Ironton Monster Stymies Authorities

 

Image created by Theresa in ChatGPT

It's been close to 20 years now that I had an experience with what potentially was a white Bigfoot near Ironton, Ohio. You can read my full encounter here (Ohio White Bigfoot Experience), but in short, a friend and I were out researching a small family cemetery between Ironton and Southpoint when we were interrupted by something large, white and hairy. It disappeared into the weeds and presumably continued up the hill from us, where an old logging road ran. 

That incident is pretty significant for me, because it's the only time I think I ever SAW anything that could be considered a Bigfoot-type creature, although I'd later have an encounter where I may have heard one telepathically. It was also significant that I wasn't the only witness---my fellow researcher saw and experienced the exact same thing, and we still don't really know what to make of it. Is there a white Bigfoot running around southern Ohio? 

There may be precedent for such a sighting, although the incident in question is, itself, questionable. Awhile back, my friend and awesome Fortean researcher, Tony Breeden, sent me the following article found in the Morgantown Dominion News on 30 November 1972. 

After a witness had reported that a large, white, ape-like creature with bloodstained arms had shaken his taxicab, then made off dragging a deer or large dog, authorities actually went and investigated. And they found white fur, seemingly corroborating the cabbie's story. But analysis proved that the white hair was a synthetic material. The local sheriff's deputy claimed it was probably just some local who hadn't gotten over his Thanksgiving hangover yet. 

So, we have a few possibilities. There could be a deer hunter out during hunting season, trading in the camo and blaze orange for a fabulous (fake) fur coat. Or there could be someone out there hoaxing the community with a Bigfoot-like costume. But, based on my own experience, I'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, there is a white Bigfoot out there in southern Ohio and that the synthetic fur that was found was not related to the creature. I'll let you decide. 

Morgantown Dominion News
30 November 1972

How Old Woman's Run Got Its Name

Elk Hotel
Photo by Theresa ca 2017

2017 is the year I really started getting acquainted with the spooky little town of Sutton, West Virginia. One such trip led me to the end of the downtown district to check out the Elk Hotel, then known as Cafe Cimino. The beautiful historic home (which I'll be posting about in a different blog post!) sits at the confluence of the Elk River and a small creek and accompanying road named Old Woman's Run. 

At the time, I was intrigued with the odd name and even remarked to my partner that I bet there was a cool story behind it. And there was. It would just take me quite a while to find it and even longer to write about it.

The answer was waiting within the pages of The History of Braxton County and Central West Virginia, by John Sutton, grandson of the town founder. (You can read it for free at Internet Archive) It was published in 1919 and on page 40, tells exactly how Old Woman's Run came to be. 

During the early days of white settlement in the area, the area between Old Woman's Run and Granny Creek was filled with laurels, rocky cliffs, and dens. A large female bear roamed this area for years, giving birth to several litters of cubs. The she-bear wasn't seen for several years, but hunters in the area knew she was around by the extremely large tracks she would leave behind. It was these hunters who named the bear "Old Woman" and the creek near her stomping grounds, Old Woman's Run. 

The book goes on to mention that Old Woman was finally killed by hunters in the area where Moman Rhea lived. Although the book doesn't specify where exactly Rhea lived, it does give a little blurb about him later on. Rhea was one of the very few people of color in the entire county at the time the book was written. He was a former enslaved person, who, after his bondage had acquired quite a bit of land and become a progressive farmer known for his acts of kindness. 

To be honest, I'm kind of sad that the Old Woman of this story is simply a bear and not related to some ghostly apparition of an elderly woman haunting the hillside. However, this bear was described as being quite large and leaving behind large tracks. The book even notes that people of the area had always had issues raising pigs and lambs. What else leaves big tracks and steals livestock? Some may say Bigfoot. Interestingly enough, there are tales of just such a creature!

