POINT PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA

Welcome to Point Pleasant, WV - where the Kanawha and Ohio rivers meet. Rich in history and mystery, home of the Mothman, site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War, WWII munitions manufacturing boom town, and location of one of the worst bridge collapses in American history.

There are so many interesting things about and around Point Pleasant. Although just a small community of less than 5,000 humble people, this riverside town has experienced such a diverse series of formative events. A great many aspects and incidents must be understood and taken into consideration when describing the phenomena of Point Pleasant.

Arial views of Point Pleasant. In the above photo is the rail bridge, south of which once stood the Silver Bridge.

Two structures that cannot be ignored or escaped in Point Pleasant- the Kyger Creek and American Electric coal power plants. Both plants dominate the horizon, spewing toxic waste all day every day. One of the closest towns to the plants and the "TNT area" on the Ohio side is Cheshire, once ranked as the 2nd most toxic city in the United States.
Not only have the two power plants created an environmental dillema, but the formerly top secret West Virginia Ordnance Works and it's various chemical manufacturing, storage, and dumping sites have permanently hurt the area as well.
I was told that the air and water pollution used to be much worse, and that EPA efforts have been made to clean up the area, though the towns surrounding the plants still have high rates of cancer and other serious health problems.

A visit to Tu Endie Wei State Park in the heart of town will teach you a little about the Battle of Point Pleasant, and the murder of the Shawnee leader, Chief Cornstalk. A few alleged fragments of Cornstalk's bones are supposedly concealed within his obelisk, much smaller than the one constructed for the slain Virginia militiamen.

Many people believe that with his last breath, Cornstalk cast a curse on all those who would settle the area that his people called home. Some even say that the Mothman is a Native American "thunderbird", a powerful supernatual creature sent to avenge the fallen Indians.

The "Panther Stone", believed to have been an altar upon which offerings were placed in ritual. One can still make out a spiraling tail of the panther etched into the stone.

The Silver Bridge memorial, West Virginia side. The replacement Silver Memorial Bridge is seen in the background.

The Silver Memorial Bridge, crossing the river Ohio.

The famous Lowe Hotel (allegedly very haunted), in downtown Point Pleasant.

No visit to Point Pleasant would be complete without enjoying a meal at Harris' Steak House. The restaurant is owned by Mothman Festival co-founder Caroline Harris, who has worked there since 1969, and hasn't aged a day since.

The walls of Harris' are covered in the Mothman artwork of child patrons, drawn on the backs of their placemats in crayon.

"The Mothman Burger", complete with a delicious "Mothman Sauce".

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