Thomas, the Winged Cat of West Virginia

Thomas the Winged Cat and owner, Doug Shelton (right) and friend, Gary Church. AP Photo

It sounds like something out of a fairy tale or a little girl's dreams:  a cat with wings, flying merrily about and having enchanted adventures in far away lands.  (To others, it may sound more like a nightmare, hehe)  But either way, a winged cat cannot possibly exist in nature, right?  Well, not exactly....

Although there is no such thing as a flying cat, nature has produced us several examples of cats, who it appeared, had wings.  There are actually three different scenarios that produce these winged cats, and as a result, winged cats have been reported all over the globe and throughout recorded history.  The first scenario is the most common, and that is, the wings are simply matted fur.  The matted fur explanation is most often seen in long-haired cat varieties as fur tends to become matted, and even starts to become "felted," resulting in what looks like wings that flap when the cat runs or walks.  This is also not uncommon for shorter-haired breeds, as they shed their winter coats in mid to late spring.  However, it might be more alarming to novice cat owners and mistaken as wings.  In any event, these clumps of matted fur are uncomfortable to the cat, and can harbor dirt, feces, and parasites, so they should be clipped off by a veterinarian.

The second explanation for the winged cat phenomena is a skin condition called Feline Cutaneous Asthenia (FCA), in which the wings are actually extra flaps of skin found on the cat's shoulders, haunches, or back.  What is really quite interesting with FCA is that many cats with this condition can actually move these flaps at will, showing that the wings do have muscular tissue and tendons.  Obviously, you would NOT want to cut these wings off.

Lastly, and the most rare of the conditions, is simply, extra appendages.  We've all seen the photos of the calf, and the sheep, and the chicken with extra legs and the same applies to these cats.  These extra appendages are usually fur covered, and at times, can be controlled by the animal, giving them the appearance of flapping wings.

West Virginia is lucky enough to have its own winged-cat celebrity, a white Persian named "Thomas."

In May of 1959, 15 year old Douglas Shelton of Pineville (Wyoming County) was out in the woods when his dog treed something.  The boy looked, and saw it was a cat, so he climbed the tree and brought it home.  However, Shelton would quickly see that this was not an ordinary cat--it had two wing-like appendages coming off its back!  As word spread of his unique discovery, Shelton began charging a dime for visitors to take a look at his new pet who he christened "Thomas."

A reporter for a Beckley newspaper, Fern Miniacs, came and examined the cat, which she discovered was actually a female.  It also appeared to be a Persian cat who she concluded, had wings that had no bones, but definitely gristle.  The wings were soft and fluffy towards the ends and slightly gritty towards the body.  An anonymous out-of-state veterinarian also concluded that the wings were of unknown origin, but a local conservation officer maintained the opinion that the cat was simply shedding its coat.  His opinion was largely ignored by the growing number of Thomas fans.

Thomas' popularity grew so much that she even landed a spot on the Today Show.  Thomas and Douglas Shelton took the train into New York, and appeared on the show live on June 8, 1959.  However, the show would have negative consequences.  Watching that day was another Pineville local, Mrs. Charles Hicks.  Hicks claimed that the cat was HERS, and that her name was Mitzi.  Mitzi had run away as a result of being given some ear drops, four days before Shelton found her.  Hicks claimed that Mitzi was a gift that had been purchased by a friend in California.  Friends and family had all seen her wings, and could verify that she was indeed property of Mrs. Hicks.  She demanded the cat be returned, but Douglas Shelton refused.  As a result, Mrs. Hicks took the matter to court.

The case was tried on October 5, 1959 and everyone in the courtroom was shocked to see Douglas Shelton carry in a wingless cat, and a shoebox containing two clumps of matted fur.  Shelton admitted that Thomas had shed her wings back in July.  Mrs. Hicks nastily replied that the cat in question was NOT her Mitzi.  She was rewarded $1 in damages, and the Shelton family was awarded full custody of Thomas, the now wingless cat.

UPDATE: Dough Shelton unfortunately passed away on August 7th, 2020.  His granddaughter posted a link to his story (including the above photo) on the West Virginia Paranormal Society's Facebook page. In the post, she states that Thomas the Cat was set free. 

