' of the east coast by flying saucers.  In the case of the Flatwoods Monster, perhaps it was either shot down or crashed and subsequent sightings were follow-up rescue missions, other crafts that crashed/were shot down, etc. I can't possibly do this theory justice within a few lines, so definitely check out the book for a better understanding. 

What's important to remember is that the Flatwoods Monster is just the tip of the iceberg. That's the story that everyone seems to know, and for good reason. It has solid witnesses who stuck to their story, a unique creature unlike any other, and has been well-documented and shared throughout the years. But, the Flatwoods Monster was not the only strange thing reported in West Virginia that week! 

Keep your eyes to the skies and your heart and mind open! 

The Raleigh Register
21 September 1952

The Raleigh Register
16 September 1952

The Braxton County Monster: A Wrap-Up

This past week, Theresa's Haunted History has been dedicated to sharing some newspaper articles dating back to the early 1960's involving a Bigfoot-type creature, roaming the hills of West of Virginia. For lack of a better term, these sightings were all lumped under the name, The Braxton County Monster, and for some inexplicable reason, local newspapers tried making connections between these sightings to the infamous Flatwoods Monster sighting of 1952. As terms such as Sasquatch and Bigfoot entered the public vernacular, hairy man sightings across the country started being classified under one big umbrella. Still, here in West Virginia, mentions of the 'Braxton County Monster' lasted well into the 1960's. Here are two final articles that mention the monster---neither of which actually were reported in Braxton County, lol.

On August 23, 1966 The Charleston Daily Mail ran this photo by Ray Wheeler. It showed a series of 2 foot long yellow footprints, which had mysteriously appeared overnight on Montrose Drive in South Charleston. They led from a sewer opening on the curb, went up a hill, and disappeared into a field.  Although alarming to local housewives, police surmised that the footsteps were made by a local fraternity/sorority or some 'mischievous youths'-----NOT the Braxton County Monster as suggested by the article's author. 

This second article is also from The Charleston Daily Mail, dated November 10th, 1967. For two nights, a Grafton mother and her two children were harassed by what they thought was a monster. The family saw two shiny objects, almost like eyes, in a field outside their house, and then some ONE or some THING tried to break in. Cpl. D.L. Lake suggested that it was merely a human prowler, using binoculars to spy on the family, and that the shiny objects observed were just light reflecting off the lenses of the binoculars. The 'peeping tom' was never caught, but again, the author of the article notes that the incident brings back memories of the Braxton County Monster. I think in this case, I'd rather have the monster, as opposed to some person spying on my family with binoculars and trying to break into my house!

Please be sure to check out ALL the posts in this Braxton County Monster Series!

Braxton County's OTHER Monster Seen by Delivery Driver

Braxton Monster Causes Car to Stall in Pocahontas County

New Martinsville Monster

The Braxton Monster: An Explanation

The Marion County Monster: Bigfoot or Hoax?

Flatwoods Wild Man: Original Braxton Monster?

Horror in the Woods: A Braxton Monster Prequel

The Marion County Monster: Hoax or Bigfoot?

 

Downtown Worthington. Photo by Tim Kiser. Source: Wikipedia

West Virginia's Bigfoot sightings continued into summer of 1961 with what most people accepted as a hoax, perpetrated by the organizers of a county fair. However, to some people in Marion County, namely in the Bunners Ridge area near Fairmont, the monster was VERY real. Stories of some sort of hairy creature began in early August, with the monster being blamed for the destruction of camping tents and convertible car tops, attacks on cars, and even the death of a horse! No one, however, was as affected by the beast as much as a young man named Junior Dale Wagner.

Referred to as 'John Wagner' in another article, the 17 year old was coming home from his girlfriend's home on the evening of August 7th, 1961. Near the town of Worthington, he saw something that scared him nearly to death. 'Something brown and pretty big' came rushing at him from a nearby hill. Wagner took off running, running so fast that he ran out of his shoes, leaving them in the street. After about 300 yards, he panicked, looking for a place to hide, when he decided to enter the closest building by any means necessary.

Wagner dove head first through the glass window of the local barbershop, knocking himself unconscious in the process.  He also suffered bruises and cuts from the broken glass. He was found by Mayor Heisel Fox, who had heard shattering glass and moaning coming from the barber shop. Wagner was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.

