Unsolved:Grafton monster
| Grouping | West Virginia cryptid |
|---|---|
| First attested | 1964 |
| Other name(s) | Grafton monster |
| Region | Grafton, West Virginia |
| Part of a series on the |
| Paranormal |
|---|
In West Virginia folklore, the Grafton Monster is a boulder-like creature spotted around Grafton, West Virginia in 1964.[1][2][3][4]
History
On June 16, 1964, around 11 p.m., Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell spotted a mysterious creature in Grafton while he was on Riverside Drive outside of Grafton near the Tygart Valley River.[5] This creature was large, standing around 7-9 feet tall, white, hairy, and without a noticeable head. After witnessing this encounter, Cockrell was eager to write an article about the monster, but the editors of the paper initially rejected his report, finding it unbelievable. However, after more sources began to witness similar encounters, the news outlet allowed Cockrell to publish the report. Following Cockrell’s report, numerous individuals claimed to have seen the creature, leading to widespread interest and local investigations.[6][7]
Legacy
In 2024, Grafton, West Virginia hosted the inaugural Grafton Monster festival, a two-day event in June to celebrate the Grafton monster and West Virginia folklore.[8][9] Festival organizer Kit Ford deemed the festival to be a good economic opportunity for the town.[10] This also included the soft launch of the Grafton Monster Museum, located on Main Street.[11][12]
Popular culture
- From 2014-2022, the Grafton monster was the main focus of five different episodes of the television show Mountain Monsters
- In 2018, the Grafton Monster was featured in the video game Fallout 76[13][14][15]
See also
- Flatwoods monster
- List of West Virginia cryptids
References
- ↑ "The Grafton Monster" (in en). 2024-07-02. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/2435.
- ↑ Ballou, Bill. "Grafton's Hugh Bradley first over Green Monster" (in en-US). https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2012/04/20/grafton-s-hugh-bradley-first/49662267007/.
- ↑ Murphy, Elias (2024-03-06). "Cryptids of the South: the Grafton Monster" (in en-US). https://easttennessean.com/2024/03/06/cryptids-of-the-south-the-grafton-monster/.
- ↑ Peel, Jeremy (2018-06-13). "We dug through West Virginian folklore to find Fallout 76 monsters" (in en-US). https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-76/fallout-76-monsters.
- ↑ Reed, Daniel A. (2024-08-08). "The Curious Case of the Grafton Monster" (in en-US). Center for Inquiry. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-curious-case-of-the-grafton-monster/.
- ↑ Tarley, Cavan (2024-06-11). "Grafton celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first Grafton Monster sighting" (in en-US). https://www.dominionpost.com/2024/06/11/grafton-celebrates-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-first-grafton-monster-sighting/.
- ↑ Coleman, Loren (2001-12-01) (in en). Mothman and Other Curious Encounters. Cosimo, Inc.. ISBN 9781616406110. https://books.google.com/books?id=KZlavRmNPtkC&q=%22Braxton+Citizens%27+News%22+monster&pg=PA22. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ↑ Gorski, Sam (February 22, 2024). "Every West Virginia monster festival in 2024". https://www.wboy.com/only-on-wboy-com/paranormal-w-va/every-west-virginia-monster-festival-in-2024/.
- ↑ Skinner, Nicki (2025-06-03). "Grafton Monster Festival returns to celebrate West Virginia's legendary cryptid with movies, music and Mountain Monsters" (in en). https://www.wvnews.com/mountainstatesman/grafton-monster-festival-returns-to-celebrate-west-virginias-legendary-cryptid-with-movies-music-and-mountain/article_42c17219-d77e-41e8-8c0b-7875153e0e73.html.
- ↑ Biddle, Kenny (2024-11-21). "A Visit To The Grafton Monster Festival" (in en-US). Center for Inquiry. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-visit-to-the-grafton-monster-festival/.
- ↑ "9 Of The Most Eccentric Towns In West Virginia" (in en-US). 2025-06-30. https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/9-of-the-most-eccentric-towns-in-west-virginia.html.
- ↑ Pittman, Caine (2024-06-15). "Grafton Monster Festival delights visitors" (in en). https://www.wdtv.com/2024/06/15/grafton-monster-festival-delights-visitors/.
- ↑ Johnson, Joe (2021-07-10). "How to Find & Kill Grafton Monster in Fallout 76" (in en). https://screenrant.com/find-kill-grafton-monster-fallout-76/.
- ↑ "Fallout 76 Cryptid Monster Locations". June 20, 2022. https://www.turtlebeach.com/blog/fallout-76-cryptid-monster-locations.
- ↑ Mitchell, Matthew Kevin (2024-05-18). "All Grafton Monster Locations in Fallout 76" (in en). https://gamerant.com/fallout-76-all-grafton-monster-locations/.
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