The Flatwoods Monster

On the evening of September 12, 1952, in the small town of Flatwoods, West Virginia, a group of children and adults investigated a bright light that appeared to land on a nearby hilltop. What they found has haunted American UFO lore ever since: a ten-foot tall creature with a glowing face, clawed hands, and a dark, cloaked body. The Flatwoods Monster—also called the Braxton County Monster—became one of the most bizarre and terrifying close encounters ever reported.

The Encounter

The Setting

Flatwoods was a small community of about 300 people in Braxton County, West Virginia. On September 12, 1952, a bright object was seen crossing the sky by many residents.

The Witnesses

The Group:

• Kathleen May (local beautician, adult)
• Eugene Lemon (17, National Guard member)
• Five boys aged 10-13

What They Saw

At approximately 7:15 PM:

The Light: The boys saw a bright object cross the sky and appear to land on a nearby hilltop (the Bailey Fisher farm).

The Investigation: The group, accompanied by Lemon’s dog, climbed the hill to investigate.

The Mist: They encountered a pungent mist that burned their eyes and throats.

The Creature: In the beam of Lemon’s flashlight, they saw:

• A figure approximately 10 feet tall
• A round, red face with glowing eyes
• A dark, hood-like shape behind the head (later described as ace-of-spades shaped)
• A dark body that appeared pleated or cloaked
• Small, claw-like hands
• It appeared to float or glide toward them
• It made a hissing sound

The Reaction: The dog fled. The group ran in terror. Several became ill afterward with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and throat irritation.

The Aftermath

Immediate Response

• The local sheriff investigated but found only skid marks and an unusual odor
• A strange, oily substance was reportedly found
• The grass was flattened
• The smell lingered for days

Media Attention

The story spread rapidly:

• Local and national newspapers covered it
• The Air Force investigated
• Researchers arrived
• The story became a sensation

The Witnesses’ Health

Several witnesses reported:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Throat irritation
• Convulsions (in one case)
• Symptoms lasted for days

Explanations

The Official Theory

The Air Force concluded:

• The light was a meteor
• The creature was a barn owl perched in a tree
• The “body” was tree branches
• The witnesses were primed by seeing the meteor

The Problems

Critics of this explanation note:

• Multiple witnesses described the same thing
• The creature moved/floated toward them
• The physical symptoms were real
• A barn owl would not explain the size or glowing face

Alternative Theories

Alien Being: A genuine extraterrestrial, connected to the object that landed.

Robot or Probe: A mechanical device associated with the UFO.

Misidentification: Some combination of animals, shadows, and imagination fueled by the meteor sighting.

Hoax: A prank or fabrication, though the witnesses maintained their story for life.

The Legacy

Flatwoods Today

The town has embraced its monster:

• A museum dedicated to the encounter
• Monster-themed attractions
• Annual festival
• Roadside statues

Cultural Impact

The Flatwoods Monster has influenced:

• UFO research and literature
• Video games and media
• Cryptid culture
• West Virginia tourism

The Illustration

The famous image of the Flatwoods Monster—the ace-of-spades head, the pleated body—came from a sketch by witnesses and has become iconic in UFO circles.

The Question

What did seven people see on that hilltop in 1952?

The barn owl theory explains some elements but not all. The witnesses were genuinely terrified. The physical effects were real. And the description remains unlike anything in nature.

Something happened in Flatwoods that September night. Whether it was an alien, a monster, or a mass misidentification remains debated—but the encounter remains one of the strangest in American UFO history.

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They climbed the hill to see what had landed. In the flashlight beam, they found it: ten feet tall, with a glowing red face and a hissing sound that filled the night. The Flatwoods Monster floated toward them through the mist, and they ran. Seventy years later, we still don’t know what those seven people encountered in the West Virginia darkness.