Apparently, the organizers of this rural fair never officially admitted to being behind the prank, but quite a few officials went on record stating that there was no monster in Marion County. Interestingly, newspaper media didn't bother with lumping these events in with the 'Braxton County Monster' sightings of the beginning of the year.  However, the Braxton County Monster wasn't completely forgotten, as you'll see in the upcoming days!

Stay spooky, ya'll. 

Weirton Daily Times. 09 August 1961

The Braxton Monster: An Explanation

 In the July 27, 1976 edition of the Charleston Daily Mail, a reader going by the initials of J.C., from St. Albans, wrote into the paper asking for some information. J.C. had recently seen the documentary, "Mysterious Monsters,' which mentioned that West Virginia was listed as having two sightings of Bigfoot. 

Unfortunately, the Department of Natural Resources had no records of such a creature, which at the time, was more closely associated with the Pacific Northwest than West Virginia.  However, the paper did have record of two incidents that seem to fit the description. 

The first is the Charles Stover incident of December 1960. Stover, a delivery driver, saw a hairy creature, about 6 feet tall, standing on the edge of the road in the Hickory Flats area of Webster County. 

The second incident involved W.C. (Doc) Priestly, who saw another hairy creature in Pocahontas County. While reported a week or so after Stover's sighting, Priestly actually saw the creature back in October of 1960, and claims that it raised it hair upwards, causing his car to stall. 

When these stories were published in various local newspapers, the authors of such articles tried comparing them to the 1952 sighting made by Kathleen May and others in Flatwoods, Braxton County. What Ms. May and a group of boys saw on the hillside would later be known as the Flatwoods Monster. However, what they described as a green, hissing, metallic-like THING is a FAR cry from the hairy humanoid monsters reported by Stover and Priestly.

Further, neither of the stories mentioned (nor several others that I'll be sharing over the next few days) even HAPPENED in Braxton County! Stover's experience happened NEAR Braxton County, but technically not in it. So why, as the article to the left states, were both of these beasts dubbed "The Braxton County Monster?"

Honestly, I don't know.  But, I can make some guesses. 

In 1960, most people weren't super familiar with the creature known as Bigfoot.  In fact, the term 'Bigfoot' had only come into existence two years earlier to describe the unknown beast believed to have left humongous footprints in Northern California. So, even those who were familiar with the concept of a hairy, bipedal creature, maybe didn't quite know what would later become a sort of catch-all term for these types of monsters. Others may have only believed that 'Bigfoot' was a single creature that lived on the other side of the country---surely it couldn't travel all the way to West Virginia. 

It's that idea of a single creature that can be applied to what was called The Braxton County Monster. I think that when Stover's report was published, it was a combination of a lack of a better term for the creature and a reporter, trying to be cute and perhaps draw a parallel to a well-known nearby West Virginia monster, just dubbing it the Braxton County Monster. From then on, ALL hairy creature sightings got lumped under this title. This largely applied to the events of 1960 and 1961, but as you'll see in upcoming blogs, there are stories from the mid-1960's as well that are still attributed to 'The Braxton County Monster.' 

Today, Braxton County actually does have quite a few reported sightings that would be classified as Bigfoot. You can read many of them at the Braxton County website! Also, Sutton (in Braxton County) will soon be home to a Bigfoot museum, so please follow them on Facebook for more information! 

"Braxton Monster" Causes Car to Stall in Pocahontas County

 

Raleigh Register, 05 January 1961

"The Braxton County "monster" is back again and apparently branching out."

In yesterday's blog, I shared with ya'll a newspaper article from 31 December 1960, discussing a very strange experience with a hairy man-like creature, just outside Braxton County in the Hickory Flats area of Webster County. Charles Stover, a delivery driver for a bakery, was coming home from his shift around 11pm when he saw a creature, standing about 6 feet tall with hair all over its face and body, on the edge of the road. Local papers were quick to draw parallels between this sighting and the 1952 monster sighting, known today as the Flatwoods Monster...but completely ignored the more close resemblance of the creature to perhaps a small Bigfoot.

Less than a week later, a newspaper out of Beckley, WV reported on yet another very strange monster sighting, which again was compared to the original Flatwoods Monster as seen by Kathleen May and others, or even perhaps a bear...but not a Bigfoot. Bigfoot or not, this newest sighting of the hairy creature seemed to have a really unique ability!

