The Strange Disappearances and Mysteries of Black Mountain

The mysterious Bermuda Triangle has long fascinated researchers and history buffs, but many are surprised to learn that Appalachia also harbors areas known for strange events, disappearances, and other oddities. One such place is Black Mountain, a range along the Virginia-Kentucky border with a long history of mysterious disappearances, unexplained deaths, and tragedy.

Early Disappearances on Black Mountain

Due to its remoteness, precise records of Black Mountain’s eerie history are scarce, but disappearances and strange occurrences have been reported there for more than two centuries.

The earliest known disappearance occurred before the Civil War, when two men set out to search for a herd of cattle lost in the mountains. The men decided to split up, agreeing to meet at a specific location. While one man returned to the meeting point, the other never reappeared. Despite hours of searching, calling his name, and retracing his steps, no trace of the missing man or the cattle was ever found.

After the Civil War, a group of government agents was sent to the area to search for illegal moonshine stills. The entire group vanished without a trace. A second team was dispatched to find them but found no clues. Later disappearances were often attributed to feudists or moonshiners, but the mysterious events occurred long before their time.

The Disappearance of Edward Wentz

The 1903 disappearance of Edward Wentz first brought widespread attention to Black Mountain’s oddities. A year later, Thomas Gearhardt, a wealthy insurance man, also vanished near the same spot. Though some later suggested he had reasons to fake his death, no evidence supported these claims, much like the rumors surrounding Wentz.

Other disappearances followed.

J. Harvey Wood, a well-known merchant from Bristol, vanished in 1906 after purchasing a train ticket. He disappeared in the same area as Wentz.

In 1907, Walter Kent, also known as Harry E. Kent or Walter Kemp, a civil engineer from Pennsylvania, left to pay his laundress, promising to return before supper. He never did, and his body was never found.

More Mysterious Deaths and Disappearances

In 1908, coal mine superintendent Thomas F. Kelly went missing after leaving his home to inspect coal property near Big Stone Gap. He, too, vanished without a trace.

Then, in 1911, R.T. Potter, superintendent of Big Stone Gap’s waterworks, disappeared. His body was discovered six weeks later, washed up in the Powell River after heavy rains, though the cause of death, whether accidental, suicide, or murder, was never determined.

Black Mountain’s dark history doesn’t end with disappearances.

Murder on Black Mountain

In 1920, the body of an unidentified woman was found near the road. She had been shot in the head and heart, and her nude body had been discarded.

Investigators determined that she had last been seen in Arno, Virginia, with a woman named Mary Sturgill. Authorities believed Sturgill had lured her into the mountains to rob and murder her. In a chilling twist, witnesses later reported seeing Sturgill wearing the dead woman’s clothes.

In 1921, Martin Harris was found at the base of a cliff, apparently robbed. Though $250 was missing from his person, his revolver had not been fired, and his watch and rings were still intact.

Accidents and Tragedies

Even in the 1990s, people have gone missing while hiking in these hills. The strange history of Black Mountain also extends beyond disappearances and murders.

Bloody coal mine union strikes, often resulting in multiple deaths, are believed by some to be part of the mountain’s mysterious influence. Fatal accidents are also a recurring theme.

One particularly tragic event occurred in 2005, when a boulder dislodged during mining operations crashed into a home, killing a 3-year-old. In 2013, a coal miner was killed when a coal pillar unexpectedly collapsed.

Plane Crashes on Black Mountain

The mountain has also been the site of multiple plane crashes.

In 1949, a Navy aircraft, believed to be a Grumman Hellcat, crashed on Black Mountain, killing the pilot instantly. His name was never released.

Aircraft crashes continued into the 21st century. In 2004, a plane went down on the mountain, killing all six people aboard.

The Mystery of Black Mountain

For more than two centuries, Black Mountain has been the site of numerous disappearances, deaths, accidents, and tragedies. Some have perfectly ordinary explanations. Others have left behind questions that remain unanswered.

Whether Black Mountain’s unusual history amounts to little more than coincidence or something more ominous remains a mystery.