1950 UFO Flap Continues

 

Last night, I posted a new blog on Theresa's Haunted History about three strange, unidentified objects seen flying over Fairmont, West Virginia. The objects were seen about 300 feet up in the air on March 14, 1950. There wasn't a whole lot of information provided in the Hinton Daily News article about the sighting, so I thought that it was somewhat of an isolated incident...until I found ANOTHER article from the same paper, dated just a day after the original article was published.

In the March 18, 1950 edition, the above-seen story was published. This time, the unidentified objects have moved significantly south, as three witnesses in Bluefield, WV came forward to say they had seen something flying through the sky. Although it is mentioned that there was a slight buzzing sound, and that the objects left vapor trails, the article doesn't mention exactly WHAT was seen. Was it the same glass balls filled with light as seen in Fairmont a few days earlier?  Was it some sort of saucer shaped craft? What exactly did they see? 

As alluded to in this article, it does seem that there was a UFO flap of sorts happening in the area, and possibly throughout the state. Another UFO flap would hit West Virginia in 1952, and again in 1967 and in 1973. Over the years, West Virginia would become a hotbed of UFO, paranormal, and cryptozoological activity. These short little newspaper blurbs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to uncovering the strange and unusual history of the Mountain State. 

Stay Spooky. 

1950 Fairmont UFO

 

This brief newspaper clipping comes from The Hinton Daily News, and is dated March 17th, 1950. It retells a report from a man known only as 'Watson' that ran a day before in a local Fairmont, WV newspaper. Watson claims that on Tuesday, March 14, 1950, he was coming home when he saw THREE big balls in the sky, which appeared to have a very bright light in them. They were moving at a great speed, and were directly above him, about 300 feet up. The witness insists that he is not a drinking man. 

Describing the objects as 'big balls of glass with a very bright light in them,' is quite interesting to me as I've never heard that description used before when describing UFOs, especially during this period. Through the 1950's it was much more common for people to describe actual saucer-shaped flying craft...not balls of glass. I wish there was more information, such as where exactly these three objects were sighted, what time they were sighted, and if there were any follow-ups. Still, I wanted to share it here as part of West Virginia's rich, UFO history!  

May's Bigfoot Book Round-Up

May's Bigfoot Reading

I had officially declared last month Bigfoot Month.  All throughout May, I spent every spare second I had reading about Bigfoot, watching documentaries/webinars/online lectures about Bigfoot, and listening to podcasts about Bigfoot. I shared several historical Bigfoot articles here on Theresa's Haunted History.  I even attended an awesome hands-on Bigfoot workshop at Kanawha State Forest, hosted by Wild and Weird West Virginia. I fully immersed myself in Bigfoot research, and I learned a TON. Of course, now that I've exposed my mind to so many different theories from so many different people in the field, and heard so many different personal encounters, I find myself having MORE questions about the topic than I did coming into it, lol. 

Anyway, I've kept a list of every piece of Bigfoot media that I consumed last month, with the intention of sharing it with you all.  It's pretty massive, so I'm gonna have to break it down into categories, starting with my favorite: Bigfoot Books!

Having a well-stocked personal paranormal library really came in handy for this project. I was able to raid my own shelves for quite a few Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti books. Some I had read before, and others were part of my never-ending TBR pile. I pulled what I thought would be the most relevant, but unfortunately....I didn't make it too far into the stack.  I did, however, manage to read four books this month. 

1. Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know by Martha Brockenbrough

This was the first book I chose because I thought it would be a quick introduction to the Bigfoot phenomenon. I was wrong, lol.  This book took me forever to get through, not because it was boring or anything, but because it was just so densely packed with information. It covers the history of Bigfoot, current research and researchers, the science behind Bigfoot, and just about anything else you'd want or need to know. It's based around the show of the same name, and it's definitely a great companion piece if you're a fan of the show, but even if you've never seen Finding Bigfoot, this is still an extremely useful book. It's written for a younger audience, but honestly, anyone from a complete novice to a Bigfoot expert will probably find something in this book of interest. I took so many notes and got so many ideas of topics to delve a little deeper into. 

