Cryptids ~ Flatwoods Monster

 

The Flatwoods monster (aka... the Braxton County monster, Braxie, or the Phantom of Flatwoods), in West Virginia folklore, is a creature reported to have been sighted in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States, on September 12, 1952, after a bright light crossed the night sky. Investigators now suggest the light was a meteor and the creature was a barn owl perched in a tree with shadows making it appear to be a large humanoid.

At 7:15 p.m., on September 12, 1952, two brothers, Edward and Fred May, and their friend Tommy Hyer, said that they saw a bright object cross the sky and land on the property of local farmer G. Bailey Fisher. The boys went to the home of Kathleen May, where they told their story. May, accompanied by the three boys, local children -- Neil Nunley, Ronnie Shaver, and West Virginia National Guardsman Eugene Lemon -- went to the Fisher farm in an effort to locate whatever it was that Edward and Fred had claimed to see. The group reached the top of a hill, where Nunley said they saw a pulsing red light. Lemon said he aimed a flashlight in that direction and momentarily saw a tall "man-like figure with a round red face surrounded by a pointed hood-like shape".

Descriptions varied. In an article for Fate Magazine, based on his tape-recorded interviews, UFO writer Gray Barker described the figure as approximately 10 feet tall; with a round blood-red face; a large pointed "hood-like shape" around the face; eye-like shapes which emitted greenish-orange light; and a dark black or green body. May described the figure as having small claw-like hands; clothing-like folds; and a head that resembled the ace of spades.  According to the story, when the figure made a hissing sound and glided toward the group, Lemon screamed and dropped his flashlight, causing the group to run away.

The group said they had smelled a "pungent mist" and some later said they were nauseated. The local sheriff and a deputy had been investigating reports of a crashed aircraft in the area. They searched the site of the reported monster but saw, heard, and smelled nothing. According to Barker's account, the next day A. Lee Stewart Jr. of the Braxton Democrat claimed to have discovered skid marks in the field and an odd, gummy deposit,  which were subsequently attributed by UFO enthusiast groups as evidence of a saucer landing.

According to former news editor Holt Byrne, newspaper stories were carried throughout the country, radio broadcasts were carried on large networks, and hundreds of phone calls were received from all parts of the country. The national press services rated the story No. 11 for the year. A minister from Brooklyn came to question the May family. A Pittsburgh paper sent a special reporter. UFO and Fortean writers like Gray Barker and Ivan T. Sanderson arrived to investigate.

Is the Flatwoods Monster evil?

The Flatwoods Monster, also known as Braxton County Monster, or Phantom of Flatwoods, is a famous UFO-related cryptid that, while not necessarily violent in the sense of wishing deliberate harm on others, is noted for being a creature that (supposedly) caused danger to those it encountered.

Other sightings:

Another sighting of a creature, similar in description to the Flatwoods Monster, was reported by Mrs. Audra Harper not long before the infamous sighting on Fisher’s farm. Harper claims to have seen the monster while walking through the woods near her home near the town of Heaters. Heaters is about five miles north of Flatwoods. Harper and her friend were walking to a near-by store. The road leading out of their property was implacable and rutted so they were taking a short-cut through the forest instead of walking the road. About a half mile into their trip, they noticed a ball of fire on one of the hills they were passing. Harper dismissed it, assuming that one of her neighbors was “fox chasing”. When she glanced back, she saw something unbelievable -- the fire had vanished, and in its place stood the tall dark silhouette of a man-shaped figure. Terrified, Harper and her friend ran, escaping among the rocks and boulders strewn around the hillside.

The day after the September 12th incident in Flatwoods, another strange sighting occurred near Strange Creek about twenty miles south of Flatwoods. Reportedly, George and Edith Snitowsky and their 18-month-old son were driving through the rural area between Clay and Braxton County on route 4 when their car suddenly died. Mr. Snitowsky attempted to restart the car to no avail. It was night time and the road was deserted. While the Snitowsky’s were trying to decide what to do, a foul sulfurous smell filled the air and their baby began to cry. A strange bright light filled the darkness, and the couple witnessed a ten-foot-tall creature hovering in front of their car. The description is similar to that of the original sighting, except the monster was not wearing what is presumed to be its spade-shaped hood. Instead, its head was reportedly reptilian and bony. The creature dragged its lizard-like hand across the hood of the car before drifting away into the woods. As soon as the monster was out of sight, the car restarted and the couple sped away. Snitowsky would later give his account for Male Magazine in July of 1955.

These stories have become an eerie folktale, creating a fascinating culture in the small towns around the county. An ice cream shop called “The Spot” opened in Flatwoods, offering a photo op with a painted image of the monster. A museum dedicated to the monster’s story operates in the town of Sutton, a few miles south of Flatwoods. Five huge chairs, built and painted in the monster’s image, have been erected around the county.

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatwoods_monster

https://braxtonwv.org/the-flatwoods-monster/

Books about the Flatwoods Monster:

At Amazon

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At Amazon

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At Amazon

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