The Braxton County Monster

On September 12, 1952, residents of Flatwoods, West Virginia went to investigate a bright object that crashed on a nearby hilltop. What they found there - a towering creature emitting toxic mist - would traumatize them and become one of America’s most famous monster encounters.

The Crash

Evening of September 12:

• Bright fireball observed
• Across multiple states
• Appeared to land
• On hilltop
• Near Flatwoods

The Witnesses Form

Investigation group:

• Kathleen May
• Eddie May (13)
• Fred May (12)
• Gene Lemon (17)
• Neil Nunley (17)
• Tommy Hyer
• Their dog

The Ascent

They climbed:

• Fisher Farm hill
• Toward glow
• Through woods
• Growing darkness
• Flashlight leading

The Mist

At the top:

• Thick fog
• Nauseating odor
• Eyes watering
• Burning sensation
• Something wrong

The Dog Fled

Their dog:

• Ran ahead
• Then retreated
• Tail between legs
• Terrified
• Animals know

Gene Sees Eyes

Lemon shined light:

• Into darkness
• Saw glowing eyes
• Reflected in beam
• Something watching
• Terror began

The Monster

They witnessed:

• Towering figure
• 10+ feet tall
• Spade or ace-shaped head
• Blood-red face
• Glowing eyes

More Description

The creature had:

• Claw-like appendages
• Dark metallic body
• Pleated lower portion
• Not walking
• Gliding motion

The Approach

The monster:

• Moved toward them
• Hissing sound
• Releasing mist
• Nightmarish motion
• Otherworldly presence

The Flight

They ran:

• Down the hill
• Screaming
• Didn’t stop
• Total panic
• Life-or-death retreat

The Aftermath

Physical symptoms:

• Violent vomiting
• Throat swelling
• Eye irritation
• Lasting weeks
• Genuine illness

Medical Treatment

Some required:

• Doctor visits
• Treatment
• Real symptoms
• Not psychosomatic
• Physical effects

Sheriff’s Investigation

Next morning:

• Sheriff searched
• Found skid marks
• Strange oil
• Unusual tracks
• Something was there

The Odor

The smell:

• Persisted for days
• Sickeningly sweet
• Metallic undertone
• Witnesses recognized
• Evidence of event

National Coverage

The story:

• Went national
• Major newspapers
• Early TV coverage
• Public sensation
• Monster fame

Kathleen May

Primary witness:

• Worked with artist
• Created iconic image
• Maintained story
• Until her death
• Never doubted

Skeptic Theory

Some proposed:

• Barn owl in tree
• Meteor coincidence
• Fear exaggeration
• Mass hysteria
• Simple explanation

Against Skeptics

But problems:

• Size impossible
• Physical illness real
• Physical evidence found
• Multiple witnesses
• Too elaborate

Significance

Flatwoods significant for:

• Physical evidence
• Physical effects on witnesses
• Multiple observers
• National coverage
• Iconic imagery

Legacy

The Flatwoods Monster remains an American icon of the unknown. Whether alien, interdimensional being, or something else entirely, the creature on that West Virginia hilltop has never been adequately explained.