Desperate for a Monster
One Town…two monsters
As an amateur cryptozoologist, I enjoy studying creatures whose existence has not yet been proven. Recently, my interest got jump started when Bigfoot sightings in northeast Ohio suddenly spiked. Then, my contacts in Virginia forwarded to me what is believed to be the first baby Bigfoot sighting. With all these fresh cryptid happenings, I got in the mood for a new monster related blog mission.
To that end, my research revealed the very small, remote, mountain town, of Sutton, West Virginia. While the town only has a population of 900 people, the town folks can still boost of TWO separate cryptid museums. That is, this tiny downtown has its own Bigfoot museum….AND a museum for something called the Flatwood Monster. No further urging was needed. I recruited my 9th Grade English Teacher and we were off to one town with two monsters.
Sutton, WV, Bigfoot Museum
At first glance, the Bigfoot museum resembled most Bigfoot museums. That is…footprints, pictures, articles, etc. However, upon further study, I became much less impressed with the Sutton Bigfoot museum. Literally, nothing in the museum was local or an original artifact. The footprints were replicas…the stories were from other states…nothing about the “Sutton” Bigfoot experience.
I brought up my concerns about the lack of local Bigfoot artifacts to the museum curator/general store cashier. She explained to me that there have been 17 local Bigfoot sightings over the last 4 months. Also, the locals seem to be 0 for 17 in getting any blurry pictures of all these sightings. Furthermore, the curator/cashier reports that locals have made original footprint castings from these sightings. However, no one is willing to share these footprints with the museum. These are the worst Bigfoot hunters ever. Fear not, while they had no footprints or pictures, the store had plenty of Bigfoot related food supplies…
In summation, the folks of Sutton are very bad with their mobile phone cameras and they are very stingy with their footprint castings. So, unless your interest leans toward purchasing Bigfoot food related products, the Sutton, WV, Bigfoot museum may not be the cryptozoological experience for you.
The Flatwood Monster
Please do not be discouraged about my visit to this questionable Bigfoot museum. Because…their bread and butter creature is really the Flatwood Monster.
To summarize, it was September 12, 1952, when 8 kids and a dog saw a fireball crash into a nearby hill. Of course, they ran over to check it out. What they saw was a 12′ tall creature with reddish hair, a head shaped like the ace of space, and glowing eyes. The dog threw up first, then everyone joined in. Soon thereafter, they all turned tail and ran away like their lives depended on it. Thus, the birth of the Flatwood Monster Legend.
In the previous paragraph, I wrote of the beginnings of the Flatwood Monster legend. Thing is…its also the END. Yep. The Flatwood Monster has never been seen again. That would be one sighting in 74 years. The folks of Sutton were so excited to have something happen in their town, they kept the legend active to this day. In addition to the museum, there is an annual festival, grade school art contests, and Flatwood Monster chairs spread throughout the area. This town is truly desperate for a monster.
Not a Total Loss
I know what you are thinking. My mission included a lame Bigfoot museum and a monster that has been gone for 74 years…what a waste of time!. Hey, not so fast on your judgement. My mission was far from a total loss…
First, while pay phones no longer exist in the normal world…they use them in Sutton, WV. It was certainly a great throw back moment. But, even bigger, we worked in a lunch stop at PT’s #1 rated Fine Dining experience…Hillbilly Hotdogs. The ambiance was one of a kind while I enjoyed a Thundering Herd dog, a Junk Yard dog, fries, and a Mothman IPA…culinary heaven on earth.
Enough said. That’s Sutton, West Virginia…a town desperate for a monster. Have a wonderful day. PT
I hope you have enjoyed “Desperate for a Monster” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.
Here was a good Bigfoot museum… https://travelingwithpt.com/are-you-willing-to-believe/
Here’s more on Sutton’s Flatwood Monster… https://braxtonwv.org/the-flatwoods-monster/visit-the-museum/
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