W.C. Priestly of Alum Creek was driving along a backwoods road along the Williams River in Pocahontas County in October of 1960. As his car began to sputter and die, he looked to his left and saw a creature with long hair. The long hair was standing straight up, pointing up toward the sky. As another car approached, the creature's hair fell back down and it ran off, allowing Priestly to start the car and drive off. He notes, however, that a short time later the points completely burned out.

Now, its not completely unheard of to associate various forms of paranormal activity with electrical disturbances, but this is the first case I've heard of in which a hairy monster was accused of causing a car to stall with its HAIR. I don't want to speculate too much because this is already such a weird report---but what if there was something else causing the car to stall AND the creature's hair to stand on end? Something like a UFO, perhaps?  Maybe the creature seen by Charles Stover, W.C. Priestly, and others in the coming months, really was more closely related to the Flatwoods Monster than I previously thought!  

This story isn't over quite yet! A similarly described creature was reported in local newspapers a few more times in 1961, so please check back tomorrow for the latest adventures of the 'Braxton County...Thing'!

Be sure to checkout yesterday's blog, the first in this series:

Braxton County's Other Monster Seen By Delivery Driver

Braxton County's OTHER Monster Seen by Delivery Driver

From The Charleston Daily Mail, 31 December 1960
Continued below

Just eight years after the infamous events of September 12, 1952, the people of Braxton County and surrounding areas began to chatter about seeing...another monster?

On Friday, December 30th, 1960, Charles Stover was driving the backroads between Braxton and Webster Counties. The 25 year old was finishing up his route, delivering for Dutch Oven Bakeries, and was headed back home. At around 11 p.m., he was in the vicinity of Hickory Flats. As he came around a curve, he spotted a creature on the edge of the road, glaring at him. The creature was "standing erect, with hair all over his face and body." He estimated that it stood about six feet tall. 

Stover stopped his truck a short distance away from the creature, took another look, and found it still standing there, glaring at him before 'roaring off.' Understandably shaken Stover took off and didn't stop until he found a restaurant-filling station still open. He spilled his coffee as he nervously tried to explain to the men in the station what he had seen. They told him that eerie cries had been reported in the woods near that area over the past couple of weeks. Now, with an actual sighting, some of the group decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to witness this thing for themselves. They went home and armed themselves with rifles and shotguns, and traveled out to the spot where Stover had his sighting. Fortunately for the creature, all the men found were some upturned rocks and a couple of 'marks' in the otherwise frozen ground. 

NOT what Stover described

The next morning, Stover's wife reported the incident, which appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail and other papers. She wanted to emphasize that her husband was not drunk. He had really seen SOMETHING that spooked him so bad that he couldn't sleep all that night. She believed him, his boss believed him, and the posse of men believed him, vowing to continue their search for the mysterious hairy beast. 

But what was it that he saw? Obviously, a 6 foot tall, hairy man-creature absolutely does NOT fit the description of the 1952 Flatwoods Monster reported by Kathleen May and others. However, it does sound like a Bigfoot (well, maybe a juvenile or relatively small one). What I find interesting is that not one news source I came across ever used the term 'Bigfoot,' or seemed to make any connection between a Bigfoot-esque creature and what Stover witnessed. The term 'Bigfoot' was coined two years earlier to describe the mysterious creature that had left its oversized footprints in a wooded area of northern California. I guess its possible that the name hadn't yet caught on yet here in central West Virginia, or that local news media simply didn't feel like this WAS a Bigfoot. Maybe they just wanted to cash in on the notoriety of the Flatwoods Monster, which, according to the article in the Daily Mail, sent 10,000 to 15,000 visitors into Braxton County.

 Nevertheless, Stover's sighting wasn't an isolated incident. Over the next year, several interesting monster sightings were reported throughout central and north central West Virginia. Strangely enough, none of these additional monsters were given the Bigfoot moniker either---they were simply the "Braxton County Monster on the move." I'll be sharing some newspaper clippings from these additional sightings throughout the next week...so check back throughout the week for more monster madness! 

