Urban Legends in West Virginia

West Virginia is an isolated state, surrounded by deep forests, mountains, and miles of uninhabited land. Known for its grittiness and, sadly, for its poverty, creepy stories from West Virginia are all inspired by the feeling of what could have been. The poor Appalachian people who populate the state play an important part in these West Virginia urban legends.

West Virginia has an odd assortment of cryptids, possible alien sightings, and a lot of Civil War ghosts. These creepy stories from West Virginia are exactly what you want to hear late at night as you drive through its desolate highways. 

The Mothman Does West Virginia

The Mothman is a cryptid that was spotted up and down the East Coast throughout the '60s, and was said to be a harbinger of death where ever it appeared. But the first appearance of the Mothman dates to 1966 in Clendenin, WV. First it appeared to two young married couples outside of a TNT plant, and was described as being "shaped like a man, but bigger, maybe six or seven feet tall. And it had big wings folded against its back." The Mothman was allegedly seen later that evening by a building contractor who described the creature as having eyes like "bicycle reflectors."

Between 1966 and 1967 more than 100 people had Mothman sightings, many of which began to tie into run ins with men in black, and people who were believed to be government spooks. In 1967 the Silver Bridge that connected Point Pleasant, WV, and Gallipolis, OH, collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing 46 people. Author John Keel wrote in his book The Mothman Prophecies (which was later made into a movie of the same name) that the collapse of the bridge was caused by Mothman. 

The Greenbrier Ghost

How many ghosts do you know that helped solve a murder case? Elva Zona Heaster's alleged ghost did just that, reportedly helping to solve her own murder in 1897. Heaster married Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue in 1896, and after a year of wedded bliss, she mysteriously died. Despite the local custom in Greenbrier County, WV, of letting the ladies of the town clean and dress Heaster's corpse, Shue handled all of it. Rumors began to spread that he probably killed Heaster, but no one could prove it. No one except Heaster, who began to appear nightly at the side of her mother's bed to explain how she'd been murdered by her husband. Heaster's mother took some of the information to the local prosecutor, who then helped dig up the body and prove Heaster had indeed been murdered by her husband. 

The Grey Flats Ghost

While walking along the Grey Flats Trail near Beckley, WV, a group of friends encountered what can only be referred to as a shadow person. The figure appeared to be wearing the long coat and a wide brimmed hat combo that so many shadow people seem to find fashionable, and when the group encountered the figure it rose up out of their view. One of the friends had an allergic reaction to the creature so the friends got out of there as quickly as they could. 

The Bowyer House of Winfield

 Paranormal investigators who are local to Winfield, WV, have many stories about the Bowyer House, built by Captain John Bowyer in 1841. Shortly after he passed away the house sat empty for multiple generations. The house is now being turned into a B&B, but everyone who has been inside reports a general feeling of unease, and some people have even reported seeing a headless horseman roaming the premises. 

The Flatwoods Monster

The Flatwoods Monster is an entity that haunts the area near Braxton County, WV. Those who come into contact with it report supernatural and ghostly encounters. It's known to roam the Flatwoods with its long, stringy arms and making everyone it comes in contact with as sick as a dog. In 1952, a group of investigators went out searching for bright lights in the sky thought to be from UFOs. All together, about four people explored the Flatwoods and came into contact with the monster. All four said they felt sick to the stomach, experienced swelling in their throat and nose, and could not stop vomiting after seeing the creature.

Some people believe that the monster is an extra-terrestrial, others think that it's some kind of owl, shadow being hybrid. 

The Legend of Wizard Clip

According to legend, in 1794 a traveling stranger was boarding at a house in Middleway, WV, when he became ill and asked for a Catholic priest to perform his last rights. The man who owned the boarding house, Adam Livingston, reportedly told the stranger that he was a Lutheran who did not like priests and that no Catholic churches were near the family home. The stranger died without receiving his last rights and began haunting the house.

From then on people began to hear the sound of footsteps around the boarding house, and they would find their possessions with large half-moons and other shapes clipped into them. Scared, Livingston sent for a Catholic priest to cleanse the house. Suddenly the hauntings stopped and Livingston dedicated his 35 acre property to the Catholic Church. To this day the Priest Field Pastoral Center sits upon the site. 

Screaming Jenny

After the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was constructed in the early 1820s, a legion of poor people moved into a series of abandoned storage sheds situated near the tracks. One local legend tells the story of a woman named Jenny who caught fire one evening while eating dinner, and in an attempt to put herself out ran towards the tracks and was hit by a passing train. She died on impact and was buried in an unmarked grave. To this very day engineers are said to see Jenny's burning body running onto the tracks on the anniversary of her death. 

The White Things

Sometimes called "Sheepsquatch," the White Things are a mythical animal that roams the hills of West Virginia. This animal-like beast is known by many names, including the White Devils or the Devil Dogs. Lore says these creatures are a death omen, and resemble everything from bears, to cows, and even "huge badgers." The creatures are allegedly very fast and are known to have "too many legs."

Edith Miller, Helpful Ghost

According to the folks at River Park Hospital in Huntington, WV, if you want to work with the folks at River Park you should prepare for a few run ins with their resident faculty ghost. Edith Miller, a registered nurse, helped start the hospital in 1923, and employees at the hospital believe that she's still walking the halls and making sure that everything is running smoothly. 

Huntington West Virginia's Disappearing Woman

You don't have to look far to find urban legends about disappearing hitchhikers and women in white who walk along the rural roads of America, but Huntington, WV, legends might have some basis in fact. Prior to 1942 (the first recorded instance of the hitchhiking woman in white,) a family from Huntington was driving their daughter and her fiance to be married. Tragically, they were involved in an accident that killed the bride-to-be and launched a classic West Virginia ghost story.

Too scared to visit West Virginia, or is West Virginia the place for you?