It was later revealed that the tracks were likely to have been those of a Chevroletpickup truckdriven by a local, who had gone to the site to look for the creature some hours prior to Stewert's discovery. There is no fossil evidence or evidence of an upright-walking bipedal canid. [3], Robert Cockrell would late contact paranormal author Gray Barker, who popularized tales of the Mothman. The couple, circling the vehicle in hopes of spotting the culprit, spotted something far worse than they could have imagined. Unfortunately, investigations into the Flatwoods Monster both at the time and over the years have thoroughly debunked its existence. Rather, they are the recollection from memory from everyday, ordinary people who want to be heard. And we interview a lot of eyewitnesses. I looked over its shoulders and I could see multiple pairs of eyes staring directly at me; I knew they were the same creatures as the first one because they held the same eye-shine and gave off the same growls, too. Can anyone fill me in? The Grafton Monster or Beast of Grafton was a cryptid from Taylor County, West Virginia sighted in 1964. Have you heard the story of Grafton's monster? Thats exactly how I felt at the time of my encounter. It's described as being a reptilian creature with spikes down its back. North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean), Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. West Virginia has played host to an extraordinary number of unusual creatures. In 1994, a twenty-eight-year-old man said that he was seven years old at the time. In the XBLA game Happy Wars, there is a weapon called the Flatwoods Monster. My name is Ronald. Regardless, today, there is a statue of the Mothman in Point Pleasant, and a yearly festival celebrating the creature, and the town. The monster as it appears in Fallout 76, complete with the image posted. The wikipedia page for the Mothman, it also links to the book and movie relating to the events. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Moreover, the Ohio and Kanawha Valleys were once home to a vast network of mounds and sacred earthworks. It's been seen by many people over the years, and there have even been some sightings of it outside of West Virginia. The Mothman is said to be a winged creature with glowing red eyes. Art by Liz Pavlovic featuring a map of West Virginia and cryptids. No face was seen, but the head was about three feet wide. Not only did the wolfs abnormal size catch my attention, so did the look in its eyes. Not far from this encounter, at an amusement park in Huntington, lies the third-largest burial mound in West Virginia. This Wolfman, as I previously referred to it as, gave out a grunt and actually frowned at me for a few seconds before standing back up and walking to the other side of my car, and it jiggled the other door handle adjacent to the passenger side. When I received this report, I contacted one of my friends Denver Michaels (author of Wild & Wonderful (and Paranormal) West Virginia). So does this state have anything hidden to offer? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The appropriately named "Grafton Monster", was allegedly first sighted in 1964 by Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell. With that scary thought, I snapped out of my trance and decided to get the hell out of there. Scholars have studied cryptozoologists and their influence (including the pseudoscience's association with Young Earth creationism),[1][2] noted parallels in cryptozoology and other pseudosciences such as ghost hunting and ufology, and highlighted uncritical media propagation of cryptozoologist claims. But I think it'll eventually happen.". 309 talking about this. I felt like this thing, a creature that shouldnt even exist yet it was standing right there in front of my car, was the true ruler of the forest and we humans were nothing compared to what it can really do. Also features the first year they were each spotted and where they're from/most seen in state. The other thing to consider is if perhaps the creature that the witness described is perhaps related to the skinwalkers of Navajo lore. WVU Libraries West Virginia Awkward-Reference177. Various sightings across the region in the mid 1990s describethe Sheepsquatch as a large, furry or woolly white creature, usually a quadruped, although sometimes bipedal. Not your typical kind-hearted denizens of the forest, these and other mysterious creatures are the targets of a group of hunters known as the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings, or A.I.M.S. Perhaps the key (or a key) to this case (and maybe to the phenomenon in general) lies in the concentration of ancient burial mounds in the area. The Frametown Monster, believed to be the same creature from Flatwoods, bore similar pipe-lined metallic armour from the waist down. No discussion about cryptids would be complete without Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch. To be honest with you, the fangs had a very eerie resemblance to those of a Smilodon or saber-toothed cat, but the rest of it just looked like a werewolf. Box 6069 Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 Phone: 1-304-293-4040 Fax: 1-304-293-6638 West Virginia University. I typically explain dogmenwhen a flesh-and-blood explanation is in orderas mistaken