 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Mothman
Mothman was the name given to a strange creature thought to have been sighted
many times in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia , on the border with Ohio
between November 1966 and November 1967 Some observers described the
creature as a man-sized beast with wings and large reflective red eyes, while others
claimed that the creature possessed luminous eyes. A number of hypotheses have
been put forward to explain what people reported, ranging from paranormal
phenomena to owls, but no definitive explanation seems likely.
The Mothman creature, named in parallel to the Batman TV series that was popular
at the time, was first sighted November 12 , 1966. A group of five men were preparing
a grave in a cemetery close to Clendenin, West Virginia when what they described as
a "brown human shape with wings" lifted off from behind nearby trees and flew over
their heads. However, this sighting was not made public until later, and the first
sighting described in the media took place three days later.
Late at night on November 15 , two young married couples from Point Pleasant, Roger
and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette, were out for a drive in the
Scarberrys' car. They were passing a World War II factory about seven miles outside
of Point Pleasant, in the 2,500 acre McClintic Wildlife Station, when they noticed two
red lights in the shadow by an old generator plant near the gate of the factory. They
stopped the car and were startled to see that the lights were the glowing red eyes of
a large animal, "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six and a half or seven feet tall,
with big wings folded against its back," according to Roger Scarberry. Terrified, the
couples drove off in their car, heading for Route 62. Going down the exit road, they
saw the creature again, standing on a ridge near the road. It spread its wings and
took off, following their car to the city limits. They went to the Mason County
courthouse and told their story to Deputy Millard Halstead, who later said "I've known
these kids all their lives. They'd never been in any trouble and they were really scared
that night. I took them seriously." He followed Roger Scarberry's car back to the TNT
factory, but found no sign of the strange creature. According to the book Alien
Animals, by Janet Board, a poltergeist attack on the Scarberry home took place later
that night, in which the creature was seen several times.
The next night, November 16 , local townspeople, armed, went searching the area
around the old TNT plant for signs of Mothman. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wamsley and
Mrs. Marcella Bennett with her baby daughter Teena were in a car on their way to visit
their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thomas, who lived in a bungalow among the "igloos"
(concrete dome-shaped structures erected for explosives storage during WWII)
close to the TNT plant. The igloos were now empty, some owned by the county, some
by companies intending to use them for storage. They were headed back to their car
when a figure appeared behind their parked car. Mrs. Bennett said it seemed like it
had been lying down, slowly rising up from the ground, large and gray, with glowing
red eyes. While Wamsley phoned the police, the creature walked onto the porch and
peered in through the window at them.
On November 24 , four people saw it flying through the air over the TNT area. On the
morning of November 25 , Thomas Ury, who was driving along Route 62 north of the
TNT, who said he saw the creature standing in a field by the road, then spread its
wings and took off, following his car as he sped into Point Pleasant to report it to the
sheriff.
On November 26 , Mrs. Ruth Foster of Charleston, West Virginia saw Mothman
standing on her front lawn, but it was gone when her brother-in-law went out to look.
On the morning of November 27 , it pursued a young woman near Mason, West
Virginia , and was reported again in St. Albans the same night, by two children.
After the first reports of the Mothman, strangers dressed in black began to appear in
the area. These 'Men in Black' were believed to have been government agents
investigating the occurrences of the Mothman, though some speculate that they were
Catholic priests who came to exorcise the demonic creature.
The Mothman was seen again January 11 , and several times during 1967. No
sightings of the Mothman have been reported after the collapse of the Silver Bridge ,
when 46 people died in the bridge's collapse. The Silver Bridge, so named for its
aluminum paint, was an eyebar chain suspension bridge that connected the cities of
Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio over the Ohio River. It was built in
1928 and collapsed on December 15, 1967; investigation of the wreckage pointed to
the failure of a single eye-bar in a suspension chain due to a small flaw when it was
made.
many times in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia , on the border with Ohio
between November 1966 and November 1967 Some observers described the
creature as a man-sized beast with wings and large reflective red eyes, while others
claimed that the creature possessed luminous eyes. A number of hypotheses have
been put forward to explain what people reported, ranging from paranormal
phenomena to owls, but no definitive explanation seems likely.
The Mothman creature, named in parallel to the Batman TV series that was popular
at the time, was first sighted November 12 , 1966. A group of five men were preparing
a grave in a cemetery close to Clendenin, West Virginia when what they described as
a "brown human shape with wings" lifted off from behind nearby trees and flew over
their heads. However, this sighting was not made public until later, and the first
sighting described in the media took place three days later.
