Mothman is one of the best-known cryptids in North America. This crytozoological creature first gained notoriety after many residents of the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia first encountered it in the mid-1960s. Mothman is generally described as a large, winged creature who stands over six-feet tall, with a wingspan of six to ten feet across, terrifying red glowing eyes, and an owl-like body covered in gray or black feathers or fur.

Mothman is often though of as a portent of impending doom and tragedy. This cryptid is most famously associated with the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 46 people were killed in the collapse of the bridge in 1967. Sightings of the Mothman have waned since the late 1960s after culminating in the bridge collapse tragedy, but there have been some reported sightings of the creature throughout the years in Point Pleasant and surrounding areas since the initial wave of sightings in West Virginia in the mid-1960s.

Does Mothman actually exist, or could the encounters with this creature be the result of other natural, man-made, or perhaps even supernatural phenomenon?

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Mothman is a cryptid—or paranormal creature—most often associated with the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, located along the banks of the Ohio River. Mothman is usually described as a large monster standing over six feet tall, with wings six to ten feet across, menacing red eyes, and a body covered in feathers or fur. Mothman was first sighted in 1966 by residents of Point Pleasant, and over one hundred sightings continued to be reported through 1968 in the town and surrounding areas. It is said that Mothman usually appears just before tragedy strikes as a portent of impending doom. Most of the sightings of the creature were associated with the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant, WV to Galliopolis, OH, in 1967. This tragedy resulted in the deaths of 46 people.

Though most of the reported Mothman activity was confined to the Point Pleasant, West Virginia area during the years of 1966-68, it has also been reportedly seen in the neighboring state of Ohio several times throughout the years since its first appearance on the other side of the Ohio River.

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Franklin Castle, located at 4308 Franklin Boulevard in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, is often referred to as “the most haunted house in Ohio,” and for good reason. This Victorian house, which was built in the late 1800s, purportedly has a colorful and violent history, beginning with its original owner, Hannes Tiedemann. According to local legend and supposed eyewitness accounts, Franklin Castle is inhabited by a number of ghostly spirits, including several members of the Tiedemann household and several other specters of potential historical significance.

Visitors and former residents of the house have reported hearing the ghostly sounds of babies crying throughout the night, footsteps, and screams echoing throughout the home’s hallways. Ghostly figures have been seen traveling throughout the house, and witnesses from outside have reported seeing a woman wearing black staring out through the front tower window. Could there be any truth to these alleged hauntings?

While I am a Cleveland-area native, I have not had the privilege of being able to actually tour the inside of the house, as the current owners are not welcoming to visitors. Though Franklin Castle is currently not accessible to the public, local visitors can still see the house from the street and sidewalk. Perhaps if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of one of the ghosts that allegedly haunt the halls of the home through the tower window.

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What would you think if, right in your own hometown, someone who never hurt anyone was brutally murdered for their money? Back in 1974, that happened not too far from the quiet village of New London, Ohio. Joseph and Edward Hooker, two wealthy brothers who lived just outside of town, were murdered in their home. Of course, legends surrounding the brothers and their murder were bound to surface within thirty years of the incident. Some people believe that the spirits of the brothers still guard their land and the remainder of their money, if any exists, while others are still too shocked that such a thing could have happened in their little town to even consider such legends. This was the worst murder ever to occur in the little village of New London so naturally the story became a local legend of sorts, but do the rumors of hauntings and hidden treasure hold any merit?

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