The Flatwoods Monster Postcard

This may look like an ordinary postcard of the original Flatwoods Monster drawing, but it is actually one of my most prized pieces in my paranormal collection.  While it's true that this is a normal postcard that can be purchased at the Flatwoods Monster Museum, if you look closely, you'll see that it is hand-signed by Freddie May!  Freddie May was one of the young boys, who along with his mother, brother, and some other fellas, were the original witnesses to the creature back in 1952!

Awhile back, I received a message from Andrew Smith, who runs the Flatwoods Monster Museum, asking me for my address.  And, a few weeks ago, I received this wonderful gift in the mail with a very nice letter.  I had been chosen to receive one of these autographed postcards for my work in promoting the museum and sharing the legend of the Flatwoods Monster.  I gotta say....I was quite humbled to be given such an honor!  If you follow this blog, or follow me over on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page, you know that I love the Flatwoods Monster and I am so thrilled to have seen this huge surge in interest in this unique case in recent years.  To anyone with an interest in the paranormal, ufology, or just the weird side of history, the Flatwoods Monster case is just such a cool case to study, and it's awesome to see the museum acting as a localized center for collecting and sharing information. Mr. Smith has done an excellent job in curating a collection of artifacts, connecting with witnesses and researchers, organizing community events, and so much more.  If you're anywhere near the Braxton County area, I highly suggest popping in and checking it out! 

I'd also like to extend a huge thank you to Andrew Smith for sending me this treasured piece! It truly is an honor to have received it.  I'd also like to thank Freddie May for signing these postcards and choosing to talk about his experiences. And, I'd like to thank everyone else out there who is writing about, making videos or podcasts or art about, or is in any other way sharing the legend of the Flatwoods Monster and keeping it alive. West Virginia is lucky to have such a fascinating case in its strange history, and we're even luckier that there are so many people out there dedicated to sharing the story.

A Monstrous Christmas: My Favorite WV Cryptid Etsy Stores

I'm sure a lot of people have most, if not ALL, of their holiday shopping already done.  But, if you're like me and haven't even STARTED yet, there's still plenty of time!  To help you out, I thought I'd share some of my favorite Etsy shops selling cryptid merchandise, many featuring West Virginia monsters and ghosts, made by West Virginia artists!  This is just a tiny list of the great selection of artists showcasing weird and wonderful handcrafted merchandise, so if you are a shop owner, or have a suggestion for this list, please feel free to comment below or head on over to Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook page and share your favorite shop with us!  Let's get started---maybe you'll even find some ideas for what to ask Santa for yourself this year!

1. Liz Pavlovic Design (Keep On Creepin' On):  If you've been to any of West Virginia's local festivals dedicated to the creepy and bizarre, you may have met Liz and seen her awesome stickers, pins, t-shirts and other goodies featuring iconic West Virginia figures, such as Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster.  She has a wonderful array of both spooky and non-spooky designs, which are all hilariously adorable and very affordably priced.  I own a couple of pins myself and every time I wear them out in public, I get a ton of compliments!  Pick up your seasonal greeting cards to send to your friends and family this holiday, include a fun Krampus sticker with them, and strut around in your Keep On Creepin' On tee at your next holiday party!  These items make great stocking stuffers and unique gifts for everyone on your list.

Holiday Cryptids Greeting Card, $4

2. Wild and Weird West Virginia:  I've been following Ron and Joe on Facebook for awhile and I love seeing their original jewelry, sculptures, and other artworks!  Like Liz, you may have seen the guys of Wild and Weird at various events throughout the year, and you can find their merchandise at both the Mothman Museum and at the Point Pleasant Trading Co. New for the holiday season is a handmade resin Mothman ornament and handmade resin Mothman figure! I'm personally asking Santa for one of the Bigfoot print-cast keychains!  Wild and Weird West Virginia has a nice range of products and some beautifully unique jewelry pieces at a wide range of price points, making it another shop where you can find something awesome for just about everyone on your list...including yourself of course!

Mothman Ornament, $9.99

3. Burrito Princess (Pixels & Stitches): If you (or someone on your gift list) love pixel art, Burrito Princess has you covered.  This shop has headbands, magnets, picture frames, and just about anything you could think of that can be made in this medium available in a huge variety of themes, including of course...West Virginia's favorite monsters!  My absolute personal favorite item in this shop has to be the Mothman Christmas tree topper!  I have never seen such a unique piece before.  It's a little on the pricier side at $40, but where else are you going to find a hand-crafted MOTHMAN CHRISTMAS TREE TOPPER?!? This would go great with the Mothman ornament from Wild and Weird West Virginia!  You could probably do a whole Mothman themed tree.  Hmm...I think I just got an idea for next year, lol.

