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West Virginia Monster Weekend with Mark May, Part Three


Mark May Monster Weekend West VirginiaJohn Keel, the author of the Mothman Prophecies, perhaps said it best: “This planet is haunted by us; the other occupants just evade boredom by filling our skies and seas with monsters.” You'd be hard-pressed to find a state that embodies this sentiment more succinctly than Wild & Wonderful West Virginia. In this edition of Monster Weekend, folklorist/artist/teacher Mark May (@markmayrobots @moundsnmonsters @haintbluehoodoo) has taken up the task of chasing down The Mountain State’s Big Four cryptids: Snarly Yow, Snallygaster, The Flatwoods Monster, and Mothman.

Consider if you will, an epic monster roadtrip presented in 3 Parts. Read Part 1 here, read Part 2 here. Without further ado, presenting Part 3: MOTHMAN…

Hog Island Press Monsters in America MapContinue along I-64 to US 35 and onward to the small river town of Point Pleasant. Point Pleasant has a long history, dating back to before the Revolutionary War. The town would grow to be an industrial center in the 20th century.

Mothman is the large bipedal winged entity that terrorized the Point Pleasant area for 13 months, November 1966 - December 1967. The general description of a black/brown-/grey man-shaped creature with wings and large red eyes would be seen flying, stationary, and taking off into flight by hundreds of eyewitnesses - many only recounting their story over fifty years later. Mothman would fade into obscurity in the 1970’s, only to be resurrected by the internet in the 90’s to become one of the world’s most famous cryptids.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressSeparating fact from fiction, this character would go on to become a warning of impending doom: with sightings leading to the collapse of the Silver Bridge, nuclear accidents, and acts of terrorism (cue the Banshee of UK folklore). Additionally, the creature would sometimes sprout insect-like antennas, demanding offerings of biscuits, pepperoni roll, and baked beans. Truth is stranger than fiction! Through vinyl monster toys, stuffed animals, tattoos, video game appearances and adult-oriented fan fiction, Mothman has earned celebrity status.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressMothman Statue: Located in a small park at the intersection of Fourth and Main Streets, adjacent to the Mothman Museum. The sculpture was created by artist Bob Roach and features red glass eyes made by Blenko in Milton, WV. The statue was unveiled in 2003 by none other than John Keel, author of the Mothman Prophecies. Stop for a photo op with this 13 foot tall statue.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island Press(The World’s Only) Mothman Museum: Located at the corner of Fourth and Main St., adjacent to the Mothman Statue. Opened by graphic designer and educator Jeff Wamsley, the museum holds one-of-a-kind memorabilia, from The Mothman Prophecies movie, vintage newspaper clippings, rare records, artwork, and relics from the Silver Bridge.

Flood Wall Murals: Just a block up from the Mothman Statue, a waterfront amphitheater and murals follow the walking path along the shores of the Ohio River. Scenes depicting the Battle of Point Pleasant and a metal sculpture of Chief Cornstalk are adjacent to the public restrooms.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressSilver Bridge Memorial: The tragedy of the Silver Bridge Collapse took 46 lives, ten days before Christmas in 1967. The corner of 6th and Main features a plaque commemorating the events, and the victims’ names are inscribed on bricks at the base.

Tu- Endie-Wei State Park: Wyandot phrase for “The Point Between Two Waters.” This park sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawah Rivers. The park is a memorial to the Battle of Point Pleasant, described as having been a Revolutionary War conflict between a militia fighting the English and a confederation of troops under the lead of Shawnee Chief Cornstalk.

Chief Cornstalk would be captured - and later murdered - uttering the “Curse of Cornstalk” and cursing the town for generations to come. The park is dominated by a large stone obelisk; a smaller marker marks the final(?) resting spot for Chief Cornstalk. He has been buried and moved around the town multiple times. During the last move - to what is his current resting place - only a piece of his skull was found and reinterned.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressVillage Pizza Inn: Home to "Mothman Pizza", this restaurant once housed Tiny’s Drive-In - a landmark that is prominently discussed in Mothman Prophecies as the first establishment as you enter Point Pleasant when leaving the TNT area.

McClintic Wildlife Management Area (also known as the TNT Area): Roughly 3,600 acres of this former munitions factory has been turned into a Wildlife management area. During World War II, the farmland 7 miles North of Point Pleasant was purchased by the United States for a munitions factory, veiled in secrecy.

McClintic Wildlife Management AreaThe West Virginia Ordnance Works (or “TNT factory” as the locals called it) would employ thousands of workers. The plant was making ingredients and storing ammunition. The area had its own power source, roadways, railroad access, and (depending on the source) was partially underground.  