sasquatches, out-of-place kangaroos, or any number of other explanations. Author John Keel's 1975 book,The Mothman Prophecies, later made into a film in 2002 film starring Richard Gere, expanded on this connection, claiming that the Mothman was a warning of the collapse. Eventually the creature began making appearances in neighboring Randolph County, where residents joined the Valley Head Rod and Gun Club in offering a reward for its death totaling $400 (over $7200 today). There shouldnt be a wolf out there this big; in fact, the more I think about it, there shouldnt even be any wolves here in West Virginia anymore since the timber wolves that once lived in these woods were killed off. Gray Barker, the man who proposed the concept of "Men in Black," was inspired by the Monster. WV is quite the trip from this side of the state, MD and NC are much, much closer surprisingly. The Ogua is a cryptid said to live in the Greenbrier River. By the time it stepped onto the road, the wolf turned its head towards my direction and stared right at me. She graduated from West Virginia University in 2010 with a BFA in graphic design. This creature, however, looked nothing like the original Mothman. This is a very perplexing case for a couple of reasons: 1) While I have received dogman type of reports before, I have never received a first-hand account in which a witness saw a metamorphosis take place; 2) I have never received (or even read of many) reports in which a pack of these creatures were together. Mystery surrounds fate of killer crocodile that 'ate 300 people'! Les O'Dell is a native West Virginian born in 1974 and raised in Marion County. On September 12th, 1952, three children saw a bright object cross the sky, and land neara farmer's field. In the anime series Sgt. In 1968, in the woods around Fairmont WV, Jennings Frederick was out for a hunt. How West Virginia Lore Inspires Graphic Art, Mothman Festival returns Saturday in Point Pleasant. Even with this, though. The Flatwoods Monster (also known as the Braxton County Monster, Braxxie (by locals), or the Frametown Monster) is a cryptid sighted in the forests of Flatwoods, West Virginia and Frametown, West Virginia, respectively. Native sons of West Virginia who have spent their lives navigating the backcountry make up the A.I.M.S. The wikipedia article about cryptids and cryptozoology. Google Earth Image Sparks Controversy: Is it Really Bigfoot in Colorados Uncompahgre National Forest? [1][2], On June 16, 1964, Robert Cockrell got off work at local newspaper publication Grafton Sentinel (now known as the Mountain Statesman) at 11 pm and journeyed home. One of the locals' dog ran ahead out of sight and started barking, and moments later ran back to the group with its tail between its legs. Could these werewolves be a manifestation of John Keels ultraterrestrials? Join. Any copyrighted material used on this site is done so under Section 107 Fair Use. With that, the creature lunged at him and wrapped Frederick up in its surprisingly strong arms. My family and I originally lived in Jacksonville, Florida during my childhood, but we eventually moved up north because we couldnt handle the humidity and oncoming hurricanes. Buy us a coffee? Its first appearance in West Virginia dates to 1966 in Clendenin, WV, when a man digging a grave saw a bird . The cryptid comeback not only brings exciting mysteries into the lives of outsiders but promotes pride of place to the residents of towns like Point Pleasant. West Virginia was part of Virginia until the area refused to endorse the ordinance of secession in 1861. Monster, creature, crypto, cryptid, cryptozoology, animal, wildlife, wild, scandal, controversy, conspiracy, murder, disappear, missing, Trump, Halloween, holiday, pet, dog, cat, write, writer, writing, read, reader, reading, campaign, forum, true, truth, folklore, myth, Earth, hollow, flat, round, Mars, Moon, scared, terror, horror, science fiction, documentary, sightings, movie, show, weather, maps, YouTube, translate, calculator, news, donald, suggestion, how to, who is, who was, actor, Virginia, senate, erotic, erotica, nonsense, when was. These are just a few of the many cryptids that are said to roam the state of West Virginia. He rushed home terrified and called his friends Jerry Morse and Jim Mouser to accompany him for further investigation at the scene. Frog, an alien modeled after the Flatwoods monster appears in the episode Fake It 'Til You Make It. This Tumblers & Water Glasses item is sold by Strangeology. Institution. Even with this, though, something from somewhere else seems to be a better explanation than something from our physical world. The object came to rest on land belonging to a local farmer. After the event, investigators associated with Civilian Saucer Investigation, obtained a number of accounts from witnesses who claimed to have experienced a similar or related phenomena. From there, the boys and a group of locals went to the. How about the rest of you? As soon as it did that, I couldve sworn right there and then that it wasnt alone. It was the road that took me straight to the house of one of my Dads friends, Ezra, where there was this road called Walnut Gap Road and that was where it takes me home. A large, humanoid bipedal creature with no visible head and covered in slick white seal-like skin. For the