Mothman, Bridge Day And Washboards, Inside Appalachia

We explore the story of the first Mothman sightings, as written by a small-town journalist in 1966.

Also, every year, hundreds of people celebrate Bridge Day by parachuting from the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge bridge. But not just anyone can do it. 

And, the Columbus Washboard Company used to make washboards for laundry. Now, people use them to make music.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Retelling Columnist Mary Hyre’s Mothman Sightings
• Bridge Day BASE Jumping
• Paranormal Kentucky Explores Ghosts, Aliens And Cryptids
• The Columbus Washboard Company Makes Instruments From Past
• Extreme Heat Affects Seniors Living In Rural Housing
• Monongahela River On The Allegheny Front

Retelling Columnist Mary Hyre’s Mothman Sightings

Fans of Appalachian monsters and cryptids will know Mothman. In West Virginia lore, it’s a human-sized creature with wings and red eyes that glow. It was first spotted in the 1960s. A small-town newspaper writer covered the Mothman sightings. That is, until tragedy struck the town.

WVPB News Director Eric Douglas brings us this story.

Bridge Day BASE Jumping

Every October, hundreds of BASE jumpers descend on the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. They come to leap from the 876 foot tall bridge, pull their parachutes and aim for the banks of the river below. 

In 2024, high school students Dylan Neil and Noah Fox got curious about how to become a Bridge Day BASE Jumper. So, they spoke with an expert: BASE jumper Marcus Ellison. 

Paranormal Kentucky Explores Ghosts, Aliens And Cryptids

There’s a chill in the air, and it’s a good time for telling spooky stories. Appalachia has a bunch of them. Some have been collected in a new book. It’s titled, Paranormal Kentucky, An Uncommon Wealth of Close Encounters with Aliens, Ghosts and Cryptids.

It was written by Marie Mitchell and Mason Smith, a pair of retired Eastern Kentucky University professors turned paranormal investigators.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with them.

The Columbus Washboard Company Makes Instruments From Past

The Columbus Washboard Company in Logan, Ohio was founded in 1895. Back then, washboards were a necessary tool for doing the laundry each week. Today, of course, most people have a washer and dryer, or access to a laundromat. But the Columbus Washboard Company has found a way to stay open.

In 2022, Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro visited the factory and brought us this story.

Extreme Heat Affects Seniors Living In Rural Housing

For 71 years, Deborah Nagy has lived on the Appalachian plateau in southwestern Virginia. She remembers hot summers spent running barefoot, and cooling off in creeks and water holes. But as she’s gotten older, she says the heat feels … well, different. 

That’s actually more than a feeling. It’s a scientific reality. Seniors are acutely vulnerable to health impacts from heat — and, as pollution traps more heat, summers are becoming more intense.

Radio IQ’s Katie Burke has more.

Monongahela River On The Allegheny Front

Of Pittsburgh’s three rivers, the Monongahela, also called the Mon, is the toughest to pronounce. And it’s often underrated.

The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsapple spoke with a river advocate to better understand the Mon. 

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, Dave Odell and Dave Bing, Ron Mullennex, Blue Dot Sessions and Dinosaur Burps.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.