Mothman Tree Topper, $40

4. EgertronPuckArt (Fantastical Illustrations and Handmade Gifts):  Artist Kristen Puckett offters tons of prints featuring creatures from folklore, legend, and West Virginia/KY history, including some pretty obscure (well, obscure when going up against guys like Mothman and Braxxie) critters such as the Fireco Varmint. These prints, which are reasonably priced for the awesome pieces of art they are, would look fabulous gracing the walls of any researcher's office or den!  There are also t-shirts, coloring books, mugs, stickers, pillows, and just all sorts of things. The shop's unique 'anatomy prints' offer quite a different and fascinating look at some well-known and well-loved creatures.  Trust me: anyone receiving one under the Christmas tree this year will have never received anything like it before!  It was hard for me to pick one favorite item from this shop, but I have to say that I love the West Virginia Cryptozoology Map!

WV Cryptids Map, $17.50

Happy Holidays from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!  If you're looking for more gift-giving ideas, please check out my past blogs:

*Gifts for Your Favorite Squatcher
*Holiday Gift Guide: Fallout 76 Edition

Theresa and JR Visit The Flatwoods Monster Museum!

If you follow Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State regularly, you probably saw where, once again, I signed up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge!  And, once again, I failed miserably before I really even got started.  I had full intentions of bringing you a NEW, exciting paranormal blog EVERY DAY for the month of October, along with daily topics on Facebook.  Unfortunately, life got in the way.  My mother-in-law had a medical emergency and has been hospitalized for the last week.  So, we've been dealing with that, and I've been away from my laptop quite a bit.

Things are starting to settle back down a little bit, so I'm trying to get back on track, and filling in with a few 'bonus blogs' to make up for the days I missed.  And today's bonus blog is another installment of Theresa's Travels!

Now, I've been married since March.  My husband grew up in a very religious family and just never cultivated an interest in the paranormal.  Luckily, he loves me and generally tries to show an interest in my passions.  But, despite the fact that he lives in Grafton and we travel past the area frequently, he had NEVER been to the Flatwoods Monster Museum in Braxton County!

So, on Tuesday we were making the drive back up I-79 after visiting my mom in Winfield and I made an impromptu decision.  TODAY was gonna be the day that shared this really cool piece of West Virginia's strange history with the man I love.  He was a little hesitant at first, but that quickly changed!

After having a nice little chat with Andrew Smith who runs the museum, JR and I perused the collection.  I think he was able to walk away with a better understanding of the Flatwoods Monster story, and asked me plenty of questions afterward.  My heart melted to see him take a bunch of photos, which he promptly shared on Reddit, lol.  I think he was most pleased with his shiny new Mothman/Flatwoods Monster pressed penny that I made for him! 

It was a really brief trip, as we had to get back to the hospital to see his mom, but it was the perfect little stop.  I love the Flatwoods Monster Museum and have been multiple times over the past couple of years, but it was really special to share that with my husband.  I think the Flatwoods Monster kind of holds a special place in our relationship since I inadvertently ended up wearing a Flatwoods Monster t-shirt to my own wedding! But, the Flatwoods Monster is also special in that it is such a fascinating example of West Virginia's weird history.  Andrew does such an awesome job running the museum and promoting the Flatwoods Monster that this once-obscure little story has really turned into an entity known all over the world.  If you find yourself cruising up Interstate 79, take a quick detour and see this unique tourist spot...admission to the museum is free, a variety of affordable souvenirs are available, and the place is chock full of photos, documents, memorabilia, and much more related to one of West Virginia's favorite monsters! 

Follow the Flatwoods Monster Museum on Facebook to stay up to date on information concerning the monster and upcoming events at the museum!  Author Sherri Brake will be on-site October 26th!

Friday Funny Featuring The Flatwoods Monster!

In honor of yesterday being the anniversary of the Flatwoods Monster sighting, I bring you this alternate scenario.  Instead of meeting a group of local children and mother to two of the group, what would have happened if a moonshiner was the first person to make contact with The Flatwoods Monster??

This Crypto-Toons is by Robert A. Howell. 

