The Humanoid talks to Andrew Smith, the executive Director of the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the curator of the Flatwoods Monster Museum.
When did you open the museum?
In it’s current location, October 2017. Before that it semi existed at our old office for a couple years prior to that. But, as a bona fide museum, October 2017.
Since opening the place, what is the strangest thing to happen to you?
The most bizarre thing has been when two former intelligence contractors for the CIA visited me to tell me about different work and projects thay’ve been involved with. Both were retired and both only discussed things that were declassified, which was almost everything they had worked on. It was bizarre because the things they were saying were pretty unusual, but the way in which they were saying it was completely mundane and humdrum as if it was just another day at the office for them.
Annually, how many visitors do you get?
It’s hard to say, being that we’ve only been open and advertising for 2 years, but for this year I would say roughly 3,000 to as many as 5,000.
Any stories about UFO obsessives visiting the museum?
Oh sure, I would guess that anyone with any interest what so ever in UFO’s travelling near the area have stopped. As far as interesting stories of them visiting, no, not really.
What is your view of the Flatwoods Monster?
After a lot of reflecting and diving into what I can find of the story, or stories. I feel that the September 12th incident has the most credibility. Mainly because their experience coincided with a real and widely reported phenomena that took place in the skies above Flatwoods. Although I leave enough room to allow for a possible case of misidentify of something more mundane than an alien encounter, it’s my belief that those witnesses saw something that they couldn’t explain and therefore are telling the truth to the best of their abilities.
“Due to the coinciding of the aerial phenomena I have all but ruled out a hoax.”
Due to the coinciding of the aerial phenomena I have all but ruled out a hoax. However, although unlikely to me, that there could still be a possibility of one. I do have reservations about taking the story of George Snitowski at face value. For many reasons, the first being that he was a traveler with no ties to this area. Therefore, I or no one I know from this area ever had the opportunity to know the man, meaning his reputation can not be verified. At least by me. I have plotted his travel from Cincinnati to New York City, and coming through this area is fairly out of the way.
I know in his account he talks of visiting small towns a long the way, but anyone familiar and comfortable with the likes of Cincinnati and New You City would not consider Parkersburg West Virginia a big city and would have made for a faster route. Another thing that concerns me about his story is that it wasn’t reported until two or more years after the sighting on the 12th of September, so George could have had plenty of time to study that case and concoct a similar tale. If you notice, many of the things he experienced closely mirror those of the 12th, but all heightened to a more “cinematic” level. It’s like some writer did a punch up on the September 12th script. Those things combined with no evidence at all but his word, leaves me suspicious.
“However, I am still open to the possibility that his story is real. Audra Harpers case is interesting.”
However, I am still open to the possibility that his story is real. Audra Harpers case is interesting. It didn’t come to light until 2015. But that being said her story that she experienced prior to the 12th, near Falls Mill West Virginia, seems completely sincere. That plus the fact that she was a local resident whose character has never been in question and that she never took that short cut again was confirmed by her family. So, whatever happened to her in the woods near Falls Mill, it scared her bad enough to keep her out of them for the rest of her life. Though the details of her story only somewhat mirror the details of the incident in Flatwoods, enough line up, that I feel comfortable saying that could have been related given a possible margin for human error on both accounts.
Do you ever get a visit from any of the boys, now old men, who experienced the incident?
Yes, Freddie May has visited twice.
Have you visited the site of the incident, can you describe it?
It’s mainly just a field set in the woods. No plaque at the site. There is a sign entering the town, but not at the site. Not sure if the area is still effected. I know the tree which was near the monster when the sighting took place died right after the sighting and has slowly been falling down and rotting. The sighting location is on private property.
What is it about West Virginia and strange UFO related incidents?
I always say it’s the clear skies combines with the sparse population.