The Raleigh Register
01 October 1959

NC's Dana Auditorium Has a Ghost...or Two

I don't really like posting TWO haunted locations not in the tri-state in a row, but as part of my 2013 resolutions for this site, I am determined to finally finish Round One of my Haunted America series!  I'm also determined to post more frequently, possibly once a day, and I admittedly don't have all my research together this morning for any of the the blogs I have planned out.  So, I grabbed my copy of Triad Hauntings by Burt Calloway and Jennifer Fitzsimons and picked the first location that looked interesting.  Luckily, I was able to find enough supporting evidence online to whip out today's entry:  The Ghosts of Dana Auditorium.

Dana Auditorium was built in 1961 on the campus of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina.  It was named for Charles Dana, a local philanthropist who donated $250,000 to the college for the completion of the project, which was built on the former site of an 1891 YMCA building.  However, the land on which the Dana Auditorium stands actually has a history going back even further than the creation of Guilford or its predecessor, the New Garden Boarding School.  It has ties that go all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was fought March 15, 1781 in which British troops defeated the Americans, leaving over 172 total casualties, and over 600 total wounded soldiers.  In order to assist the many wounded and dying, a field hospital sprang up nearby...directly on the site where the Dana Auditorium would be built.

Shortly after its completion, the Dana Auditorium obtained its haunted reputation.  Many believe the resident ghost is a man who they have dubbed Lucas, and who was a soldier who died at the field hospital from injuries sustained in battle.  Lucas almost always seems to make himself known at the same time each night:  2am, leaving a wake of security guards and the occasional late-night music student his prime targets.  Lucas, while seen and felt throughout the building, tends to favor only two rooms---the Moon Room and the Choir Room.  He especially enjoys playing one of the many pianos located in the Choir Room, and also messing with the locks.

In 1973, Lucas gave two security guards quite a fright, as they entered into the main auditorium to find one of the heavy chandeliers swaying on its own accord.  As they watched, the chandelier fell and crashed, leaving them both pretty shook up.

From time to time, Lucas is actually spotted.  A security guard turning a corner in the hall encountered a weathered looking man directly in front of him.  When questioned, the man said nothing, but turned and walked into the Moon Room.  Lucas has also been seen in the auditorium's balcony, along with another possible apparition. 

In more recent years, the ghost of a little dark haired girl wearing a white dress has been seen, and many say she's mischievous, and possibly, a little malicious.  One student staying late to rehearse on the piano noticed the little girl watching him in the Choir Room.  Creeped out, he immediately left.

As to the identity of this little girl, no one online has really brought forth any theories, however, it is interesting to note that Shadowlands actually has a listing for the Mary Hobbs Hall, a campus dormitory, being haunted by a little girl named Mary.  According to the legend, Mary had a slumber party with several friends in the attic of the home.  Some local boys, wishing to scare the girls, started throwing rocks through their window.  Somehow, a fire started, and Mary didn't make it out alive, and thus, now haunts the dormitory.

However, according to the college, Hobbs Hall was never this private residence as listed.  Rather, it was built in 1907 as a female dormitory and named after the wife of Guilford President, Lewis Lyndon Hobbs.  Mary Hobbs wished to improve educational opportunities for women with financial difficulties, and thus, set up Hobbs Hall as a co-op type facility where girls could live, and share the chores of cooking, cleaning, etc. as a way to support themselves.  By the 1940s, the attic of the building did house up to 12 seniors, which was considered a privileged location. 

There WAS a fire that broke out in the attic on November 29, 1976, caused by a curtain coming in contact with a curling iron. The impact of that fire, as seen in the blackened, charred remains of the attic, is still visible today, and is probably the basis of this legend.

The Witch of the Joshua Ward House

Photo by Jim McAllister

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in our nation's history, yet its a story that fascinates us still to this day.  Not only does the tragic tale remain alive in books, movies and throughout the town's museums and gift shops, but it remains alive and well in the many ghost stories and associated paranormal events connected to the untimely deaths of those unlucky citizens.

One such ghostly tale involves the present-day Joshua Ward House.  The Joshua Ward House was built long after the last of the accused was buried, but it still has some very deep roots involving key players involved in the witch trials.  Built in 1784 for a local merchant, Joshua Ward, the home lies directly atop the foundation of another home...that of George Corwin, High Sheriff of Essex County, Massachusetts.

Sheriff Corwin signed the warrants that led to the arrests and deaths of those accused in Salem of witchcraft.  Corwin's last victim was Giles Corey, who, accused of witchcraft, refused to admit to any guilt.  In order to illicit a confession, Corwin had him crushed under the weight of heavy stones.  Still refusing to admit to any wrong-doing, Corey used his last breath to utter a curse on Corwin and all the following sheriffs of Essex County.