April Updates at Theresa's Haunted History!

Oh, wow!  It's been a long time since I've updated the blog and given Theresa's Haunted History Facebook Page the attention it deserves!  But, it's a new month and a chance for a new start...and I'm ready to finally get back into the swing of things. 

If you've been following me on Facebook, you might have seen a quick post I made a couple of weeks ago, partly explaining my absence on social media and in the paranormal world:  I GOT MARRIED! That's not an April Fool's Day joke; I actually got married on March 14th at the Harrison County courthouse, wearing a pair of jeans and my Braxton County Monster t-shirt!

 After an exceptionally long bout with depression (which also added to my lack of motivation in keeping things updated around here) I was texting a colleague and accidentally typed in the wrong number.  In a weird case of synchronicity that I cannot explain and still have trouble understanding myself, the number I texted happened to belong to the love of my life....15+ years ago!  We found out who each other was, started talking, and well...the rest is happily ever after.

The only problem is...he lives in Grafton and I live in Teays Valley.  In fact, I actually wrote a blog post about a spooky experience I had on Route 50 (The Headless Shadow Being of Route 50) when I used to drive up here every weekend to see him during our first attempt at romance so many years ago. Now that things are finally calming down somewhat, I'm eager to get started back.  And what better way to get the ball rolling than to once again attempt the Ultimate Blog Challenge for April??  Yeah, yeah...it seems pretty crazy given my past track record, but I'm going to give it a shot, as I've got so many spooky stories, event updates, book reviews, photos, and much more ghosty goodness that I want to share with you all.

Thank you so much for being so supportive during a difficult-turned-magical time.  I hope you enjoy the fun stuff I have planned for the next month!  Spending so much time in Grafton has given me the opportunity to share photos and stories from a ton of spooky new places that I normally may not have had the opportunity to visit, so I'm hoping this month and all that follow are filled with plenty of inspiration!  I've missed you all and am so excited to start immersing myself back into the paranormal world...and sharing every step along the way with you all. 

Have a great April, and make sure to follow me on Facebook for updates on new blogs and plenty of other awesome, fun stuff.  Oh, and make sure to keep your eyes open...I'm close to an even 5000 LIKES on Facebook, and when that happens, there will be a HUGE giveaway!  I'll be sharing details about that later on, so make sure you check back often to see how YOU can win.  Stay spooky, my friends!

The Flatwoods Monster Museum's Bazaare!

What's a Bazaare? Bazaare = Bazaar + Bizarre, and its what happens when you bring together a bunch of paranormal authors and researchers specializing in UFOlogy and cryptozoology for a FREE meet and greet event and merch sale!  The Bazaare was put on by the Flatwoods Monster Museum, and was another great opportunity to bring attention to the Flatwoods Green Monster as well as the paranormal field in general.  It was also a great way to bring paranormal enthusiasts and others to the Sutton/Flatwoods area for an up-close look at the little town that made history in 1952.

After Luke's jiu-jitsu class, we jumped into the Jeep and made the journey north to Braxton County.  The last time Aaron and I were in Braxton County, we visited the Flatwoods Monster Museum, took pictures with all 5 of the Monster Chairs, and concluded the evening with the world premier showing of Small Town Monsters' movie, The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear.  It was a lot of fun, but we didn't have Luke with us!  We thought the Bazaare would be a great opportunity to introduce him to the legends and lore of the Flatwoods Monster without him getting bored and cranky, lol.

We were right!  The event ran from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and we arrived around 12:30 p.m. with things already in full swing.  The center floor of the museum was set up with several large tables packed with merchandise from Seth Breedlove, Stan Gordon, Dave Spinks, George Dudding, Eric Altman and Les O'Dell from WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters.  Each featured guest was available and eager to chat with---sharing their knowledge and hearing visitor stories.  

Paranormal investigator, Dave Spinks was there with his new book, West Virginia Bigfoot.  I had to pick up a signed copy for myself and have a quick talk with Dave, who is a really nice and genuine kinda guy.  George Dudding was there with his wide array of books on all things spooky in West Virginia, and Stan Gordon had some of his work available as well.  Seth Breedlove was selling DVDs of his Small Town Monsters productions, including his Flatwoods movie.  Luke, however, was more interested in his movie on the Beast of Bray Road, lol.  Funny side note:  When Luke was about 3 years old, we took him to the French Creek Wildlife Center.  We were both fascinated by the wolves---lying in the sun they just looked like a cute, happy domestic dog.  However, when they stood up and walked, there was something powerful and a little creepy about their movements.  Later on, when we asked Luke what his favorite animal was that he saw that day, he replied with, 'the werewolves.' For YEARS after that, whenever you'd ask him what his favorite animal was, he'd say it was a werewolf. 