following witnesses to living cryptids, there is no dispute. Taking to the flaming hot West Virginia almost heaven-like highways to visit some cryptid hotspots and more.00:00 Almost Heaven00:49 Point Pleasant, WV01:31 . Or maybe, whatever this is a form of energy that manifests itself in strange ways. (ft. Tenebrous Jim). We can't cover all the regional cryptids in this list, but here's some others that have allegedly been spotted in and near Appalachia. Rivonverhandeling. While most of these will stay far away from humans, always exercise caution when hiking or camping around the fall foliage. The counties with the most sightings are Boone, Kanawha, Putnam and Mason, with a surge in sightings taking place in Boone County during the mid-1990s. Once the white dog appears, the person is marked for death and dies tragically within a few days or two weeks.". This page will cover some of the most common or popular of these creatures in the region, but of course, it's up to you to decide if you believe in these stories or not. Nevertheless, the Flatwoods Monster has persisted in local legend and popular culture. White Things, White Devils or Devil Dogs, most notably the Sheepsquatch, which appears on the show Mountain Monsters, are amongst the most historically infamous cryptids in West Virginia. So, if you're ever in the area, keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready. Leading this group is John "Trapper" Tice, who hopes to track and capture some of the most allegedly evasive beasts. And a shapeshifting dog manthat certainly cannot exist in the natural world. This illustrated map of West Virginia highlights some of the state's most well-known cryptids: Mothman, The Flatwoods Monster, The Grafton Monster, Ogua, Vegetable Man, Snarly Yow, Sheepsquatch, Snallygaster, Bat Boy, and Sasquatch. Additional Report of "The Beast of Beckley West Virginia". Whatever this thing was, it was intelligent enough to know what a doorknob or, in this case, a door handle is for. Hundreds of eyewitness accounts have been documented in newsprint, books and films. Cryptidscreatures whose existence is unsubstantiated, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monsterare found in folklore throughout the United States and the world. Shortly thereafter, a putrid sulfuric odor filled the air. Another close-call in Ocala National Forest Apes are in Ocala! The entity was initially reported as being about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. In this blog post, we'll take a look at five of the most popular cryptids in West Virginia. Few people, however, even within the state itself, have heard the strange case of West Virginia's own Vegetable Man. The wikipedia article for the Flatwoods Monster, also contains the image of the chair. Having experienced a UFO sighting a few years ago myself, I was wondering if there might also be any reported Cryptids in my area? Charleston is the capital and the largest city. And right at that same spot is where my first encounter happened. The town placed a sign at the site in 2018 to commemorate Cockrells 1964 sighting, but a theft of the sign shortly thereafter motivated its relocation to the downtown area upon its recovery. Bigfoot reports are also tied to these areas as well. I was ecstatic at first to actually see a wolf in the wild, but at the same time, I realized there was something rather off about my encounter. Another cryptid with ties to the Point Pleasant and Charleston areas of West Virginia is the Sheepsquatch. It was admitted as the 35th state in 1863. As Ive said to you prior, the eyes looked extremely intelligent, far smarter than any animal Ive ever come to know in my neck of the woods, but they also held a feeling that told me I was looking into the eyes of something that just spelled evil out of them. farm to try to find whatever it was that the boys had seen. Denver and I spoke breifly about the report and he had also had contact with the witness. Although such sightings are recorded as early as the eighteenth century, the most well-known is the encounter of Fairmont coal miner John Edward White while night-fishing at this location in the summer of 1983. "Cryptids" redirects here. Mothman is said to be a harbinger of misfortune or doom wherever it appears. On June 19th, 1964, the Grafton Sentinel published an article claiming the sightings of the Grafton Monster were the "personification of active imaginations." Anyone interested in searching for the Ogua themselves may do so from the pedestrian walkway located on the bridge crossing the Paw Paw Creek where it meets the Monongahela. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. They always have long, shaggy, white fur or hair, and are said to move quickly and aggressively towards other animals and people, while making terrifying noises. The sculpture is adjacent to the Mothman Museum which opened in 2005 and offers exhibits related to the first "Mothman sightings" of the 1960s and Mothman's transition from rumor and superstition to a regional cultural icon. Notable examples include: Painting based on the witness' descriptions, The Flatwoods Monster from The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Flatwoods Monster Forms (1952) - The Flatwoods Monster Forms (2002), Flatwoods Monster from Ninja Baseball Batman, The Flatwoods Monster as potrayed in the Popular and arguably awful game Fallout 76. More than 20 calls came in from people who allegedly sighted the monster. The West Virginia North American Dogman Project, A Strange History of Dog-Headed Men Mysterious Universe (article), Monsters In Print: A Collection Of Curious Creatures Known Mostly From Newspapers, Solve for Bigfoot: Using ChatGPT to Mathematically Estimate The Bigfoot Population of the United States, Cryptid Encounter in Stanford: Eyewitnesses Describe a Winged Humanoid in the Cornfields of Kentucky. From the Mothman to the brakesucker (not really exists), there's no shortage of strange creatures said to roam the mountains and valleys of the Mountain State. June 16 marks anniversary of Grafton Monster sightings - West Virginia Explorer, Grafton Monster Sighting - West Virginia Cryptids Tour, The Grafton Monster - West Virginia Ghosts, The Grafton Monster is featured in an episode of, The Grafton Monster is featured in Bethesda video game. What cryptid are you? Required fields are marked *. Frederick was unable to break away from the embrace as the creature pierced his skin with the thorns on its fingers. Deep in the hills of Braxton County, West Virginia lies a small town with a big secret. Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but are not recognized by science. Instead of attacking me head on, the Wolfman bared its teeth at me and let out an extremely deafening snarl before walking around the front sideof my car and crossing the road on its hind legs in just two steps. I NEED YOUR HELP.". No list of Appalachian cryptids would be complete without the most famous of them, Point Pleasant's own Mothman! It started in 2002 and is held on the third weekend of every September in Downtown Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Click to take the quiz. Goatman - spotted in Kentucky and Maryland, not to be confused with a satyr or faun, Thunderbirds - a legendary Native American creature, allegedly once spotted across the country, Tennessee Wildman - a Sasquatch like creature, spotted in Tennessee, Grassman - a Sasquatch like creature, spotted in eastern Ohio, Snallygaster - a bird-reptile creature, spotted in Maryland, Rosemary ellen Guiley; Visionary Living, Inc., Staff. Over the next year and one month, numerous sightings of a similar creature, called the Mothman, were reported in and around Point Pleasant. The dog is large and powerful in build, a handsome creature despite hair that is somewhat matted and unkempt. Theyre not a haunting part of humanitys imagination like we all believe them to be; monsters do exist in this world and this fact alone makes us realize how small our world really is. The wikipedia page for Bigfoot, for further reading. . Cumberland Spaceman (Solway Firth Spaceman), Pterosaurs and Pterodactyls in Cryptozoology, The Buru, Giant Lizards and Giant Crocodiles, The Death Dealing Tree of the Phillippines, The Mysterious Giant Snake Of North-Africa, Titanoboa and largest snakes of the world. In the game, some of the cryptids are "naturally occurring", now freed to roam the world following humanitiesnear extinction. This filled me with relief, knowing that I wasnt alone, that there are people out there who swear on their lives and even to this day that what they saw out there was real. This could possibly be a reptilian version of the Flatwoods Monster, only without the skirt-like structure around its waist. The full report is below including an extended discussion on the YouTube program Bigfoot The Truth Told.. https://dogmanencounters.com/hancock-county-wv-encounter/. This and several other Dogman reports describe dexterous hands.. This creature, thought to be the same creature sighted in Flatwoods, is known as the Frametown Monster. Witnesses commonly report this, and in fact, there have been a rash of dogman reports in Pennsylvania of upright canineswolf-like in appearancethat stand between 810 feet and have glowing yellow eyes. While biologists regularly identify new species following established scientific methodology, cryptozoologists focus on entities mentioned in the folklore record and rumor. West Virginia has played host to an extraordinary number of unusual creatures. His cult of worshippers, who have taken over Point Pleasant, are not so benevolent however. Cryptid Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. At this location Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell made one of the first and by far the best known sightings of the alleged West Virginia cryptid known as the Grafton Monster or Beast of Grafton. Cockrell made the sighting on June 16, 1964 while driving home from work after 11 PM on Riverside Drive along the Tygart River, describing what he encountered as seven to nine feet tall, four feet wide, and white with seal-like skin. wvwild.org's list of some of the more common dangerous animals that you can find in WV. I COME AS A FRIEND. The triangle of hills between the towns of Jumbo and Grassy Creek in Webster County, West Virginia is home to the largest cluster of reported sightings of the Blue Devil. These sightings, which occurred in the winter of 1939-1940, described a bluish, doglike creature larger than a pony that prowled the area late at night and emitted a ghostly howl. Anyone interested in trying to catch a glimpse of the Blue Devil today may do so by traveling down scenic Grassy Creek Road in Webster County between Jumbo and Grassy Creek. This red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular modern myth of West Virginia's insectoid monster. Cryptid Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. This creature is probably the most well-known cryptid in West Virginia. . He never found it, but he enjoyed the hunt. I know what I saw, and theres no doubt in my mind that it was real. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cryptid as An animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the yeti. For the following witnesses to living cryptids, there is no dispute. It is always seen by the person who is about to die, and sometimes by others who are close to the person. The "body" was a metallic armored structure lined with thick vertical pipes. Sightings report that the creature has a dog-like head, but with goat or ram like horns, and sharp teeth and claws. Suddenly, he could make out the words. 5. Take this tour to learn more about each of these Mountain State monsters: descriptions of claimed sightings, possible explanations for their appearance, and explorations of the historical context surrounding their rise in popularity. ARandomShoppe. They range from the widely known Mothman of Point Pleasant to the Flatwoods Monster in Braxton County. The Vegetable Man was said to be very tall, arguably over 7 feet, thin with a semi-human shape . He surmised that it might have been the sound of the creature's ship taking off. Its arms were thin and gave the impression of reeds by a river bank. One of the few pages with information about this creature. Many of the cryptids on this page feature prominently in developer Bethesda's 2018 online role playing game, Fallout 76. From Rosemary Ellen Guiley's Monsters of West Virginia: "A mysterious white creature was seen in July 1973 in the TNT area of Point Pleasant, the epicenter of the Mothman sightings during the 1966-67 wave. Cryptid By State: West Virginia. For more information, please see our The Sheepsquatch's initial sightings state it ran from people, but it seems to have become more aggressive over time. Perhaps you're even familiar with tales of blood-sucking chupacabras and West Virginia's Mothman. Bringing cryptozoological awareness to the public. In the fall of 2015, a Bedford County woman called 911 with claims she saw one carrying offspring . [2], The next day at work, Cockrell said nothing to his co-workers about the monster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Remember, these accounts as told by witnesses, are not being presented as evidence of any event. , on Destination America, the AIMS team goes to Braxton County, West Virginia to investigate a similar cryptid, the Shadow Creature. Following the collapse, there were no more reported Mothman sightings in the area, and speculation arose that the events were connected. Do you even know what your state's most popular cryptid is? That same night, a meteor was sighted across West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, accounting for the trail of light. Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published. Getting back to the strange eyes of the creature, a report from West Virginias Northern Panhandle recounted a monster with glowing red eyes. He immediately reported them as being possible signs of asaucerlanding based on the premise that the area had not been subjected to traffic for at least a year. Victims of these creatures state that their attacks feel real and painful, but they are left with no visible wounds or injuries, and the creatures themselves disappear. Moreover, the Ohio and Kanawha Valleys were once home to a vast network of mounds and sacred earthworks. There's no known animal that resembles the Sheepsquatch, so it's truly a mystery. The witness said the creature stood at eight feet in height. West Virginia is known for strange happenings and mysterious creatures from the Mothman, the Grafton Monster to Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. Be the first to know about new collections and exclusive offers. If so, then how did this one get so freaking huge? Cryptozoology is the "study" of these creatures, and is considered a pseudoscience, as it does not follow the normal scientific method. Ben Miller writes "We finally have made it to probably the most famous of cryptid states which would be West Virginia. "A lot of them make a bellowing, yelling scream at you. Following the collapse, there were no more reported Mothman sightings in the area, and speculation arose that the events were connected. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word cryptid as "An animal whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the yeti.". Regardless, anyone interested in trying to catch their own glimpse of the monster may follow in Kozuls footsteps along what is now US 19. Today the Grafton Monster is one of the most well-known West Virginia cryptids and cryptozoologists and enthusiasts frequent the town every year in their search for evidence of the beasts existence. Not to be outdone by Flatwoods, the town of Grafton in Taylor County, WV, has its own local monster. This is my list for the Top 5 Cryptids of West Virginia!For millennia, people have claimed seeing unusual creatures that don't fit our paradigm of understand.