Monster legend of the town without a church: Who is the Mothman?

The town of Point Pleasant, located in the state of New Jersey in the United States of America and founded in 1833, was a happy town until 1966.

The events that took place after that date were never erased from the memories of the people living in the town. Because the town was witnessing a legend that was passed around from mouth to mouth.

A legend that allegedly caused the death of 46 people, frightened the entire city, a museum was established in its name, movies were made and books were written about it, and its statue was erected in the heart of the town.

In West Virginian folklore, the Mothman is a humanoid creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November 15, 1966, to December 15, 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register, dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something". The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States. The source of the legend is believed to have originated from sightings of out-of-migration sandhill cranes or herons.

LEGEND OF THE MOTHMAN!

Now, after giving you information about this cute town, I will tell you the story of this interesting legend.

According to 2020 data, the town of Point Pleasant is a very cute and small town with a population of 18,686 people and a surface area of 10.8 km².

It has been determined that the population distribution in the town consists of 64.0% White, 33.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.2% Asian, and 0.6% other people.

It is surrounded by houses with lush gardens with colorful flowers, and in the summer you can see people sunbathing in the inflatable pool in their gardens. The town also covers part of the New Jersey Shore, one of America's longest stretches of beach, and in the summer you're likely to see events such as concerts, fireworks, and movie nights.

According to historian Virgil A Lewis, who was also a mayor in West Virginia, the town of Point Pleasant could not develop for more than fifty years due to the absence of a church and the disorganization of the society.

There was a popular superstition in the town due to the brutal murder of Cornstalk, a Shawnee leader in the Ohio Country in the 1760s and 1770s. According to legend, the town was cursed for a hundred years in 1777.

Of course, the details that make the town famous are not limited to these beauties. It is not known whether it is related to Cornstalk's curse, but there was another curse that the town was dealing with.

What really made the town famous was a creature. Yes, you heard right, a creature!

After the events that started in 1966, the town of Point Pleasant, like the town of Roswell in New Mexico, became a tourist center for paranormal enthusiasts. There is even a research center and a museum in the region about the legendary creature, also known as the Mothman, which allegedly lived between 1966 and 1967. Mothman's fame caused his statue to be built in the heart of the town.

Legend of the Mothman

- FIRST EVENT

The first incident took place in November 1966. On November 12, five men were digging graves in the cemetery.

On the ground, they saw the shadow of something big flying in the sky. Then, when they lifted their heads up, they came face to face with a terrifying gigantic creature.

It was about 2-3 meters tall and had huge wings. Also, his eyes were red. The five men did not know what to do because of fear.

This was the terrifying creature's first encounter with humans. More would come soon...

- EVENT 2

On November 14, two days after the first encounter, a town resident was watching television at home when he saw two red things standing on the field in his backyard.

When he got curious and approached the red thing, he saw that it actually belonged to the eyes of a long and black being. When the creature saw the man approaching, it jumped into the air and let out a frightening scream as it flew. The man's sheepdog chased after the creature and was never seen again.

- 3RD EVENT

One night later, the Mothman showed himself again. Two young couples named Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette were driving their car on November 15.

As they passed a World War II-era TNT factory, they saw something in the sky they had never witnessed before.

What they saw had human-like legs. But he wasn't a human. His eyes were red. It was making very interesting and scary sounds. In front of him was the lifeless body of a dog.

This was probably the sheepdog that had chased the creature the night before.

Seeing the couples driving in the car, Mothman noticed them and flew to follow them. Roger, who was driving, quickly walked away. But the creature didn't let go of them.

When the car entered the town, the creature abandoned its pursuit and flew towards the TNT field. The couple immediately went to the police station.

However, what they heard from the police scared them even more. Because some eyewitnesses had previously told the police that they had seen the creature.

The number of people who saw him was increasing day by day. The reports coming to the police station started to stop coming.

Mothman drawing

Locals believed he lived in an empty nuclear power plant in an area that was once the site of a top-secret government facility where nuclear weapons were tested.

