Mothman
In the small town of Point Pleasant West Virginia lurks a being known as the Mothman by the local people. The creature is described as six to seven feet tall with huge wings coming from its back. but perhaps the most unsettling is the creature's huge glowing red eyes, compared to that of car lights. The creature makes its first appearance in 1966 and for the next year haunts the community of Point Pleasant. Mothman would be tied into the complex history of the small town and remain relevant in American folklore. [1]
The craze began on November 15th, 1996, when two couples were driving through what is called the TNT site: an abandoned munitions storage site from World War Two. Mr. and Mrs. Scarberry and Mr. and Mrs. Mallet Came face to face with the huge creature. The story quickly captivated the town and the story of what was being called a large bird traveled quickly. Over the next thirteen months, the creature would be seen by over 100 adults across the town. The creature was to be found lurking in shadows, chasing cars and people, and at one point even stealing family pets. [2]
The story was picked up by the Athens Ohio Messenger and the journalist Mary Hyre on November 16th, 1966; only a day after the first sighting. The Messenger would continue to cover the story of the creature over the years. The newspaper would alter the name of the creature to Mothman at the request of the editor, who thought the name's similarity to Batman would help sensationalize the story. [3]
At the rise of the paranormal phenomena arrived a journalist named John Keel. Keel who was in the area studying UFO sightings heard the story of the bird and began to collect people's stories. in 1975 he published his novel "The Mothman Prophecies". The book would solidify Mothman's significance as an American cryptid. [4]
Trailer for the Mothman Prophecies by Arlington Road in 2002. The horror movie is based on the John Keel novel published in 1975. The movie has only added to the dark tourism industry in Point Pleasnat.
The Mothman sightings would suddenly end on December 15th, 1967. The Silver Bridge was a suspension bridge stretching between Point Pleasant and Gallipolis, Ohio. The bridge would collapse after red lights on both sides caused too much stress on eye-bar 13. Cars fell into the river killing 46 people. The collapse is to this day the deadliest bridge collapse in American History.
After such a tragic event people looked for a cause. Mothman became inherently tied to the bridge collapse. His ominous presence was seen as an omen for the disaster that was about to strike. Upon reflection, the two events are often recounted together. [5]
Mothman's relevance carries into today bringing thousands of tourists into Point Pleasant each year. The creature has become important to the town and West Virginia's heritage. In 2006 Jeff Wamsley opened the Mothman Museum and with it the annual Mothman Festival. The story has grown the town's economy through its dark tourism. Mothman shows the importance of small-town lore, forever solidified in American mythology. [6]
References
1. Jack Daly, “Mothman, the Silver Bridge Collapse, and the Folklorization and Commemoration of Actual Events,” Journal of Scientific Exploration 37, no. 1 (May 2, 2023): 80–87, https://doi.org/10.31275/20232599.
2. Gwen Mallow, “An Ode to a Hometown Creature: Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia,” Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, June 7, 2021, https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia.
3. Tyler Buchanan, “Mothman Myth Rooted in Messenger Reporter’s Work,” The Athens Messenger, August 25, 2019, https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/mothman-myth-rooted-in-messenger-reporters-work/article_eae63596-c338-576c-97b2-3c445379ad1c.html.
4. Daly, “Mothman, the Silver Bridge Collapse, and the Folklorization and Commemoration of Actual Events.”
5. Daly, “Mothman, the Silver Bridge Collapse, and the Folklorization and Commemoration of Actual Events.”
6. Mallow, “An Ode to a Hometown Creature.”