BOOGER HOLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Booger Hole, a secluded hollow in Clay County, West Virginia, harbors a chilling history marked by bloodshed and chaos.
Its turbulent past was fueled by the presence of outlaws and Confederate sympathizers during the early 1900s, spawning a rich tapestry of grim legends.
These dark tales have been handed down through generations, transforming Booger Hole into a magnet for those seeking encounters with restless spirits and exploring its eerie history.
Today, Booger Hole has evolved into a tranquil community, where the violent echoes of the past persist mainly as folklore.
During the early 1900s, this enigmatic hollow bore witness to approximately a dozen mysterious murders and numerous disappearances within just over a year. The identities and numbers of the victims remain a mystery, concealed by a pervasive fear of reprisal that stifled reporting.
One of the most enigmatic vanishings was that of John Newman, a peddler who vanished while at work one fateful evening. Henry Hargis’s demise is cloaked in mystery as well, purportedly linked to an inheritance dispute.
Lacy Ann Boggs, it is said, possessed knowledge of Hargis’s whereabouts and was fatally shot through her window shortly after making this claim.
The motives behind her murder vary, with some attributing it to accusations of witchcraft and others believing she possessed damning information about the area’s homicides. Preston Tanner met a similar fate in Booger Hole, losing his life one fateful night, his home consumed by flames thereafter.
The year 1917 marked a turning point when Preston Tanner’s murder prompted a special investigation into the escalating violence in Booger Hole. Howard Sampson and his father, Andrew, faced accusations in Tanner’s death and stood trial at the Clay County Courthouse.
However, a lynch mob comprising Booger Hole residents thirsting for vengeance assembled to confront the Sampsons. The mob was eventually quelled, and Howard Sampson was sentenced to life in prison, while his father returned to Booger Hole.
Dissatisfied with this outcome, the Booger Hole residents decided to confront the prevailing violence and fear head-on. They disseminated a stern proclamation throughout Clay County stating they would take matters into their own hands.
Now cloaked in myth and enigma, Booger Hole, once an eerie place to reside, earned its name due to its history of unexplained events and hauntings.
While the mob’s proclamation largely quelled the violence in the hollow, the tales of murder and mystery still echo throughout the community, a somber reminder of its haunting past.