2. Mindspeak: Tapping into Sasquatch and Science by Christopher Noel

This is the only book I bought especially for this month's research. I had heard Christopher Noel on a podcast and was curious about his ideas of both the link between autism in humans and Bigfoot behavior, as well as Bigfoot's ability to communicate telepathically. Obviously, these beliefs are pretty fringe in an already fringe topic, but I wanted to read more about it because I had recently had my own experience that may have included a telepathic communication. I was in Kanawha State Forest, sitting at a picnic table down in the Dunlop Hollow area. I had had a rough therapy appointment that morning, and just wanted to get out in nature and relax. So, I was sitting out there, reading a book and just enjoying the solitude of the surrounding woods. Before I left, I decided to clean up the area a little bit---someone had been out there recently, and there was quite a bit of trash strewn around. After gathering up as much as I could find and depositing it in the trash can, I heard a deep voice say 'thank you.' I looked around, thinking that maybe a park employee was in the area, but didn't see or hear anyone. I realized I heard the voice more in my head than I did with my ears. I could have easily imagined the voice, but I'd like to think there was a Bigfoot out there, appreciative of my efforts.  

3. Sasquatch: North America's Enduring Mystery by Rupert Matthews

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't have super high-hopes for it, but it was actually a really thorough look into the major Sasquatch/Bigfoot events in history. It was a quick read, and really helped me personally start making sense of all this data that I was being inundated with. I'd hear something being mentioned in a documentary or during a lecture and then come to a mention of it in this book. 

4. Bigfoot: On the Track of the Sasquatch by John Green

I wanted to make sure that I got in at least one book written by one of the classic, iconic authors of Bigfoot research, and luckily, I had this on my shelf. I THINK I had read it before, but it was nice taking another look now that I had a much better understanding of the events and people discussed in the book. My brittle, yellowed paperback copy contained both 'books' under this title and as I was reading it, I couldn't help thinking about what the original owner of this book thought when it was bought in the 1970's. I loved hearing John Green's own words on the topic, and I'm really glad that I made the time to include this one. 

A few of the other Bigfoot books I was hoping to get to in May

UFOs Over Hinton: 1952 UFO Flap Comes to Southern West Virginia

1952 was a HUGE year for UFOs. From July 12 to July 29th, multiple UFOs were seen over the White House and in other areas around Washington, D.C. In September, Flatwoods, WV would experience its infamous monster sighting, after a group of kids went to inspect what they thought was a downed airplane in the hills above town. And, in the small town of Hinton, WV, located in Summers County, there were TWO separate UFO reports that summer that were featured in the local newspaper. 

The first appeared in the Hinton Daily News on Tuesday, July 29th and described a UFO sighting from the previous Sunday. Around 9pm, three witnesses spotted a UFO over the New River. Article transcribed below:

Hinton Daily News. 29 July 1952

Flying Saucer is Spotted Over Hinton Late Sunday

By Tom Pendergast

Have "flying saucers" appeared in the skies over Hinton?

Three local residents reported Monday evening that they saw in the cloudless sky here Sunday night "the strangest big round thing spinning through the air" that was "so bright it almost put your eyes out."

The viewers-Mrs. Howard Hayes, her 13 year old daughter Nedra, and Anna Sue Iddings-said they saw a fast-spinning object whirling "just like a top" appear suddenly about 9pm high above the New River Bridge. Mrs. Hayes, who said she delayed notifying the Daily News because she thought people would think she was "cracy," stated that the flying object left a vapor trail. She added that Fred Ferguson, C&O shopman, arrived on the porch of her lower Summers Street home in time to see the vapor trails and that the "grey-like smoke" trail remained visible for 10-15 minutes. 

Mrs. Hayes, whose home faces the New River, said the group was on her porch at the time and that she first noticed the "thing." She added that she screamed "look!" and all three caught a good glimpse of the object. "The queerest feeling came over me," Mrs. Hayes explained. "I've always wanted to see one of those flying saucers," she remarked, "but I don't ever want to see anything like that again." 

