Monsters of Central West Virginia
We checked out two great museums in the quaint town of Sutton, West Virginia
We recently adventured to the charming little town of Sutton, WV. It’s a faded town with cobblestone streets located in the center of West Virginia along the banks of the Elk River. It may be hard to believe that it is also a hub of interesting activity! First and foremost, there is a family group of Sasquatch living near-by and the locals often witness them. Secondly, back in 1952 a monster landed in the neighboring town of Flatwoods, WV.
Bigfoot Museum
The museum is free to wander about. They have some really great evidence in the form of photographs, eyewitness accounts, and of course casts of footprints. Each year the town holds a Bigfoot Festival. Dr. Jeff Meldrum, the foremost expert in Sasquatch research spoke at this year’s festival. The ladies working in the adjacent shop were a wealth of knowledge. As they relay, when so many people from all over come in and share such similar stories, it can’t be a fluke! I find this to be an accurate sentiment. For centuries cultures throughout the world share similar legends of what we know as sasquatch and yeti. For more on this please see my blog about the Wild Man. While there look carefully at the murals painted on the museum walls. See if you can catch a glimpse of our squatchy friend.
Firsthand Account
I must confess, that I have never had my own experience, but I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a Bigfoot witness. He and his brother had gone to a favorite fishing hole back in the mountains one day in 1982. By the time they made their way back to their vehicle it was dark, and the only light was from the full moon. Suddenly, a tall, shaggy beast walked swiftly by them in the moonlight in the same direction that they were heading. The figure was well over seven feet tall and had long arms, and a conical head. As the men arrived at their vehicle, fourteen-inch footprints were in the mud directly next to the vehicle door. It is reported that they were so frightened that no one spoke a word to each other until they had returned to town and sat in the light of a store parking lot for an hour.
Flatwoods Monster
In September of 1952 three boys, the Mays brothers and their friend, were playing in an empty lot around dusk when they saw a red-light streak across the sky and crash at a nearby farm. The boys ran to tell their mother what they had seen and bring her to join them as they ran up the hill to the farm. Along the way a few more boys joined them as well as a dog. What they found was nothing short of terrifying. There in a mist, hovering above the ground was a ten-foot-tall monster with a red body and green glowing face.
The Monster Museum
Just a stones throw away from the Bigfoot Museum stands the Monster Museum inside a former drugstore. Admission is free and staff is more than happy to take photos and share local lore. The museum is a large open space with fun places for photo ops, couches to sit and swap stories, as well as all sorts of interesting information. But be warned! They DO NOT allow seances in the museum. Personally, I must agree with this policy. It is well worth a visit for any cryptid or alien enthusiast.
Sutton is small and is slowly returning to life with these museums as cornerstones for the community. The river offers a lovely place to bring a picnic lunch. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the local Bigfoot family while you are there.
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