According to records, between 1966 and 1967, more than 100 people reported seeing him.

The couple appeared before the press on November 16 to explain this terrible incident they experienced. Doctor Robert Smith, an expert on wildlife, also attended the meeting, and Dr. Based on the statements of eyewitnesses, Smith said that the Mothman may actually be a bird.

According to Dr Smith, the Mothman may actually have been a species of bird called Grus Canadensis (Canada crane).

But eyewitness statements said otherwise. According to the statements of people who saw Mothman, they said that they saw a 3-meter-tall creature with red eyes.

Mothman flying in the sky and scaring people

This had nothing to do with a bird. The Mothman did not look like a bird. He was a human-like creature. A very interesting incident took place around the time of the press conference. At that time, a couple with a baby was going to visit the Thomas family, who lived on the outskirts of the town. When they reached the house and got out of the car, they saw a large gray creature nearby.

Seeing its scary red eyes and gigantic size, the woman dropped her baby in her arms to the ground in fear. Then she picked up her baby and quickly ran to her friend's house, where she was taken in by one of the children. The creature followed them and continued to watch the house by looking through the windows for a long time. When the police arrived half an hour later, the creature had disappeared.

Mothman watching over the house

But this wasn't Mother Marsela's last encounter with the creature. Because he lived on the outskirts of Point Pleasant, near the TNT area.

That's why she claimed that the creature visited her house several times and heard its frightening screams. Marsela's fear of the Mothman had damaged her psychology.

He had nightmares and psychological problems for years, and the TNT region began to be known as the creature's home. This area, which was used to store ammunition in World War II, had a very large area. The area was immediately adjacent to the 2,500-acre wildlife station. This means that there are dense forests, steep hills, and tunnels around.

People thought that this place was a home for the creature because it was seen here the most.

Two firefighters named Ben Enochs and Paul Yoder said they saw this creature in the TNT area on November 18, 1966.

Sheriff Millard Halstead goes to the TNT area with 4 people who actually saw the Mothman, and they hear a deafening high-pitched sound.

The last action of Mothman, who has terrorized hundreds of people in the year since he appeared in the town, will drag the whole town into chaos.

The Mothman will commit his terrible final act, causing the death of 46 people, and bid farewell to this town.

SILVER BRIDGE ACCIDENT

In 1967, a terrible incident occurred in Point Pleasant. There was heavy traffic on December 15 due to the approaching Christmas.

The bridge called "Silver Bridge" near the town could not handle this heavy traffic and collapsed. 46 people lost their lives in this terrible accident.

Additionally, two of the bodies were never found. Although the cause of the accident is explained as inadequate bridge maintenance, there are many eyewitnesses who believe that Mothman caused this accident and say that Mothman was near the bridge before the accident. After this disaster, the Mothman was never seen again and disappeared.

A statue of the phenomenal creature was even built in the town. There's even a Mothman festival that takes place every year in the downtown town of Point Pleasant.

You can attend the festival, hear guest speakers, and learn more about the Mothman. You can also visit the museum, which contains information and items about the creature.

A lot of research has been done about Mothman. Many books have been written. The most comprehensive book was 'The Mothman Prophecies', written by author John Keel, who is interested in extraterrestrial life and other supernatural activities. Author John Keel associated the bridge collapse with the Mothman.

In his book, John explained that other disturbing events occurred in Point Pleasant during the times when this frightening flying creature was seen.

The recordings included reports of UFOs, animal mutilations, and harrowing visits to some homes by poorly and darkly-suited officers.

According to John, the Mothman was a being born in another dimension in space or time. A movie was made about the creature in 2002 called Breath of the Night.

In addition, the film series Jeepers Creepers, released in 2001, was inspired by the creature called Mothman. There are people who say they saw the creature in some years, although not as much as in 1966 and 1967. In fact, in 2016, a person who did not want to be named claimed that the legendary creature had returned with these photos.