Whether or not attributed to the curse, Corwin DID pass away from heart trouble in 1696 at the age of 30, which was still relatively young for that period.  He was originally buried in the basement of his own home, a decision sparked by several reasons.  Firstly, there was actually a lien on his body, brought on by a man named Phillip English who had been accused of witchcraft and had his property seized by Corwin.  Until he was reimbursed, Corwin was not legally allowed to be buried.  Further, Corwin's widow was afraid that due to the resentment harbored by many still in the village against her husband, Corwin's body would be disinterred and vandalized should he be buried in the church cemetery.  Therefore, Corwin's body would remain in his own basement until eventually he would be buried in a proper burial ground.

Because of Corwin's early demise and improper burial, it was originally believed that the paranormal activity at the Joshua Ward House was largely the result of his ghost.  Others believed that Giles Corey, his final victim, also haunted the house, seeking his revenge.  It wasn't until Carleson Realty took over the home in 1981 that yet ANOTHER ghost was believed to be the culprit of all the spooky happenings.

Richard Carlson had bought the home in 1981 and used it as offices for his realty business, and almost immediately, strange things started happening.  The burglar alarm would constantly go off at night, getting Richard or another employee out of bed to attend to it.  Doors would shut on their own and lights would go on and off, activated by unseen hands.  In one particularly interesting incident, an employee had two candlesticks on the fireplace mantle in her office.  As she unlocked her office one morning, she noticed that the candlesticks were turned upside down on the mantle, and the candles themselves were actually on the floor, one bent in an 'S' shape, and the other into a 'boomerang' shape, as if they had been melted and manipulated.  Another odd incident happened to Richard Carlson when a land graph that he was asked for floated out of its storage closet and landed softly on the ground in front of him and another witness.

Yet the most well-known ghostly manifestation at the house is the Witch Photo.

Photo as it appeared in the Haunted Happenings book by Robert Cahill

Dale Lewinski, and employee of Carlson Realty was taking Polaroid photographs of all the employees.  The photographs, which were simple head and shoulder shots against a white door frame, were to be displayed on a holiday door wreath in the office.  All the photos came out fairly normal....until Lewinski got to Julie Tremblay.

In her photo, Tremblay is clearly not visible anywhere.  Instead, there appears to be an image of a skinny woman in a long, dark dress and dark, frazzled hair.  To those who see it, it appears to be archetypal image of what we'd call a "witch."

This photo first appeared in Robert Ellis Cahill's book, New England's Ghostly Haunts, published in 1983.  The original photo was brought to his attention by another employee, Lorraine St. Pierre, who had had her own run-ins with the alleged paranormal activity.  According to the book, Julie herself handed over the the photo in question, along with a comparison shot of herself taken later in the home.  While Julie is quite attractive and many see the "witch" as just the opposite, I can actually see where this photo may or may not actually be Julie herself.  Julie has shoulder length dark hair, a roundish face, and a prominent grin.  If she were standing in front of a Christmas wreath on the door wearing a black dress, it could appear that it was part of her "hair."  It may be just my imagination, but I can actually see some similarities between Julie and the figure.  Please see the photo of Julie below for comparison:

Photo of Julie Tremblay.  Scanned from my copy of New England's Ghostly Haunts.

However, in Cahill's 1993 book, Haunted Happenings, the story and photo are revisited...with some slightly different information.  This book states that the photo was allegedly of Lorraine and turned over to him by Lorraine herself, who seemed genuinely embarrassed and frightened, noted Cahill.  The photograph is rather interesting, because before it was taken, there was another eyewitness account of this phantom.  A woman looking for an apartment was in the office, and while her realtor was on the phone, she happened to glance down the hall and into another open office.  Seated in a chair was a woman with dark hair, wearing a long grey dress.  Others around seemingly didn't notice this woman, and when the witness looked back, the woman was gone.

Was this image that of one of the many women tried and hanged over charges of witchcraft from the evil sheriff?  Or, was the photo simply a hoax?  Perhaps it was just a bad photo combined with the perception of an already haunted house.  Whatever the cause behind this photo, I'll be sure to update if any new information becomes available.

Today, the home is used for a publishing company, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is still reported to be haunted.

Friday Night Funny-Orb Style

TGIF, right?  It's been a crazy week, so to bring a little humor to your Friday morning, I'm posting a Friday Night Funny...a few hours early.

