As the West Virginia legend has it, Mothman is a mythical creature allegedly witnessed in the Point Pleasant area during 1966-67, from 12 November 1966 to 15 December 1967 to be precise. "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something" titled the first-ever report was published by the newspaper Point Pleasant Register on November 16, 1966.
Pretty aware of the modern tourists in Point Pleasant, a massive statue of this red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular myth based on West Virginia's insectoid monster nicknamed “Mothman”. Located in downtown Point Pleasant, the mythical creature’s polished steel statue is 12-foot-tall. There’s also a Mothman Museum selling a whole lot of Mothman merchandise.
The writer Gray Barker firstly introduced Mothman in 1970 through his book “Silver Bridge”. John Keel wrote a book in 1975 titled “The Mothman Prophecies” in which he claimed that this paranormal creature had a link with the collapse of Silver Bridge. Based on Keel’s book, a film starring Richard Gere was released in 2002 with the same title.
The Mothman's origins have been associated with almost everything; from aliens to military experiments to the supernatural experiments.
According to a legend, the Mothman is a giant enigmatic monster who was seen soaring through the skies in the former World War II munitions site. Multiple sightings were reported during 1966-67. The observers claimed that they saw a humanoid beast with a 10-foot wingspan flying in West Virginia.
Some people even thought that Mothman was a mutant who originated from local chemicals and dumps of weapons. Some believed that it was the curse of Chief Cornstalk, a Shawnee leader who was killed through deception in Point Pleasant in 1777. People said that he had come to take his revenge.
The spectators portrayed it to be a 7 feet tall creature with a barrel chest and a high-pitched squeal. As depicted in the Mothman statue, his most memorable features were his 10-foot batlike wings, huge red & glowing eyes, and an insect-like face.
In 2002, the first Mothman Festival was held at Point Pleasant. It is a weekend-long event organized on the 3rd weekend of every September. A number of events going on during the festival including guest speakers, a Mothman Pancake eating contest, vendor exhibits, and hayride tours focusing on the famous areas of Point Pleasant.
Unveiled in 2003, the 12-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture of Mothman was created by artist and sculptor Bob Roach. Installed in the Mothman Park (formerly called Gunn Park), it is a unique civic monument and an extravagant effigy on a downtown street in West Virginia. Its football-sized red eyes were supposed to remain lit from behind at night but the sponsorship funding fell short.