Anyway, Eric Altman, who is a Bigfoot researcher, was also in attendance with some cool merch and information. Les from WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters was there as well, and its always a pleasure to see him and talk with him about his current research.  We first met Les at the museum back in April, so it was fitting that we got to go see him again at the museum.  He even had a really awesome gift for me:  an Ouija t-shirt that he made!  Speaking of the museum, it was up and running as usual during the event and the staff was awesome as usual---very friendly, chatty, knowledgeable and helpful.  Luke had a fun time checking out the displays, and it always amazes me how interested he actually is in this stuff, asking follow-up questions and talking about what he saw for days afterwards.  We bought some really cool souvenirs, some for us and some to send to friends in Australia, including postcards, magnets, and guitar picks.  Luke was thrilled to see the pressed penny machine, as he absolutely loves those things and honestly, there were some really cool designs!

We wrapped up our visit to the museum, but we weren't done with Braxton County yet! We had planned on grabbing lunch and then starting the journey to photograph all five of the Monster Chairs. We wanted to take Luke to The Spot, the little restaurant decorated with monster memorabilia and featuring menu items named after various creatures.  Unfortunately, The Spot was closed for the season!  That was a huge disappointment, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Not only does it give us an excuse (as if we needed one!) to return in the Spring/Summer, but it led Luke to the finest dessert known to man.  We ended up having lunch at Shoney's, which was actually sort of a treat since most of the Shoney's restaurants around us have closed.  The meal was good, but Luke and Aaron decided to order the chocolate cake/sundae monstrosity you'll see in the photo.  I'm pretty sure my son now has diabetes, but it was sweet to see him so excited about a dessert and hear Aaron share his childhood memories about eating the same thing.  I'm pretty sure that made the whole trip worth it---at least to Luke!  But, we still had the chairs to conquer!

Since Aaron and I had found all five chairs back in April, we had no problems quickly locating the first four in the series.  Luke wasn't all that into it at first, but by the time we pulled up to the park for the third chair, he was excited.  Unfortunately, as we pulled into the Gassaway Dairy Queen for the last stop on our trip, we noticed a spot of dead grass, tons of No Trespassing signs, and NO CHAIR. What the hell?  We couldn't find any information online, so we drove around Gassaway a little bit to see if it had been moved.  We finally pulled into the drive-thru at Dairy Queen and asked the employee what was going on.  He told us that the property the chair sat on had been recently sold to a private buyer and the chair removed. He didn't know where it had been taken or if there were plans to reinstall it.  If you have any information, please let me know what's going on!

It was a disappointing way to end the day, but we had fun, nonetheless! As my son is getting older, he's getting more into West Virginia's monsters and the paranormal side of our state's history.  It's quite rewarding to have the opportunity to share stuff like this with him, and see his reaction.  And I gotta say, we are so lucky to live in an area that is embracing this spooky history more and more.  The Flatwoods Museum does such a great job in preserving and sharing information on the Flatwoods Monster.  This Bazarre was just one more way to bring awareness, have fun, and get people excited about an interesting piece of our state's history.  Please visit the links to the guests' websites/social media and show them some love...and be sure to check out the Flatwoods Monster Museum's page as well for updates on upcoming events and information on everything you've ever wanted to know about the Flatwoods/Braxton County/Green Monster! 

Spooky Tunes

The tri-state area of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio is absolutely full of ghost stories and other legends that have found firm roots in our local culture.  Often, these iconic tales become the inspiration and basis for local musicians.  These songs help to preserve and share the stories behind our favorite spooky citizens.  For today's blog, I've compiled a very short list of ghostly-inspired music---three songs from my home state of West Virginia, and one each for Kentucky and Ohio.  Take a few moments to listen...and then hop on over to Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page to let me know any of your suggestions for songs inspired by true events.

