Authors of ‘Unnatural Ohio’ to speak at area locations

Unique book spun off of Hayes museum display

FREMONT – Ohio is home to some of most credible sightings of unidentified flying objects on record and fertile ground for reports of unusual creatures.

For more than a century, people have reported seeing a giant sea serpent on Lake Erie, from the Western Basin near the islands to the Central Basin near Cleveland.

Ohio is one of the leading states for Bigfoot sightings, which have been reported in every corner of the state.

Ohio has tales on Bigfoot, Mothman and a Lake Erie monster

And Ohio shares the infamous Mothman with West Virginia. These are just a few of the Ohio folklore accounts featured in the book, “Unnatural Ohio: A History of Buckeye Cryptids, Legends and Other Mysteries” by Kevin Moore and M. Kristina Smit

The authors will speak about their book at several public appearances in January: Friday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m. at NeverMore Used Bookstore, 2628 Central Ave., Toledo; Jan. 20, 2 p.m. at Birchard Public Library, 423 Croghan St., Fremont; and Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. at Huron Public Library, 333 Williams St., Huron.

Copies of the book will be available for sale, and the authors will sign them for purchasers. Those who already have a copy of the book are also welcome to bring it to be signed.

“Unnatural Ohio” was published by The History Press on Monday, Sept. 18. It is available at independent and major booksellers, the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums Store and through the authors at unnaturalohio@gmail.com.

Hayes museum hosted display on unnatural Ohio folklore

The book originated from a special exhibit the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums had in 2020 and 2021 on Ohio folklore, legends and cryptid creatures. Moore is the museum’s curator of artifacts, and Smith is the museum’s marketing/communications manager.

“Unnatural Ohio” takes an in-depth look at these stories and incidents and uses primary and secondary sources, as well as interviews with experts, to examine these stories and how they have evolved over time.

Moore has been writing since he was 8, pecking away on his mom’s typewriter. He enjoys reading and writing fiction. He decided to pivot his life toward studying history professionally about 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

He now gets to research, preserve and share history at Hayes Presidential. He also hosts “Can’t Make This Up: A History Podcast,” where he gets the privilege of interviewing authors and historians. Kevin lives in Toledo with his family.

As a child, M. Kristina Smith read every book on the Loch Ness Monster she could find at the Defiance Public Library. Since then, she has been interested in cryptids, the paranormal and unexplained phenomena.

As a former investigative reporter, she spent years asking questions, digging through public records and researching materials to find the facts behind stories. Today, she shares the history and stories of the collections, people and events at Hayes Presidential, where she worked since 2015. She also works as a freelance writer and photographer, featuring stories about people, wildlife and places around Ohio.

This is her second book. Her first, “Lost Sandusky,” was published by The History Press in 2015.

For information on “Unnatural Ohio,” follow on Facebook at @UnnaturalOhio, or visit https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467151443.

The News-Messenger/News Herald