The Mothman of West Virginia – Legends of America
Okay, picture this: It’s a chilly night in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, back in the ’60s. Two young couples are cruising down a lonely road, just minding their own business. Suddenly, BAM! They see something that turns their world upside down: a massive, freaky creature they later call the Mothman.
The Original Sighting: A Night to Remember (or Forget)
The date was November 15, 1966. Roger and Linda Scarberry, along with Steve and Mary Mallette, were driving along State Route 62, just north of Point Pleasant. That’s when they spotted it – a "large flying man with ten-foot wings" and eyes that glowed red. Seriously, glowing red eyes!
This wasn’t some little bird they were looking at. They described a menacing figure standing six to seven feet tall near an old, abandoned National Guard Armory and power plant. Naturally, they freaked out. Roger Scarberry floored the gas pedal, trying to get away from this bizarre creature. But get this: the Mothman followed them!
When they finally made it to Point Pleasant, they ran straight to the police. They told the cops that this "thing" rose up like a helicopter. Even though it seemed clumsy on the ground, it could glide like a pro, keeping pace with their car even when they were hitting a hundred miles per hour!
The TNT Area: Where Things Get Weirder
The couples saw this creature in what locals called the "TNT" area. Why TNT? Well, during World War II, this 8,000-acre spot was a massive ammunition manufacturing facility. Thousands of people worked there, making stuff that goes boom.
For safety, the explosives were stored in bunkers hidden under thick layers of earth. After the war, the military mostly abandoned the place. Part of it became a wildlife management area, and part of it became… a landfill. Spooky, right?
Mothman Mania: The News Spreads Like Wildfire
The local paper, the Point Pleasant Register, ran the story on November 16, 1966, with the headline "Couples See Man-Sized Bird… Creature… Something." The national press jumped on the story, and soon everyone in the United States was talking about the Mothman.
More sightings came in over the next few days. Two volunteer firemen said they saw a "large bird with red eyes." A contractor named Newell Partridge shined a flashlight at the creature in a field, and he said its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors." Creepy!
The Skeptics Weigh In
Of course, not everyone believed in the Mothman. Mason County Sheriff George Johnson figured the sightings were just a case of mistaken identity – maybe an unusually large heron he called a "shitepoke."
A wildlife biologist from West Virginia University, Robert L. Smith, suggested it could be a sandhill crane. These birds are tall, have a seven-foot wingspan, and reddish coloring around their eyes. The only problem? They weren’t native to the area. Smith thought maybe one had just wandered off course.
Mothman Goes Global (Kind Of)
Over the next year, people kept seeing the Mothman around Point Pleasant. Eventually, the sightings spread to other parts of the United States and even as far as Russia!
Some people claimed the sightings were connected to UFOs. Others said the Mothman lived in the old military storage site. Some theories said it came from hell, while others said it came from outer space. People said it attacked cars, hung around houses, chased vehicles, and even stole dogs! Talk about a troublemaker.
The Silver Bridge Disaster: A Dark Omen?
The Mothman story took a tragic turn on December 15, 1967. The Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed during rush hour. Forty-six people died. The bridge was carrying way more weight than it was designed for and hadn’t been properly maintained. A single eyebar in a suspension chain failed, causing the whole thing to come down.
After the collapse, some people claimed they’d seen the Mothman standing on the bridge the day before. They thought it was a sign of the disaster to come, a creepy omen of death and destruction.
Mothman in Pop Culture: From Books to the Big Screen
The Mothman got a lot more attention in 1970 when a guy named Gray Barker linked the Silver Bridge collapse to the creature. Then, in 1975, John Keel wrote a book called "The Mothman Prophecies." He claimed there were supernatural events connected to the sightings and the bridge collapse.
The book was turned into a movie in 2002, starring Richard Gere. That movie put the Mothman and Point Pleasant on the map, making them famous (or infamous) around the world.
The Mothman Lives On
Jeff Wamsley, a Point Pleasant native who grew up hearing Mothman stories, wrote two books about it: "Mothman: Facts behind the Legend" and "Mothman: Behind the Red Eyes." In 2006, he opened the Mothman Museum to show off his collection of police reports, witness accounts, and other Mothman stuff.
Wamsley says, "I think the Mothman story is timeless. It’s never been fully solved or proven as to what these people were seeing."
And if you ever find yourself in Point Pleasant, check out the annual Mothman Festival, held every September. It’s a wild celebration of the mysterious creature, with guest speakers, live music, vendors, and tours of the TNT area. The festival brings in more tourists than the town’s entire population!
So, what do you think? Is the Mothman a real creature, a case of mistaken identity, or just a fun legend? Whatever it is, it’s definitely a story that keeps people talking.