1. Behind Red Eyes--A Tribute to Mothman by StellaRising:  West Virginia's favorite cryptid has a number of songs written about and inspired by him, but Behind Red Eyes is probably my favorite.

2. The Being:  The Being, by Argyle Goolsby is an awesome tribute to The Braxton County Monster, which has for years, been lost in the shadows behind Mothman.  However, I think as the local community of Flatwoods and surrounding areas continues to embrace their weird history, we'll be seeing a lot more from this mysterious creature.

3. Johanna:  Bobby Mackey, musician and owner of the super-haunted Bobby Mackey's Music World in Wilder, Kentucky, has written a couple of songs about his bar's resident ghosts.  Johanna is a tribute to a young pregnant woman who worked at the location in the 1930s.  Johanna is believed to have committed suicide after her father had the father of her unborn child killed.

4. The Greenbrier Ghost:  Johanna isn't the only ghostly girl to have a song written to her memory.  The Greenbrier Ghost, by Steve Schroeder tells the story of Zona Heaster Shue and her untimely end at the hands of her husband.

5. Ghosts of the Moonville Tunnel: This song, by Ron Mash, tells of Ohio's Moonville Tunnel and the ghosts that roam the former train tunnel, taken too early by railroad accidents in/near the tunnel.

The Braxton County Monster Drawing

On September 12, a group of kids playing football noticed what they thought may have been a small plane crash outside Flatwoods, WV.  The boys, accompanied by two of the group's mother, a teenage neighbor, and a dog, grabbed a flashlight and made the trek up the hill to discover what was going on.  What they saw that night was, perhaps, literally out of this world.  The creature, which would be known as The Flatwoods Monster, the Braxton County Monster, or simply just 'The Being' was so unique in appearance, that even 66 years later, its form is immediately recognized.

Red face framed by a strange spade-shaped head.  Tiny, claw-like arms.  Glowing yellow eyes.  A green pleated skirt?!  What the hell was this thing? Some believe that the group saw a creature from outer space.  Others believed that it wasn't the creature itself, but a small vehicle or protective suit for a spaceman.  Some simply believed that the group chased down a meteorite and were spooked by a large owl seated on a low hanging tree branch.    

No matter what you believe the Flatwoods Monster to be, it is pretty undeniable that its form is easily recognizable to many, in and out of the paranormal community.  The creature has been featured in video games, toys, lanterns, comic books, over-sized chairs, etc. There is simply nothing else like it in the world.  But...is the iconic monster image that we immediately recognize as the Flatwoods Monster REALLY a good representation of what the group saw that evening?  And where did the artwork for it come from?

The photo above is a clipping from a Charleston Gazette article dated Tuesday, September 23, 1952. The caption states that the drawing was made by a New York sketch artist based on the descriptions of the creature given by Kathleen May and Gene Lemon. It was most likely created when the pair, accompanied by Sutton publisher, A. Lee Stewart, Jr., traveled to New York City to appear on the television show, "We The People." As they told their tale and showed the image, which both witnesses agreed was accurate, eerie music played in the background for the audience at home. Later when they returned to West Virginia, a photo was snapped of May and Lemon at the Charleston Greyhound Bus Station.

As the years rolled by, interest in the sighting waned, but then later saw a resurgence.  Aided by researchers, namely Frank Feschino, it was discovered that maybe the ridiculous, cartoonish portrayal of the creature wasn't EXACTLY what the witnesses had seen. What the witnesses had really seen was described as much more mechanical in nature, with the creature's flowing, pleated skirt really being similar to corrugated metal and its claw-like arms being more like antennae.  This updated version of  the creature's appearance can be found on the cover of Frank Feschino's book, The Braxton County Monster: The Cover-Up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed.   

Although perhaps more accurate, the newer version of the Flatwoods Monster's appearance is decidedly less fun than the older version and the original is still the main inspiration for artists creating memorabilia and souvenirs to this day.  And, as an added bonus...just recently the original drawing itself has been found!  Believed for years to have been lost, an anonymous citizen of Braxton County came forth and let the piece be photographed.  You can see the photographs over at the  Braxton County Convention and Visitor's Bureau website as well as find tons of information about West Virginia's 'other' monster.

*If you find yourself in Braxton County, make it a top priority to visit the visitor's center for a HUGE collection of monster memorabilia, souvenirs, and information on the creature and other attractions around the county!*