I SAW THE MOTHMAN! by Jeff Wingo

Those people acquainted with me personally will tell you that I love a good joke and love to laugh just as much as anyone. And, sometimes I like to visit places that appeal to my strange sense of curiosity and humor.

And so as it happened, my wife Krista asked if I would like to get out of the house for an afternoon. You see, I have been ill off and on since October, and other than working (because we all have to make a living right), I hadn’t shown any interest in going any place, or really seeing anyone, for that matter.

The coincidence is interesting because at the very moment Krista’s question came I was reading a book by the late John Keel; and, as her question resonated in my mind, I instinctively said, “yes, I would like to go to Point Pleasant West Virginia to see the Mothman.”

Well, at that point you could have heard a pin drop, and in fact, I think I heard my little dog Sissy, a twelve-year-old graying Shih Tzu,   make a low guttural moan as she lay near my feet.

Krista is a great wife, and I love her dearly, but when I get a moment of silence like that, just like every married man on the planet, I know that I have ventured into territory that even angels fear to tread.

Once the shock and awe dissipated, and once we picked up the conversation where we left off, I again requested that we make a beeline to the Ohio River, cross the bridge, and enter the haunted territory made famous by both John Keel and Hollywood, Point Pleasant West Virginia, the ghostly stomping grounds of the legendary Mothman.

Point Pleasant is an interesting little town. It is also home to some of the most friendly, down to earth people you could ever hope to meet. During our visit there I was impressed by just by how friendly and open the local people are, and they are also immensely proud of their little city nestled between the West Virginia hills and the Ohio River.

Driving up main street I was looking to my left trying to figure out where the statue of the Mothman was located. As a “man of the road” I usually abhor asking for directions, but then Krista spoke up and said, “just follow the sign.!” And, like the wonderful spouse she is, Krista was right. I was sitting at a red light and blaring right in front of me was a sign “Mothman Museum” with an arrow pointing to the left.

As we made our way left we saw an amazing sight shining in the bright sun; indeed, it was an incredible figure, a stainless steel statue of the Mothman shining in all of its glory in the bright afternoon sunshine!

We stood there gaping at this giant statue, and actually it is an amazing piece of work by artist and sculptor Bob Roach which was unveiled in 2003. It is my understanding that John Keel attended the unveiling as the guest of honor.

In fact, the Mothman Museum has the white suit that Keel wore that day and it is displayed in a case. Here is a photo I took of the suit in the case. Below that is a photo I took of a picture of John Keel when he was there in 2003.

I thought the displays in the Museum were great and I would recommend that if you are in the Point Pleasant area, and you are interested in a little foray into everything “Fortean” that you make a beeline straight for the Mothman Museum because you will not be disappointed!

The Museum also has an entire section devoted to memorabilia and movie props from the 2002 movie The Mothman Prophecies, which starred Richard Gere as John Klein, a reporter researching the legend of the Mothman.

When I walked into the Museum  I didn’t know what to expect. But I must say, in all sincerity, that this little Museum has a friendly staff and a very comfortable, inviting atmosphere.  As a side note, the Museum also has a large display of newspaper clippings from 1967 when the Silver Bridge collapsed.

For those who may not know, during the time when John Keel was investigating many of the Mothman sightings, the Silver Bridge, which spanned the Ohio river between Point Pleasant and route 7 in Ohio collapsed at 5:00pm on December 15, 1967. It was rush hour traffic and 46 people were killed as a result.    

It was an incredible loss of life. My wife Krista, who was raised in Middleport Ohio, spotted a newspaper clipping the Museum had on display. It was an article and a picture of a man who survived the bridge collapse. As it turns out the man who survived was a friend of her father.

Overall, the Museum was well worth the price as it only cost 3.00 per person to gain entry. You will not be disappointed, and I found the entire Museum very organized and clean.

The gentleman running the cash register was extremely friendly and easy to engage in conversation. I asked a lot of questions and he told me all about the Mothman, when it first started, about John Keel and all of that. But he told me something else, something I must now reveal to you.

He said that lately, in the dark of night, late at night of course, another strange and frightening creature has been running loose in the mountains and hills around the vicinity of Point Pleasant.

As he was telling me this little tidbit of Fortean information I leaned close, and in a hushed voice, asked the burning question: “What is it?” To which he replied, “its called a Sheepsquatch.”  Of course at this point in time I have to press further because I had never heard of a Sheepsquatch, so I asked the next obvious question, “what, pray tell, is a Sheepsquatch?” To which he answered, “its a creature that is a mixture between a sheep and a Sasquatch (Bigfoot)! He went on to tell me about secret government experiments into cloning and that it is very possible the Sheepsquatch is one of the chimera creatures that “got loose.”

So, there you have it straight from the horse’s mouth! If you make a little trip to the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant West Virginia, listen to your wife as she gives you directions, look for the giant stainless steel statue of Mothman, and keep one eye peeled for the Sheepsquatch!

The truth is out there!

Thanks for visiting.

Jeff Wingo

If you are interested in a biblical view of UFOs and aliens and how the phenomenon relates to end-time Bible prophecy then I recommend my book to you, Alien Antichrist, The Terrifying Truth about UFOs and Aliens, Antichrist, and the End of Days.

The book is an in-depth study of UFOs and aliens and how they relate to the Bible and Bible prophecy. UFOs and aliens will be used as the Great Deception of the last days. Get the book, be informed, and be armed with biblical truth. And for a limited time if you have Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime you can download a copy of the book for free!

Here is the link to Amazon:

Alien Antichrist, The Terrifying Truth about UFOs and Aliens, Antichrist, and the End of Days.

Thanks for visiting.

Jeff Wingo

The Mothman Museum is located at 411 Main St, Point Pleasant, WV 25550; (304) 812-5211.

The Website for the Museum is  http://www.mothmanmuseum.com/

• Picture of the Mothman Museum is from the website.
• Picture of Silver Bridge in Ohio River found here.
  All other pictures by Jeff Wingo at the Mothman Museum, Point Pleasant West Virginia.

John Keel book is called Flying Saucer to the Center of Your Mind: Selected Writings of John A. Keel by John A. Keel, Edited by Andrew Colvin