Reports of a possible Bigfoot have lasted up through modern day in the area of Sutton Lake....right near this confluence of the Elk River and Old Woman's Run Creek. These reports date back to at least 1919 when an interesting newspaper article about a wild man was published in the Evening Telegram out of Lakeland, Florida. The article reads:

Return of Wild Man Revives Old Terrors

Flatwoods, W. Va. – The belief that a wild man is still lurking in this vicinity, stealing and killing children and young pigs, is stronger than ever just now. A story related by Luther C. Douglas has dispelled all hopes that the terrible creature had fled to other localities. Douglas’ story follows:

“I was on my way home from lodge meeting,” said Douglas, “when I heard a noise near Ed Wiley’s barn, which is close to the road. I thought it might be a dog and paid little attention to it at first. Then, as I was passing a vacant house a short distance from Ed’s place, I heard a distant door slam and a wild-looking fellow, in rags and with long hair and beard that others who have seen him have described, came rushing out of the front door of the old house, brandishing a huge knotted club and uttering the most horrifying sounds I ever have heard.

“Being convinced by his actions that I was to be assaulted and possibly killed, I drew my revolver and took two shots at him. With this he turned and fled, screaming louder than ever. I didn’t pursue him. Not me. It would take a braver man than I profess to be to go on the trail of that horrible creature.”

The authorities are again agitating the question of taking some means to capture the much-feared lunatic, or whatever he is.

Obviously, whatever or whomever was stealing children and pigs in 1919 was described as being more human (even wearing some type of clothing and brandishing a weapon) than a she-bear, it gives one pause as to what exactly was going on in the little town of Sutton, so close to Flatwoods. 

Evening Telegram (Lakeland Florida)
08 March 1919

Catching Bigfoot in Oregon

Photo by Lee Juillerat

Decades before the Mountain Monsters crew roamed the Appalachians, building traps and searching for elusive cryptids, such as the Grafton Monster, Mothman, and the Dire Wolves, a group from the Pacific Northwest was hoping it's DIY trap would finally bring proof that the infamous Sasquatch was real!

It started with a miner named Perry Lovell. After finding 18 inch footprints in his garden, he got in contact with Roger Patterson of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot footage fame. Patterson reached out to filmmaker Ron Olson, who in turn reached out to the forestry service and received a special permit. This permit wasn't for filming, however. It was a permit to build what was presumably the world's first (and only?) Bigfoot TRAP.

The trap, located within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, was built in 1974. It is a ten foot by ten foot wooden and metal box, anchored to the ground with telephone poles. A strong, heavy metal grate acts as a door. The idea behind the design was to bait the trap with a carcass of goat, rabbit, etc. When the Bigfoot would enter the trap and reach for the bait, the metal door would slam down, trapping it inside. At the same time, an alarm would sound in a nearby watchman's cabin.

For six years, members of the North American Wildlife Research Team kept the trap baited and the watchman's cabin manned. Unfortunately, it only managed to trap a few bears, and possibly a hunter and/or a hippie. When the project was abandoned in 1980, the door was bolted into a permanently open position to avoid any people becoming accidentally trapped. 

However, people still made the trek to visit this unique little building, to see a piece of weird history and hopefully have their own encounter with a Sasquatch. Located in southern Jackson County, just a few miles from the California border, the Bigfoot trap continued to receive visitors. After nearly being destroyed by a fallen tree in 2005, plans were made to restore the trap in 2006. Since then, the trap is maintained by the US Forestry Service and continues to receive visitors. Once in a remote area of woods, the trap is now quite accessible, thanks to the building of the Applegate Dam and road. It is a short hike along the Collings Mountain Hiking Trail, which also contains the ruins of the old watchman's cabin as well. 

Bigfoot tourists here in West Virginia have several great outdoor areas to visit where Bigfoot have been seen and heard in the past. For those a little less outdoorsy, there's the WV Bigfoot Museum in Sutton. But, what we don't have is our very own permanent Bigfoot trap! 

Sources and Further Reading:

Bigfoot Trap--Wonderfully Weird, by Lee Juillerat for the Herald and News. 29 September 2017

Oregon Hikers

Roadside America

US Forest Service

The Skin Creek Sasquatch (1976)

The Mysterious Monsters movie poster.
You can watch the documentary on YouTube!