The first sightings of Mothman occurred near the power plants in the area of the Mason County Fairgrounds along FairGround Road. The TNT storage facility or “igloos” are located off Dixie and Potters Creek Roads.

Milton & Huntington:

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressBlenko Glass, Milton: Blenko is an art glass manufacturing studio with a viewing platform where you can watch craftsmen blow and shape molten glass into into a variety of products. They created a limited edition Flatwoods Monster vase in 2020, as well as suncatchers featuring Mothman, a variant with Sasquatch, and the Flatwoods Monster.

Huntington is a metropolitan area in southwestern WV, home to Marshall University and a large CSX train yard. Downtown are the Pullman Square and Heritage Village shopping districts. Harris RiverFront park offers great views of the Ohio river. Ritter Park has a rose garden and miles of walking trials. I called Huntington home for three years, and have returned to visit my mother’s family for most of my life.

Stewart's Hot Dogs: A Chili Mustard and Onion Dog with a frosty glass of rootbeer hits the spot. Multiple locations in town, with 5th avenue being my personal favorite with its car hop service.

Frostop (Hal Greer Blvd. and Miller St): Carhop with typical fare and a rotating mug of rootbeer on the roof. The rotating mug is worth a photo op.

West Virginia Monster Weekend Hog Island PressTudor’s Biscuit World (Hal Greer Blvd and 12th St): As seen all over the state, the Hal Greer and 12th Street is the original.

Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House: Jim’s has been a staple of Huntington since 1938, their meat spaghetti sauce is legendary. Past presidents and many celebrities have eaten at the restaurant.

Camden Park, Huntington: The only operating amusement park in West Virginia! Small but mighty this park is the home to a very unusual gravity powered Haunted House designed by legendary Dark Ride creator, Bill Tracy. Camden Park also is home to an Adena Burial Mound.

Ramsdell House Museum, Ceredo: The Ramsdell House built in 1858 built by abolitionists Zophar and Almeda Ramsdell. The home was the last station on the Underground Railroad before the Ohio river crossing. Built atop an Adena Burial Mound - and possibly the resting place to civil war soldiers and enslaved peoples - the home has been considered a paranormal hot spot.

The Airstream and the Encounter with the Snarly Yow, Lesage: In early 2005 I received a phone call from Great Uncle that he was going to give me the 1990 Airstream Excella travel trailer that he had owned with my late Great Aunt. The catch was the Airstream was living in storage at a campground in Ashton, WV.

In the fall of 2005, my Dad and I travelled to West Virginia to service the trailer and bring it home to Pennsylvania. During the preparations to bring the trailer home, we had to make a few trips between Ashton and Huntington for tires, batteries, etc.

The first morning on our way to Ashton (with a belly full of Tudor’s Biscuits), my Dad and I headed up Route 2. We had just passed Lesage as we headed North in his F-350 truck. The area to the right of the road had been graded for a potential lane expansion in the past, but was largely brush and ailanthus clumps. Riding shotgun, I was looking out the window - when suddenly the brush split, and a large black mass erupted into the clearing along the shoulder. The mass was a dog/wolf-like creature, about the size of a pony or a mule, much taller than a St. Bernard or a Wolf Hound. The creature had a large snout, and was baring its teeth as it ran parallel to us. Both my Dad and I saw it. The encounter lasted less than a minute before it dove back into the underbrush.

While seeing something that large and primal-looking was disturbing in its own right (even from the protection of being inside a moving vehicle), it was the look the creature gave me. While I was staring at this canine cryptid looking right back at me, its penetrating stare reflected its shock that we could see it. I distinctly remember saying “I don’t think we are supposed to be seeing this!”

I didn’t know about the legends of Snarly Yow at the time, and by following folklore I learned that this was not considered its home range. A Cherokee/Creek friend of mine who is very knowledgeable in the realms beyond our comprehension, said that I encountered a shape-shifting spirit. A Snarly Yow, a shape shifter, a misidentified local canine, or someone’s mutt - it was disturbing to say the least.

While hunting Snarly Yow, I recommend pulling over just above where I had my sighting to enjoy a hot dog creation at Hillbilly Hotdogs, Lesage.

Monsters In America Cryptozoology Maps by Hog Island Press

Thanks Mark! Thus concludes our Three-Part West Virginia Monster Weekend, and what a trip it was. Monsters in America: A Cryptozoological Map of the United States Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 can be found in the shop. Thank you for your support, and do stay tuned - more Monster Weekends are on the way...

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