Her description, which matches other reports of "flying saucers" seen throughout the country recently, verified that the objects are extremely fast. "It was faster than an airplane," she said, "and shortly after it went out of sight we heard a noise that sounded like an airplane--but we couldn't see any plane."

Mrs. Hayes said she first saw the object as it whirred high over the New River Bridge "spinning just like a top in a straight line down the river" toward the C&O shops. The "thing" was flying "as high as most of the transport planes that go over Hinton," she asserted, "and from where I was it looked bigger than a washtub. It must have been at least as big as an airplane."

A strange twist to the object's alleged flight was uncovered when Mrs. Hayes reported that it "spun around in a loop above the C&O depot, making complete, sharp circles, and then followed on down the river," toward Sandstone.

Mrs. Hayes said that although the object was moving "very fast" she was able to see that "it" was flat on the bottom, and had a ridge and a round hump on top that looked just like an upside-down saucer. It was spinning around and around, she stated. 

"It was so bright that I couldn't tell what color it was. In fact," she said, "it was so bright that my daughter's eyes became red from watching it."

Mrs. Hayes was not certain how long the object remained visible in flight, and thought it seemed to be following the New River in a straight line. It disappeared in a matter of seconds, she thought. 

No other reports of the incident have been received by the Daily News. 

Hinton Daily News. 25 August 1952

The second UFO sighting to come into the Daily Mail from Hinton in the summer of 1952 happened on Sunday, August 24th, and also included three witnesses. About 1:20pm, Alva Williams, a bus driver for Victory Bus Lines was driving through the Beech Run section near the C&O ballpark. His passengers, Frank Kesler and Miss Buckland, also saw the object, described as being round like a washtub and made from aluminum or some other shiny metal.  However, unlike Mrs. Hayes sighting, this object appeared to be moving rather slowly.

It's kind of interesting that in both of these sightings, the UFO was described as looking like a washtub. It's also interesting that both incidents happened on a Sunday, and involved three witnesses. What's strange is that the movement described is really quite different In both cases, the witnesses seem quite sure that they have seen a flying saucer, presumably from out of this world. But what would cause these UFOs to take such an interest in the small railroad community of Hinton, WV? Were these sightings just hoaxes, or even simple misidentifications inspired by all the news of UFOs around Washington, DC earlier in July...or were UFOs really flying over southern West Virginia in the summer of 1952? 

Bigfoot Workshop with Wild and Weird

So, if you've been following this blog over the last week, you may be wondering why all the Bigfoot articles. I've unofficially dubbed the month of May to be Bigfoot Month! All throughout the month, I've been reading books on Sasquatch, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts. Most importantly, on May 8th, I took part in the West Virginia High Strangeness Collective's Hands-On Bigfoot Workshop and Cook-Out, hosted by  Wild and Weird West Virginia!!

A group of Bigfoot and paranormal enthusiasts met on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon at Kanawha State Forest for an afternoon full of excellent information, hands-on demonstrations, great food, giveaways, and of course, some really fun conversations, all culminating in an actual after-dusk Bigfoot investigation. 

After introductions, Wild and Weird member Wayne Barnes, gave a talk about the history of Bigfoot. I filled several pages of notes on interesting facts and tidbits. It seems like cultures all over the world have been telling stories of hairy man-like creatures since their earliest records were kept. After Wayne's presentation, Ron Lanham gave some really helpful tips on what sort of information to collect and what types of questions to ask witnesses when compiling a report on potential monster activity. I learned that Bigfoot encounters were classed under an ABC classification system, based on how clear the sighting/evidence is, much like EVPs are. 

Later on, Joe Perdue went over his recommendations of tools and equipment that every Bigfoot researcher should have in their pack. It was interesting seeing this broad range of items needed for safety and evidence collection. I was also pleasantly surprised that most of the recommended items were quite affordable and easy to acquire---you don't really need to spend a TON of money on equipment, especially starting out. Joe also took the group out on the trail, and showed us some things to look for that might indicate potential Bigfoot movement in the area. It was a great introduction on how to differentiate between man-made, natural, and 'unknown' disturbances, such as broken tree branches. We also got to observe some bear tracks!  Each person got to pour their own 'bigfoot footprint' cast and take it home, which was a really cool bonus. The best way to learn something is to just try it out yourself, so it was nice to get the opportunity to practice casting a print without having to worry about messing up a REAL print out in the wild. 

