Welcome to Crooked John Adventures

Crooked John Camp was a local coal miner who lived and mined coal in the same location as our camp is in today.  His life and death or disappearance have become a local legend in Fayetteville area. 

Crooked John was a Confederate Civil War Veteran, hermit and independent coal miner who lived in the Cunard area of Fayette County West Virginia in the late 1890's.  He had several run-ins with the local Sheriffs Department and was one of the first occupants of the original Fayetteville County Jail.  John also spent a little over one year in the Allegheny Lunatic Assylum.

John's behavior often brought his sanity in concern for the local town's people.  He often talked of evil things and told of a giant beast that hunted him.  John told those who he seldom spoke to that the "Beast" was a reckoning for all the wrong he did in the war.

John's legend stems not from his troubles in life but instead from his small successes as a coal miner.  John was the first to mine coal from the Cunard area on Coal Run.  Eventually, obtaining two leases with active coal mines.  At his peak success John had begun to hire workers and expand his mining operation.  He also constructed a road to his upper mine which is still present today and known as the Brooklyn Trail.  This is when the legendary portion of his life story began.  It seems that as Cunard Colliery began to form there developed disagreement on who was the rightful lease holder to Crooked John's lower mine in the Sewell Seam.  Conflict developed between the two interests with the Company Foreman making public threats directed at John. John took his legal issues to the courts but lost his case and was evicted from his leases.  He moved to town for a short time but returned to his mine and restarted his operations.  Shortly after the local Sheriff went to Coal Run to check on John's welfare.  Arriving at John's cabin called "Tsinosgo" the Sheriff could not find John but did find the remains, of John's dog and some small bloody pieces of torn clothing.  Around the cabin were many tracks and claw marks made by all appearances, a very large animal.

There is still much debate locally as to what actually happened to Crooked John.  Did Coal Company men murder and dispose of John, did he flee the area......or did John's "Beast" finally catch its prey?  All we know for sure is that John did in fact go missing.  Rumors of John later being seen at the Whipple Company Store in Whipple, WVa were suspected to be false.  What REALLY happened to John?  Judgment is left up to you.

Read more of Crooked John's story HERE!