This photo comes from Nelson Kennedy of St. Louis Ghost Hunters Society and shows a photograph typical of what one may find while investigating a dank, dusty environment.  The added commentary is also, unfortunately, quite common for many "ghost hunters" and those with an armchair interest and a camera.  Not only are there so many photos of bugs, dust, moisture, other airborne particles, etc. being passed off as evidence of the paranormal, but many of those photos are being "explained" some bewildering process where each splotch is confidently given an identity without any scientific or historical background to support the claim.

I'm posting this photo as a light-hearted satire; it is NOT meant to start a huge debate or insult anyone whose belief system includes orbs as indisputable proof of the paranormal.  However, it IS a call for everyone, especially those who are investigators and researchers, to educate yourselves and take into consideration the few scientific facts we DO have in this field.  If you're going to post an opinion under the guise of fact, be prepared to back up your own arguments.  If you can't, please don't throw a temper tantrum when someone questions you.  Having said that, please enjoy today's photo!!

Two Years of Haunted History

Yesterday, on Wednesday, January 16th, Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State blog celebrated its 2nd birthday!  (I meant to post this yesterday, but got busy!)

Actually, Theresa's Haunted History goes back to 2006 when I joined what would soon become Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research.  Shortly after joining the team, I was promoted to head up the historic research department.  I had always been interested in historic research, and had already done quite a bit of looking into the local legends on my own, even before I joined the group.  What I kept finding was that there was a LOT of misinformation out there.  There were really only 1-2 sites that reported information on West Virginia haunted places, and those stories generally came from young people and/or people who were not very well versed in either local history or paranormal research.  Then, other sites would pick up these erroneous personal accounts, and copy them word for word.

Therefore, Theresa's Haunted History was born!  I wanted one localized site where investigators, researchers, and the general public could access the most accurate information about haunted locations throughout the state.  And, since HPIR was located right at the borders, I decided that I had to include the entire tri-state region of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.

The first Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State started as a Freewebs website since I didn't have the time, patience, knowledge or CASH to work with a real website, and for awhile, it was a perfect match!  I featured profiles of allegedly haunted hot spots throughout West Virginia, sprinkling in some from Ohio and Kentucky, and then expanding into photos, cemeteries, book reviews, and other things.  And then I started getting a LOT of traffic.  That, added to a LOT of pictures that I posted led to regular bandwidth exceedings, making it impossible to add more content, and sometimes, even having the website unavailable to the public.  I still couldn't afford (or understand how to make) a real website, so I struggled for awhile, but then decided that enough was enough.  I needed a new home for Theresa's Haunted History.

I chose to do this blog style because...basically it was free and easy, lol.  Oh, and there were no bandwidth limits to fight with.  I liked to have the ability to still have "pages" but also have all new entries easily available and seen.

My first entry was a profile for the Apollo Theater in Martinsburg, WV.  It was a brand new entry, not found on the previous site.  However, I quickly started the painstakingly mundane task of moving everything from the Freewebs site over to the blog...which is why there are a LOT more entries that first year.  It's taken nearly two years to move everything and sort out the formatting and photo issues that accompany such a move, all the while adding tons of new content on a fairly regular basis.

Today, this blog has grown more than I ever thought it would!  On the paranormal off-season, I'm averaging over 500 visitors a day.  I've been contacted by numerous television shows and publications, and have been plagiarized more than I can count, lol.  Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I have a lot of fun researching and writing for this blog, and I couldn't do it without you many loyal readers.  Thank you so much for your continuing support through the new year.  I've got a lot of new features I'm working out for 2013, and even challenging myself to up the post count to at least once every other day!  Help be a part of the haunted history of the tri-state by bookmarking this site, following me on Twitter, or giving me a LIKE on FaceBook for the latest news on this site and all my other paranormal pursuits.  And, as always, if you have a question, comment, or know a location that needs to be included on this blog, feel free to email me at theresarhps@yahoo.com or leave a comment.  Thanks again!

-Theresa

(Photos are some early promotional images I made)

Chesapeake Community Center

For the past several years, the Chesapeake Community Center has caused quite a lot of buzz in the local paranormal community.  With the help of Quest Paranormal out of Ironton, the former school has been the subject of television appearances, newspaper articles, and regular ghost hunts open to the public.  And to those who have visited the building, their personal experiences and other examples of paranormal evidence have definitely justified the hype!

It all began in the 1920s...

