Lore 233: Down to Earth (ad-free) (Patreon)

A lot of our darkest stories come from within. But one event in 1952 sparked a panic that came from without. And the legacy it’s left behind is both fascinating and chilling.

Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by GennaRose Nethercott and music by Chad Lawson.

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Further Reading

1. “20 Facts You Didn’t Know About West Virginia.” West Viginia Tourism. Accessed August 28, 2022. https://wvtourism.com/almost-heaven-fun-facts-2
2. “A Wonderful Meteor.” Scientific American. Vol. 2, No. 10 (1846), p. 79 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26127915
3. Blelcher, Hilary. Swale, Erica. “Catch a Falling Star.” Folklore Vol. 95, No. 2 (1984). Pp. 210-220. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1260206
4. Coleman, Loren. Mysterious America. (Paraview Pocket Books, 2001.) Pp 282-283.
5. Edwards, Frank. Strange World (Ace Star Books, 1964). p 212. https://archive.org/details/strangeworld00edwa/page/n5/mode/2up
6. “Flatwoods Monster.” Cryptid Wiki. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Flatwoods_Monster
7. “Glowing Monster Reported Skulking in West Virginia.” The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee). September 15, 1952. Page 7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108555907/glowing-monster-reported-skulking-in
8. “Have We Visitors From Outer Space?” LIFE Magazine via Project 1947. April 7, 1952. http://www.project1947.com/shg/articles/lifemag52.html
9. “Holt Byrne remembers the Flatwoods Monster 1955.” Beckley Post-Herald The Raleigh Register (Beckley, West Virginia). September 11, 1955. Page 7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13041624/holt-byrne-remembers-the-flatwoods
10. “In 1952, the Flatwoods Monster Terrified 6 Kids, a Mom, a Dog—and the Nation.” History. January 10, 2020. https://www.history.com/news/flatwoods-monster-west-virginia
11. “Lewis Wetzel Frontier Hero...the Legend and the Dark Side.” Early Marietta. July 29, 2015. http://earlymarietta.blogspot.com/2015/07/lewis-wetzel-frontier-herothe-legend.html
12. “Mining in West Virginia: A Capsule History.” MineSafety.wv.gov. Accessed August 28, 2022. https://minesafety.wv.gov/historical-statistical-data/mining-in-west-virginia-a-capsule-history
13. “Murderer or Hero or Both?” Sunday News (Lancaster, Pennsylvania). December 10, 1961. Page 19. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108491113/murderer-or-hero-or-both
14. Musick, Ruth Ann. “European Folktales in West Virginia.” Midwest Folklore, Vol. 6, No. 1, Folk Narrative Issue I (Spring, 1956), p. 27 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4317565
15. Musick, Ruth Ann. “West Virginia Folklore.” Hoosier Folklore, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Mar., 1948), pp. 1-3 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27649920
16. Musick, Ruth Ann. “Omens and Tokens of West Virginia.” Midwest Folklore, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Winter, 1952), p. 264 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4317357
17. “Polce Are Unable To Shed Any Light on ‘Monster’ Story.” The Daily Advocate (Greenville, Ohio). September 19, 1952. Page 7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108555661/polce-are-unable-to-shed-any-light-on/
18. “Some Believe, Some Doubt Report Of Mysterious, Glowing Monster.” The Holland Evening Sentinel (Holland, Michigan). September 15, 1952. Page 6. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108555799/some-believe-some-doubt-report-of
19. “Star Jelly.” Web.archive.org. Accessed August 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927181357/http://www.subversiveelement.com/SkyFallsJelly.html
20. “Strange & Unexplained Things in Science: Star Jelly.” Futurism. April 27, 2015. https://futurism.com/strange-unexplained-things-science-star-jelly
21. “The Adventures of Lewis Wetzel, Who Killed Indians as a Profession.” The Lexington Herald (Lexington, Kentucky). December 17t, 1961. Page 61. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108490979/the-adventures-of-lewis-wetzel-who
22. “The Flatwoods Monster.” Braxton WV. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://braxtonwv.org/the-flatwoods-monster
23. “The Monster That Wouldn't Die.” Roadside America. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/61443
24. “The Thing, 10 Feet Tall, Terrifies 7.” Daily News (New York). September 15, 1952.  Page 59. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108556013/the-thing-10-feet-tall-terrifies-7
25. “What Was the Flatwoods Monster?” Snopes. December 4, 2021. https://www.snopes.com/articles/383097/flatwoods-monster-mothman-owl
26. “Which states produce the most coal?” US Energy Information Association. Accessed August 28, 2022. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=69&t=2