Dave Roberts and Ron Lanham wrapped up the educational lectures with an absolutely groundbreaking talk on the use of sound in Bigfoot research. With input from Joe, they discussed how they were using multiple recorders to record and triangulate sounds over a wide expanse.  Apparently, there's only about one other researcher doing something similar, despite the overwhelming potential that this system affords! I'm definitely interested in seeing more about this technique and its results.

Unfortunately, I had to leave before the Bigfoot hunt, but I totally feel like I got my $20 worth! Dinner included grilled hot dogs and BBQ, with Joe's own awesome recipes. Some really cool prizes, such as a 'Squatch Stick' and a giant collapsible bucket for plaster mixing, were given out, and EVERYONE received a signed Bigfoot art print and buttons featuring iconic Bigfoot researchers/images. 

Overall, it was an awesome experience. I love being around and talking with other paranormal enthusiasts, and I love having the opportunity to learn from such dedicated and experienced researchers, right in the field. Kanawha State Forest actually has reported Bigfoot activity, so it was neat to be right there in the area while examining footprint casts and hearing data that was collected there. The guys at Wild and Weird did a wonderful job. It was a well-organized event, full of top-notch information. I think that anyone, from beginning to experienced Squatcher, could have come away from this event with some new perspective and some valuable information. All viewpoints on the Bigfoot phenomenon were discussed tactfully and with an open mind, and I felt totally comfortable asking questions or expressing an opinion. 

If you missed this hands-on workshop, you're not completely out of luck. From my understanding, Wild and Weird West Virginia will be hosting similar events in the future! Feel free to follow them at any of the links below for more information.  As always, stay spooky, ya'll. 

Wild and Weird West Virginia Podcast and Website

Wild and Weird UFO/Paranormal Talk Facebook Group

Wild and Weird West Virginia Facebook LIKE Page

Wild and Weird YouTube Channel

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

Flatwoods Wild Man: Original Braxton Monster?

 

As part of my on-going deep dive into a rash of hairy man sightings from the 1960's being dubbed 'The Braxton Monster,' I thought it might be interesting to include this 'wild man' report from Flatwoods. Is this the original Braxton Monster? It certainly seems...monstrous! This particular article from the Evening Telegram (a paper out of Lakeland, Florida) is dated March 8th, 1919 and denotes a RETURN of this pig/kid stealing creature.

This report, and many others from the area, can be found on the Bigfoot page of the Braxton County CVB page. I've provided the transcription below of this creepy little story, and I'll let YOU decide whether you think it was a monster, or simply an insane man. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow as we wrap up this series of articles with two final stories!

Return of Wild Man Revives Old Terrors

Flatwoods, W. Va. – The belief that a wild man is still lurking in this vicinity, stealing and killing children and young pigs, is stronger than ever just now. A story related by Luther C. Douglas has dispelled all hopes that the terrible creature had fled to other localities. Douglas’ story follows:

“I was on my way home from lodge meeting,” said Douglas, “when I heard a noise near Ed Wiley’s barn, which is close to the road. I thought it might be a dog and paid little attention to it at first. Then, as I was passing a vacant house a short distance from Ed’s place, I heard a distant door slam and a wild-looking fellow, in rags and with long hair and beard that others who have seen him have described, came rushing out of the front door of the old house, brandishing a huge knotted club and uttering the most horrifying sounds I ever have heard.

“Being convinced by his actions that I was to be assaulted and possibly killed, I drew my revolver and took two shots at him. With this he turned and fled, screaming louder than ever. I didn’t pursue him. Not me. It would take a braver man than I profess to be to go on the trail of that horrible creature.”
The authorities are again agitating the question of taking some means to capture the much-feared lunatic, or whatever he is.