Prior to 1921, there was no actual high school in the town of Chesapeake.  So while grades 1-8 were housed in several small 1-2 room schools, including a 2 room building on Rockwood Avenue, upper grades were sent elsewhere, including Central Jr. High School in Huntington, WV.  That Fall, nine Chesapeake resident students attending Central were sent home due to overcrowding.  As a result, the parents of the community met with the local Board of Education and demanded a solution.

A temporary compromise was reached.  For the 1921-22 school year, the school board rented out a large room on the second floor of the Fraternal Hall Building.  In addition to lodge meetings, church services, and the operation of a grocery store, the building now was home to 28 freshmen and sophomores from Chesapeake.  These students included the original nine students from Central Jr. High, as well as sophomores who had spent THEIR freshman term the year prior at Proctorville High School.  Presiding over the group was only one teacher, Mr. Willard McDaniel.

The following year, classes were moved to the first floor of the Fraternal Hall Building, where the "school" then occupied TWO rooms with added equipment and a second teacher, Mr. John Dillon.  In 1923 the high school moved out of the Fraternal Hall Building when it "switched places" with the upper elementary school students while arrangements were made for a more permanent solution.

That solution came in the form of the new high school building.  Construction started in 1924, and by the fall of 1925 the new Chesapeak East School was ready for enrollment.  This new building is the one that today, houses the Chesapeake Community Center.

During the 1948-49 session, a large addition was made to the school.  When school started back in the fall of 1949, grades 1-8 moved into this new edition, eliminating the need of at least two of the local, outdated 1-2 room school houses.  This set-up lasted until 1956 when a new high school was built.  The upper grades of Chesapeake East moved into this new high school, leaving the building entirely for the elementary grades.  This move left the school district with three schools:  1. The new high school 2. Chesapeake West Elementary, and now, 3. Chesapeake East Elementary.

Changes were made again when a modern high school was built in 1989, and no longer needed, Chesapeake East Elementary was left to eventually be re-born into Chesapeake Community Center.  Today, the Chesapeake Community Center has been in operation over 21 years and has offered many services to the community, including workout facilities.  In 1998, the local EMS also operated out of the "new addition."

With such a history, this school, like so many others, quickly obtained a reputation of being haunted, but these tales have only just recently really begun to make themselves public.  The current director of the facility relates that one of the first sightings came from a Marshall University student who was using the gym.  This young man claimed to see a little girl in a blue dress with long, blonde hair.  Shortly after that, a little girl who was visiting the facility with her father reported seeing the image of the same little girl in a mirror.

This little girl is one of the most sighted apparitions to walk the halls of the Chesapeake Community Center, and many believe she was a former student of the school.  Some who have seen her describe her as being around 12 years old with her long blonde hair done in curls.  One legend as to this little ghost girl's existence states that the girl WAS a student at the school who was made to commit suicide with her grandmother by jumping off the nearby Symmes Creek Bridge.  This story allegedly comes from the turn-of-the-century, before the school was built, so its possible the girl wandered in, attracted to the energy of years of students crammed into the building...or perhaps originally went to one of the little school houses located very near the East School.

Whatever her story may be, the little girl isn't the ONLY ghostly manifestation in the building.  Others have seen or sensed the presence of an adult male, and some believe he was a former janitor...because just about every "haunted school" has a tale about a ghostly janitor, lol.  But what is most un-nerving is the presence of something much more sinister.

With an influx of people visiting the building for the purpose of paranormal research, a previous "un-reported" entity has overshadowed all the rest.  The basement area is the women's locker room.  Countless investigators and visitors have reported that something in that room has been known to leave a nasty set of scratch marks on unsuspecting persons' flesh.  The reason for or identity of this suspected entity is simply speculation at this point, and history becomes slightly muddled.

Other sources have reported that this building IS the Fraternal Hall Building, and that it was built by a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.  There is also a rumor of a tunnel running under Route 7 and it is believed that slaves were held in the basement area.  While a mixture of KKK and slavery certainly does seem like a textbook explanation for such an angry, hostile manifestation, I haven't personally been able to verify these stories.  The building that is there now is definitely NOT the old Fraternal Hall Building.  It was built in 1924 for the purpose of a school.

However, I haven't been able to locate where this Fraternal Hall actually sat and until more information becomes available, I guess it IS possible that the foundation of the school actually sits atop a former building, perhaps even the Fraternal Hall, although I'm not sold on it yet.  If that building, or any building that sat on that property was built prior to the Civil War, its also possible that slaves could have sought refuge there.  Ohio was a free state, and there is plenty of literature out there about Lawrence County's involvement with the Underground Railroad. 

