Member-only story
UFOs sighting in West Virginia
West Virginia, a state steeped in folklore and rugged beauty, has always been a canvas for stories that spark the imagination. Its mountainous terrain and dense forests serve as a rich backdrop for mysteries that captivate locals and visitors. Among these tales is a story that draws eyes to the sky and weaves into the history of UFO sightings in the United States. The focal point is the New River Gorge, now a renowned National Park and Preserve, rumored to be the site of one of the earliest reported UFO encounters.
The 1950 Beckley UFO Sighting
In January 1950, Pat Garrett, the then-mayor of Mount Hope, West Virginia, reported seeing an inexplicable aerial phenomenon east of his home, near the present-day Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve adjacent to New River Gorge. This sighting, regarded as the Beckley UFO Encounter, is mysterious. According to the late historian C. Lloyd Gibson, Garrett was so convinced of his sighting that he erected a monument and buried a time capsule. Although these physical markers have vanished, the legend persists, echoing through local lore and drawing international curiosity about the UFO sighting.
UFO or the Flight of Purple Martins?
While the story is a gem for UFO enthusiasts, some skeptics offer different perspectives. Notably…
