100th Birthday Celebration for Gray Barker
May 6, 2025Friday, May 2nd 2025 would have been the 100th birthday of world renown ufologist, and Braxton County native, Gray Barker. Barker was a prominent figure in the study and research of UFO and other strange encounters for over three decades. Beginning in 1953 with the first issue of his flying saucer fanzine, The Saucerian, by the end of the 1950’s he had launched a publishing company that released some of the strangest UFO-related books of the era with a particular emphasis on flying saucer contactees. Barker was also a key investigator and reported on many cases including Mothman, Men In Black, Flatwoods Monster, The Philadelphia Experiment, Grafton Monster, and Vegetable Man.
On Saturday, May 3rd, The Flatwoods Monster Museum, located on Main Street in Sutton, hosted a 100th birthday celebration for Barker, organized by Michael Strayer of the Mothboys Podcast. Those in attendance enjoyed a presentation on the poetry of Barker presented by author, Gabriel Mckee. Mckee has recently published a book called, The Saucerian, which is a biography of sorts which covers the life, times, and exploits of Barker. Autographed copies of the book can be purchased at the Flatwoods Monster Museum. Event goers also enjoyed a screening of the documentary, Shades of Gray, also dedicated to Barker. Staff from the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library were also present and brought with them displays featuring artifacts related to Barker, including photos, personal effects, and prop UFOs which were used in photographic hoaxes. Cakes featuring pictures of Barker were also served to attendees.
Many of those in attendance were from outside the state of West Virginia. The majority of the locals in attendance were relatives of Barker.
After the festivities at the museum, guests, and presenters trekked to Perkins Fork Road, where they started their half mile hike through the beautiful forest of Sutton to find Barker Cemetery to pay their respects to Gray at his grave site. Michael Strayer, of Fairview, has had a special interest in Gray Barker for years, and has taken it upon himself to tend the Barker Cemetery with the permission of some of Barker’s relatives and surrounding landowners. This event was the culmination of Strayer’s tireless hard work.