Whatever the history may turn out to be, the building is still widely considered as haunted, and public ghost hunting is allowed so you can experience for yourself (for a nominal fee) the many ghosts of these former hallowed halls.

*Information for this blog post came from a variety of sourches including:
The Lawrence Register
The Ironton Tribune
History of Lawrence County (1990)

*Historic Photo from the Herald-Dispatch.  Present-Day photo from Theresa.*

The Pink Pachyderm of Barboursville

Welcome to 2013 everyone!  It's been a wild ride, but we made it through another year at Theresa's Haunted History.  After the celebrations of the holiday season, I thought today's post would be a perfect way to start the new year.  Pink elephants.  If you've seen one, you might have partied a little too hearty over New Year's.  Or...you live in the tri-state area and have driven past Barboursville's most iconic art piece, wondering just what in the heck is the deal with it?

The Pink Elephant of Barboursville has many legends surrounding its existence.  A legendary tall tale allegedly passed around city hall is that President Ronald Reagan purchased the beast at a Washington, D.C. area flea market.  After sneaking it back under the cover of darkeness, it made its home on the White House lawns until it showed up on eBay during the Clinton administration, and bid upon by an anonymous West Virginia buyer. I remember the elephant being there WAY before the Clinton administration, as do most citizens, so I'm guessing this tale is a silly story told to newbies to the area.

Another, more believeable, tale has the elephant simply being a present (or memorial) to a little girl from her grandparents.  This theory is evidenced by the fact that in the concrete holding the massive giant in place there are a pair of tiny footprints and the name "Nikki."

Nikki's Foot Prints?

In reality, the Pink Elephant of Barboursville is simply a marketing device.  It was probably constructed and sold by the company "Sculptured Advertising," based in Sparta, WI who installed its first pink elephant in 1963 at an Iowa restaurant called the Pink Elephant Supper Club.  Similar pink elephants can be found throughout the United States, most notably at a Tennesse car dealership and a mini golf course in NY.

Our elephant was purchased in Michigan by local businessman David L. Taylor and installed in front of his gift shop in the summer of 1970.  The 15-20ft. fiberglass pachyderm had the facetious additional advantage of helping the local drunks find their way home...but probably also giving some psychedelic drug users quite the scare over the years, as well!

Now home to L.L. Roe Insurance

David Taylor's wife, Hazel, has stated that the elephant immediately became a success upon its installation, and a community icon.  It was said that David loved the publicity of the elephant, and before his death in 1986, would decorate the statue seasonally, even celebrating the Christmas holidays by donning a Santa suit, climbing aboard the pink pachyderm, and waving to the children.

After David's death, Taylor Gift Shop was rented out to other businesses, and Hazel toyed with the idea of moving the imposing statue to her backyard and painting it gray.  The public rallied against the move, and even the business housed in the Taylor Building threatened to move out if the elephant wasn't part of the deal.  Since that time, the elephant's popularity and mystique has continued to grow.

Many local citizens use the elephant as a landmark when giving directions.  Republican groups have flocked from all over to have their photo taken with the statue.  In 2005, when the elephant was vandalized by college kids who thought it looked better painted Marshall green, the community fought for it to be returned to its pink color.

Today, the Taylor Building houses the L.L. Roe Insurance Agency, and the elephant is still there, front and center, with a fresh coat of pink paint.  But who is the Nikki mentioned above?  That, I'm not sure about.  I thought that researching David Taylor's obituary, I'd find the answer...that Nikki was simply the Taylors' grand-daughter.  Unfortunately, the obituary only lists two daughters, Tootie St. Clair of Atlanta and Susan Sheets of Barboursville.  It's possible that Nikki is the daughter of one of these ladies, but I haven't found her yet...Nikki, are you out there????

Update June 2013:  About a month or so ago, we took my three year old son, Luke, to the Barboursville Dollar Tree, taking Route 60 from Hurricane.  I hadn't realized it, but we had NEVER driven him past the pink elephant!  He noticed it immediately and started yelling from the backseat, "Mom, mom!  Me see PINK elephant!  Did you see it?  See it, Mom??"  I am so happy that he is now experiencing the same excitement and wonder that I, and many others, have experienced!

Update July 2015:  I found Nicole (Nikki) and she's written an article about this iconic piece of Cabell County History! You Are Here Stories