Sometimes life imitates art. That seems to be the case one summer night when two Braxton County teens, Ronald Stark and Clifford Barnes, were driving to see an outdoor movie called Mysterious Monsters.  The Mysterious Monsters, which came out in 1976, was a documentary style film, hosted by Peter Graves, featuring stories and evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and other strange creatures from around the world. Neither boy, however, were prepared for having their OWN unexplained experience that evening!

It was August 17, 1976 at approximately 8:15 p.m. They were leaving I-79 at the Skin Creek exit (if anyone knows where this exit is, please let me know. I've never heard of the Skin Creek area before.) when they spotted an 8-foot tall ape-like creature standing in the road. As they got closer to it, it ran off and disappeared into the brush. 

The Braxton County area is no stranger to monsters. In 1952, it was home to the infamous Flatwoods Monster, a strange, metallic figure with a head resembling a spade, which may or may not have emerged from a downed UFO. However, as previously discussed on Theresa's Haunted History, Braxton County has had quite a few Bigfoot sightings over the years, as well, with many of these creatures all getting lumped under the Braxton County Monster moniker. You can check out my series of articles about that here: The Braxton County Monster Wrap-Up . I guess I'll be adding today's entry to the collection, too!

Anyway, this fun little story comes from a newspaper clipping I came across recently. It's from the Independent, dated 25 August 1976. I came across this clipping during a recent trip to the Gray Barker UFO Files in Clarksburg! I'll be writing about that trip soon, but I wanted to share this lil' tidbit. Out of multiple folders STUFFED with Bigfoot sightings and information, I thought this particular story would be of interest to readers of Theresa's Haunted History. And...it's not the only strange story from that trip that I'll be sharing in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for plenty of West Virginia Weirdness!

The Independent
25 August 1976

 

Wild Man Near Elkins: Wild Man Wednesday

Back in 2023 I shared a series of posts featuring 'Wild Men' of West Virginia. These stories came from articles found in old newspapers. Some of these wild men were obviously humans who had shunned society to live in solitude off the land. Others seemed to have a more...cryptozoological slant...possibly describing beings that we may consider to be Bigfoot. 

Apparently, I forgot to include today's tale, which occurred near Elkins in the small town of Harman, WV!  Honestly, I'm torn as to the identity of this particular wild man. The fact that he has been spotted wearing tattered clothes implies that he is human, but his "bearish appearance" and body covered in long hair DOES sound a little Squatchy. Geographical Note: Harman is in Randolph County, located in a narrow valley between the Allegheny and Rich Mountains. It's also located extremely close to Canaan Valley, and the Davis/Blackwater Falls area, which are both hotbeds of Bigfoot sightings. 

Salisbury Evening Sun (North Carolina)
13 October 1900

Wild and Weird Bigfoot Workshop 2023

In 2021, I participated in Wild and Weird WV's first ever Bigfoot Workshop at the Kanawha State Forest. It was a day filled with awesome information and learning new skills, delicious food, and fun hanging with friends. I had a great time, so when the 2023 workshop was announced, I signed up almost immediately! And, just like the last one, this was an awesome, educational experience...but with some added WEIRDNESS!

The day started off normally enough. Well, now that I think about it, it really didn't. Since I was late for the last event, I left super early. I stopped in at the KSF gift shop for some insect spray and a cold soda, and made my way to where I THOUGHT the shelter was. The signage for shelters in KSF is...lacking...so I started driving around, frantically, trying to find someone I recognized. Finally, I went back to the place I started and realized that I HAD been in the right place, but that the shelter was actually hidden down a path to the side, so that's why I didn't see it. I wasn't the only one who had trouble finding it, so I was still there in plenty of time. In fact, Joe (one of the main guys in charge!) had mysteriously disappeared and not yet returned. But, one of the park rangers was there to let us know that there was no power currently at our section. 

Joe Perdue

Eventually, everyone found there way to the right place, and thanks to a small, portable generator, we were able to successfully get through a small video presentation of some awesome evidence that the Wild and Weird High Strangeness Collective had collected over the years. Joe and Ron both spoke on a variety of topics related to the Bigfoot field, teaching about proper evidence collection, best equipment to use and how to use it, and even delving into the stranger aspects of Bigfoot data. A special treat was Glenn Adkins from the Ohio Squatch Project giving a short presentation, sharing his expertise, and bringing plenty of his world-famous Squatch Sticks to sell!