Late at night on November 15 , two young married couples from Point Pleasant, Roger
and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette, were out for a drive in the
Scarberrys' car. They were passing a World War II factory about seven miles outside
of Point Pleasant, in the 2,500 acre McClintic Wildlife Station, when they noticed two
red lights in the shadow by an old generator plant near the gate of the factory. They
stopped the car and were startled to see that the lights were the glowing red eyes of
a large animal, "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six and a half or seven feet tall,
with big wings folded against its back," according to Roger Scarberry. Terrified, the
couples drove off in their car, heading for Route 62. Going down the exit road, they
saw the creature again, standing on a ridge near the road. It spread its wings and
took off, following their car to the city limits. They went to the Mason County
courthouse and told their story to Deputy Millard Halstead, who later said "I've known
these kids all their lives. They'd never been in any trouble and they were really scared
that night. I took them seriously." He followed Roger Scarberry's car back to the TNT
factory, but found no sign of the strange creature. According to the book Alien
Animals, by Janet Board, a poltergeist attack on the Scarberry home took place later
that night, in which the creature was seen several times.
The next night, November 16 , local townspeople, armed, went searching the area
around the old TNT plant for signs of Mothman. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wamsley and
Mrs. Marcella Bennett with her baby daughter Teena were in a car on their way to visit
their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thomas, who lived in a bungalow among the "igloos"
(concrete dome-shaped structures erected for explosives storage during WWII)
close to the TNT plant. The igloos were now empty, some owned by the county, some
by companies intending to use them for storage. They were headed back to their car
when a figure appeared behind their parked car. Mrs. Bennett said it seemed like it
had been lying down, slowly rising up from the ground, large and gray, with glowing
red eyes. While Wamsley phoned the police, the creature walked onto the porch and
peered in through the window at them.
On November 24 , four people saw it flying through the air over the TNT area. On the
morning of November 25 , Thomas Ury, who was driving along Route 62 north of the
TNT, who said he saw the creature standing in a field by the road, then spread its
wings and took off, following his car as he sped into Point Pleasant to report it to the
sheriff.
On November 26 , Mrs. Ruth Foster of Charleston, West Virginia saw Mothman
standing on her front lawn, but it was gone when her brother-in-law went out to look.
On the morning of November 27 , it pursued a young woman near Mason, West
Virginia , and was reported again in St. Albans the same night, by two children.
After the first reports of the Mothman, strangers dressed in black began to appear in
the area. These 'Men in Black' were believed to have been government agents
investigating the occurrences of the Mothman, though some speculate that they were
Catholic priests who came to exorcise the demonic creature.
The Mothman was seen again January 11 , and several times during 1967. No
sightings of the Mothman have been reported after the collapse of the Silver Bridge ,
when 46 people died in the bridge's collapse. The Silver Bridge, so named for its
aluminum paint, was an eyebar chain suspension bridge that connected the cities of
Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio over the Ohio River. It was built in
1928 and collapsed on December 15, 1967; investigation of the wreckage pointed to
the failure of a single eye-bar in a suspension chain due to a small flaw when it was
made.
Plaque under statue
Memorial to the lives lost when the Silver Bridge collapsed
Recommended reading:
The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel
Mothman And Other Curious Encounters by Loren Coleman
Pet Ghosts, Animal Encounters From Beyond The Grave
(Mothman is discussed in this book) by Joshua P. Warren
Rent the movie The Mothman Prophecies staring Richard Gere
The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel
Mothman And Other Curious Encounters by Loren Coleman
Pet Ghosts, Animal Encounters From Beyond The Grave
(Mothman is discussed in this book) by Joshua P. Warren
Rent the movie The Mothman Prophecies staring Richard Gere
| I came upon this memorial marking the grave of "Mad" Ann Bailey in Point Pleasant. A heroine of the Revolutionary War and Indian Wars. She wore buckskins and carried a rifle. She worked as a scout and messenger and had an extraordinary life for an 18th century woman. |
Photos by Sarah Harrison
On August 6th, 2006, your webmaster paid a visit to Point
Pleasant, WV. There is a Mothman statue and a wonderfully
cheesy Mothman Museum. But that is it. Point Pleasant has a
great deal of Revolutionary War history and Battle Monument
Park is definitely worth checking out. Mothman story, Pictures
below.
Pleasant, WV. There is a Mothman statue and a wonderfully
cheesy Mothman Museum. But that is it. Point Pleasant has a
great deal of Revolutionary War history and Battle Monument
Park is definitely worth checking out. Mothman story, Pictures
below.