West Virginia town benefits from Mothman legend

Lester · Post by **Lester** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:08 pm

West Virginia town benefits from Mothman legendStory Highlights
POINT PLEASANT, West Virginia (AP) -- A quick stroll up Main Street is enough to learn who this river town's most famous resident is: His name is on signs, in shop windows and restaurants, and there's even a museum devoted to him.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/12/24/mo ... index.html

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:20 pm

When I worked in the area the residents would nearly kill if you tried to associate the town with the Mothman.

Hey, if it works and you can get $ out it...go fir it.

Bob Campbell · Post by **Bob Campbell** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:04 pm

C'mon now, the statue rocks! I think it's made out of tin foil.

DJSHOCKLEY · Post by **DJSHOCKLEY** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:02 pm

Actually, its made out of sheet metal... It looks really cool!!

Ain't nuthin like going to Pt Pleasant during Mothman Weekend and taking the Hay Ride thru the TNT area... Good stuff!!

lastone · Post by **lastone** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:36 pm

Well fellers, I gotta tell ya....

During much of the time this was supposed to be going on, my grandfather, father and myself were there. Yes there. The TNT location as it is called had been a shipyard (the USS West Virginia was built there) and a munitions factory and depot. All that was left were some dry dock pillars, parts of old buildings and the "bunkers" in a field across the road.

Also across the road is the Chief Cornstalk Public Hunting Area. Most saturday nights in the fall you could find us "coon" hunting just up the creek from TNT. We would arrive late at night and depart early in the morning. There were many other hunters and no one ever saw anything....much less a red eyed monster. We didn't hear the stories until after the Silver Bridge fell. And we all laughed.

But it makes a good story (I guess) and money. But having ben there, I will never believe....

P.S. The USS West Virginia was sunk on Dec 7, 1941. (Now you know why the Silver and Shadle(sp) bridges were so high!)

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:39 pm

From Wiki:

USS West Virginia (BB-48), a Colorado class battleship, was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 35th state.

Her keel was laid down on 12 April 1920 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 17 November 1921 sponsored by Miss Alice Wright Mann (daughter of Isaac T. Mann, a prominent West Virginian), and commissioned on 1 December 1923 with Captain Thomas J. Senn in command.

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:48 pm

West Virginia Ordnance Works (WVOW) was a United States Army ammunition manufacturing facility constructed and operated during World War II. It was located north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia in Mason County encompassing 8,323 acres (33.68 kmÂ²). The $45 million plant employed 3500 at its peak and operated from 1942 to 1945.[1] The site was disposed of following the war and land was utilized by creating a landfill, the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, Mason County Airport and an industrial park among others.

lastone · Post by **lastone** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:54 pm

OK. So my dad was wrong about the ship being built there and I got the public area name wrong. Still, we saw nothing more than the normal creatures of the night in all the times we were in the same area and on the same road(s).

It is true however that aliens are amoung us, even here in West Virginia. Most are Mexican.

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:04 pm

Ships built in Pt Pleasant during WW2 included Mine Layers, Tugs and some other auxillary craft. During the Korean War Landing Craft Utilty were built.
These were constructed by Marietta shipbuilding which ended business in 1970.

Bob Campbell · Post by **Bob Campbell** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:44 am

Gee, I was driving to Greensboro and suddenly I'm in Point, and it's six hours later. I don't remember any of it. And my car stopped running.
I still don't look like Richard Gere.

CoolBreeze · Post by **CoolBreeze** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:33 am

I too spent many hours in the old TNT area in the early 70s. We always arrived at dusk and then photographed anything that moved (or didn't). I never believed in Mothman but my crazy friend did so I humored him. (he was the radio stations engineer... and you know how THEY are)

Besides, there were lots of great old things to photograph outside of Point Pleasant back then. Speaking of which: One of the best books I've read in a while is called "The Lobotomist", and it's all about the man who perfected the treatment of (you guessed it) Lobotomy. It probably wont surprise you to learn that more Lobotomies were performed in WV than any other state. Outside of Point Pleasant at Lakin State Hospital was were most of these procedures took place. (along with Spencer State Hospital) The main hospital building still stands today in Lakin, but now the rest has been removed and a new womans prison stands in it's place. Be sure to check-out the story on The Lobotomist on PBS Jan. 21 at 9pm.

I've had a webpage up for years on Mothman. Not for the story itself so much, but the man responsible for bringing Mothman to life... Bob Roach. He's just a "good-ole-boy" welder from the power company who has a natural talent, and is a good friend. Check it out here: http://www.mywvhome.com/mothman.html

I'm familiar with the history of small shipbuilding in PP also, and the vision of the USS West Virginia cruising down the Ohio River was the highlight of my morning.

Bob Campbell · Post by **Bob Campbell** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:29 am

Lobotomy certainly explains much of state government, and nearly all radio people.