A thunderstorm popped up, which caused a few presentations to have to stay under the shelter, including making our own plaster casts, but in the long run, it may have actually been a good thing. After a good rain, it cleared up and the group went out on a short hike to just learn some things to look for. My back was hurting super bad, but I was determined to make it out there. I made it about halfway before I started having a panic attack, afraid I'd get out there, but not make it back. So, I turned around and walked back to the shelter that was closer to the trail. I sat awhile to wait for the group to come back. I hadn't been sitting there too long, when I looked up and Joe was booking it towards the shelter at a full run. I thought for sure someone was injured, but he just yelled, "found tracks," and kept going, headed to our shelter for the casting supplies. 

I decided I didn't come this far NOT to see actual Bigfoot prints in KSF, so I forced myself to make it down the path to where everyone was. Sure enough, they had found several prints in the creek area. Since there really wasn't much I could do, except stand, I went BACK to the other shelter to sit for awhile. At one point, I heard what I swear were footprints right beside me, and thought the group was coming back. I started to turn my head, and thought I saw something white run across the path. But, no person was there and it was quite awhile until the rest of the team came out in two groups. 

(Oddly, it was right about the time heard and saw something, that my grandma passed away in hospice. I didn't find out until I left the park and returned to a location where I could get cell service and noticed I had a ton of missed texts telling me.)

Ron Lanham

After the second group had settled back in at the base shelter, we realized that they had quite a unique experience. While coming back down the trail, a large rock had been 'thrown' at them. By that time, it was getting on in the day, and time to start getting ready for dinner, which consisted of hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, Joe's famous slaw and chili and a special treat of Dutch babies for dessert. But, while waiting for dinner to cook, we all had a good scare---a large tree nearby bit the dust. As it fell, it sounded exactly like gunshots going off---gunshots too close to have been coming from the firing range. That was pretty unnerving, but kind of exciting at the same time. Was it just simply a tree, damaged by the earlier storm, falling down, or was it just part of the larger, weirder picture?

Unfortunately, I realized that I had JR's wallet, and he'd need dinner soon, so I didn't stay for the night hike (I probably couldn't physically handle it anyway, lol). I headed back to the apartment and didn't hear much about how the rest of the evening went until that Thursday, when the Wild and Weird WV Radio live stream was devoted to the subject. That's when we all found out that even more strangeness was going on that night.

During the night hike, one of the participants who stayed by herself at the shelter heard what sounded like a larger animal prowling around, so she went and sat in her vehicle. There were some strange anomalies caught, some strange sounds heard, and as we found out, a number of people (including myself) had technical difficulties with their phones/cameras saying that their storage was full. And as a final goodbye to the park that night, one member noticed a strange, albino deer by the side of the road.

So yeah. It was a weird one, and what I've discussed is just brushing the surface. You're definitely gonna want to watch the Wild and Weird live-stream, as well as the Wild and Weird video, What Was in the Woods During the Bigfoot Workshop for a better understanding of what all went on that day.

Glenn Adkins

Overall, it was a hell of an experience! Even without all the crazy stuff we experienced, it was a great event. Participants were given flashlights, notebooks, pens, and an awesome art print by the late, great Wayne Barnes. We were treated to top-notch information from some of the best researchers/investigators in the field and given the opportunity for hands-on learning. We had a delicious dinner. And, best of all, we got to all hang out and talk about our experiences. It's always a really special time when you get to meet and learn from people with similar interests. Everyone was so kind and so accepting of the different theories and the different stories people had to share. It felt more like a family reunion  than a workshop of strangers, and that's one of the things I love about the Wild and Weird events. I laughed a lot and I learned a lot, and am now eagerly awaiting the next one!

If you'd like to get in on the strangeness, please follow Wild and Weird WV!

