Editing Grafton, West Virginia (section)

=== The Grafton Monster ===
On June 15, 1964, Grafton Sentinel reporter Robert Cockrell spotted a mysterious creature in Grafton while he was on the road around 11 p.m. near the [[Tygart Valley River]]. This creature was large, standing around 7-9 feet tall, white, hairy and without a noticeable head. After witnessing this encounter, Cockrell was eager to write an article on the monster. The reports of this creature were thought to be unbelievable by the editors of the paper and they originally rejected his article. However, after more sources began to witness similar encounters, the news outlet allowed Cockrell to publish the report. Following Cockrell’s report, numerous individuals claimed to have seen the creature, leading to widespread interest and local investigations. Although many believe this creature to be real, no physical evidence has been found to substantiate the sightings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tarley |first=Cavan |date=2024-06-11 |title=Grafton celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first Grafton Monster sighting |url=https://www.dominionpost.com/2024/06/11/grafton-celebrates-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-first-grafton-monster-sighting/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Dominion Post |language=en-US}}</ref>

On June 15, 2024, Grafton celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Grafton Monster sighting during its Grafton Monster Festival. Hundreds of visits and vendors packed the streets of Grafton for the soft opening of the Grafton Monster Museum, located at 107 West Main St. The events that occurred during the two-day festival included guest speakers, a cryptid cosplay contest, and even a Grafton Monster calling contest, which resembled a whistling noise. The town is planning to make the Grafton Monster Festival a yearly event occurring each year on June 15.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pittman |first=Caine |date=2024-06-15 |title=Grafton Monster Festival delights visitors |url=https://www.wdtv.com/2024/06/15/grafton-monster-festival-delights-visitors/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=WDTV |language=en}}</ref>

Grafton is a location in the game [[Fallout 76]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-76/locations|title=Fallout 76 locations - all the map markers confirmed across post-apocalyptic West Virginia|first1=Jordan|last1=Forward|publisher=PC GamesN|date=October 8, 2018|access-date=August 9, 2024}}</ref>