Monsters of West Virginia: Mysterious Creatures in the Mountain State

by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Wild and wonderful West Virginia takes a turn for the weird with these accounts of Mothman, the Grafton Monster, Sheepsquatch, and more.   Every state and region has its own stellar cast of supernatural creatures, and West Virginia is no exception. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, the pioneering paranormal investigator, has spent a great deal of time in the Mountain State on the trail of entities, creatures, and all sorts of phenomena. These are her findings, featuring accounts of Mothman, the Grafton Monster, the Wampus Cat, the White Things, and other bizarre creatures, including Bigfoot, lizard people, and out-of-place panthers.  “Featuring tales of Mothman, the Sheepsquatch, and a host of lesser known West Virginia weirdness, Monsters of West Virginia is the perfect book for anyone with even a passing interest in West Virginia cryptozoology . . . a quick read by one of the most knowledgeable researchers of the paranormal in the country.” —Theresa’s Haunted History of the Tri-State

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction, Folklore, Cryptids

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Rosemary Ellen Guiley is a leading expert on the paranormal, and is the author of 45+ books, including ten single-volume encyclopedias. Since 1983, she has worked full-time in the paranormal, researching, investigating and writing. She has done extensive field work investigating haunted, mysterious and sacred places, and has had numerous strange and unexplained experiences. When she is not on the paranormal road, she is working on new books and writing for TAPS Paramagazine, FATE magazine, and the Journal of Abduction-Encounter Research. Rosemary lives in New Jersey, and spends much of her time traveling the spooky byways of one of the most haunted states in America, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a review on this one - I skimmed a lot. I picked it up for the husband, as he's all about finding Bigfoot, UFOs, USOs (unidentified submerged objects), the chupacabra, etc. He read this book in about an hour or so, nothing to it for him. I struggled with it myself, mostly because I couldn't stop laughing (and coughing, as I was reading this in bed and I've had a really nasty cold lately).

I'm like Mulder from the XFiles. I want to believe. I really, really do. I want to think there are ghosts and other creatures that can't be explained by science. But the things described within the pages of this work are just...silly. There are the usual suspects, such as the Mothman. But The Yayho? And just a little fyi, that's pronounced "yay-hoo" to those of us that don't live in the area. And there's the Snallygaster, a weird reptile-like thing that evidently struck from the skies, attacking people, drinking their blood, and stealing children. It was huge, and scaly, and oddly enough, a cyclops to boot. Oh, and it was completely made up, a hoax whipped up by journalists George C. Rhoderick and Ralph S. Wolf, to boost sales, maybe even save, the Middletown Valley Register. But even though it was exposed in the early 1900s, there are still reports of the Snallygaster. Go figure.

Perhaps the most snort-inducing entry was the one regarding the Sheepsquatch, which falls into a special sub-category of creatures called White Things. Wow! Really stretching for a scary name there, weren't we? Anyway, said Sheepsquatch is "about the size of a bear, with woolly white hair, and its front paws are more like hands, similar to those of a raccoon but much bigger. The tail is long and without hair. The head features a doglike snout and single-point horns like those of a young goat. It carries a pungent sulfur smell." And it's rarely seen, something I do not find surprising. Thing sounds like its having a major identity crisis. And I'm thinking it might take more than one alcoholic drink to catch a sighting of this thing, if you know what I mean.

Good for a few laughs, in my humble opinion. Unless you really like this sort of thing. In which case, pack your bag and head into the hills of West Virginia - maybe you'll get lucky.

[Cheryl Alsippi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Reference Book for finding Mysterious Creatures in the Mountain State
I really enjoyed Rosemary’s book beginning to end. She gives detailed information regarding the mysterious creatures sighted in West Virginia. There are recounts of actual sightings and also tales of the some of the folklore of this beautiful state. From the Grafton Monster, Braxton County (Flatwoods) Monster sightings in 1952, to Mothman encounters in Point Pleasant, the Marrtown banshee and much more, Rosemary gives you all the details you need to plan a fun and possibly hair-raising road trip.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Monsters of West Virginia is, put simply, a fun read that one must take with a hefty pinch of salt...one that would fit between the fingers of a Bigfoot. The author frequently supplies their own beliefs in "interdimensional" phenomena in place of letting the eyewitness accounts stand on their own. It was chuckleworthy. I did learn some new paranormal terminology, however, and this book will be fun to return to for creative writing inspiration in the future. I don't recommend it if you're looking for an in-depth exploration of the topic--it reads more like fiction than anything, unfortunately.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book could be a little slow going and seemed repetitive at times. Many of the incidents happened long ago and there have been few recent occurrences that could be verified or corroborated. The chapters were divided into categories with examples of the different beasts detailed in the stories. Some of the "monsters" were familiar to me; others were unknown. The book was an informative and enjoyable lesson on the oddities and folklore of West Virginia. Rosemary Ellen Guiley will be missed.

[Cassie G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up when I visited the Flatwoods Monster Museum in 2023 and finally got around to reading it. This is very informative and educational about the various “monsters,” cryptids, and local legends of West Virginia. I liked having further insight into where some of these stories came from, as well as reading first-hand accounts of encounters, etc.

[Mari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. Not worth your time.

[Gage Fortney-Henriquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting monsters of WV but author also discusess conspiracy theories instead of focusing primarily on the folklore.

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but a bit scattered.

[Bryn Grover · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun little read on the cryptids and monsters of W.V. legends and lore

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Came for the Flatwoods Monster. Stayed for the Sheepsquatch.

I picked this book up from the wonderful folks at the Braxton County Visitors Center / Flatwoods Monster Museum.

[LAS Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick little book. I learned a lot about a variety of spooky monsters in West Virginia -- some familiar, some new. I liked the author's voice/style, too.

[Kay Kidwiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange creatures.

I have lived all my life in the Eastern Panhandle of WV and living in spook central I've seen and heard of a lot of unexplained phenomena. UFO's, little people and silver dimensional travelers are a part of some of the weird things I have witnessed. Rosie is right on target but she's only scraped the surface.

[Diane Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book a little more interesting than the other Monsters of books. Most of the books either talk about the monsters coming from outer space or they have no idea where they come from. Rosemary Ellen Guiley talks about other dimensions and portals that maybe these monsters come from. Which I find interesting since so far there has never been a capture or a body of a monster found.

[Tiffany Mollohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

West Virginia being my home town, alot of these stories and myths I heard bits and pieces growing up. Lots of good reads in this book and I'm happy I was able to purchase from local bookstore before they closed.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

great cryptozoology book about west virginia