WV's Canyon Monster

Blackwater Falls State Park

This upcoming Saturday, I'll once again be joining Wild and Weird WV at the Kanawha State Forest for a hands-on Bigfoot workshop! (Click HERE for my blog on the 2021 workshop.) I'm looking forward to a day filled with food, friends, and fun, learning all about Bigfoot and how best to document any explorations into his existence. Therefore, I've spent the summer doing a lot of reading, watching, and listening to any and all media I can find concerning Bigfoot. But, I've yet to actually WRITE anything about Bigfoot...until now. I thought today would be the perfect time to share a little about West Virginia's Canyon Monster. 

Much of West Virginia has had its fair share of Bigfoot sightings and reports, but between 1960 and 1975, a major flap of encounters were coming out of Tucker County, located in the northeastern part of the state. Many of these sightings were located in or near the town of Davis, particularly an area near the Monongahela National Forest and Blackwater Falls State Park. The monster (or monsters) were named the Canyon Monster after the Blackwater Canyon, an eight-mile gorge containing the Blackwater River. 

Things seem to have gotten their start with an incident occurring during the summer of 1960. Several young men were camping in a wooded area just outside of Davis, when one of the guys was tasked with chopping some firewood. As he was working, he heard a noise and felt a jab to his ribs. Probably pretty perturbed that his buddies were messing with him while he was laboring over the firewood, he turned around and came face to face with what he described as a 'horrible monster.' Standing in front of him was a creature with "two huge eyes that shone like big balls of fire." The eyes were very far apart, and the creature, standing at least 8 feet tall, was covered in shaggy hair. 

We found these "Bigfoot" structures at Blackwater 
Falls State Park on vacation in 2020!

After staring at each other in shock for a moment, the creature ran off into the woods. The witness, although pretty shaken, decided along with his buddies that it would be better to go ahead and spend the night there, rather than try to trek out in the darkness. It's hard to say whether or not the young man's friends initially believed his fantastical story, but at first light, the group found large footprints in the mud, leading into the woods going the same route as the creature was reported to go. 

The same, or similar creature, was spotted around Parsons, WV that summer as well. And, even though sources say the 'flap' ended in 1975, the area around Blackwater Falls is STILL getting Bigfoot reports. In 2007, a footprint found off the Canaan Loop Road was investigated by Cliff Barackman and shown on the television program, Finding Bigfoot.

Blackwater Falls State Park and the surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful and tranquil, and I can see where Bigfoot would enjoy living in the area. If you or somebody you know has had a Bigfoot encounter in this area, I'd love to hear about it. Please let me know in the comments below, or find m over on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook Page! 

Happy Squatchin'!

Bigfoot Researcher Mike Familant at the So. Chas. Public Library!

Bigfoot Mobile Command Center

The South Charleston Public Library has one heck of a summer reading program for adults! All summer long, patrons can enjoy various cryptid craft activities, trivia, movie night, and...on June 21st, a lecture on Bigfoot by researcher, Mike Familant.

Mike, a New Jersey native, has been researching and investigating the Bigfoot phenomenon all over the eastern United States for quite a number of years, following his own experiences during a public Bigfoot Hunt in Florida. Now, as the owner of the YouTube channel, Sussex County Bigfoot, he shares his knowledge both through his 'In the Shadow of Big Red Eye' docu-series and website, as well as his lectures at various public libraries. 

Mike Familant

The activity room was packed with curious Bigfoot enthusiasts who listened attentively to the hour-long talk. It was a well-informed, humorous, and interactive look at the Bigfoot phenomenon and the scientific data backing up the suggestion that a large, relic hominid actually does exist. Mike displayed some of his own track castings, as well as shared some audio recordings and photos of suspected footprints. His stories about his own investigations and experiences was really interesting, but he also covered a lot of more objective info, such as investigation equipment, what to look for when trying to distinguish a footprint, and various other facts about the suspected diet and characteristics of our beloved cryptid. 

Mike holds the opinion that Bigfoot is a living, breathing creature, not unlike any other form of wildlife found out in the woods. Personally, I enjoy delving into the possibility of a supernatural element to the Bigfoot and relish in the woo...but I totally respect looking at this phenomenon from a strictly scientific standpoint and presenting more...measurable...types of data to support those claims. But, overall, it was a fantastic talk and I learned a few new things (for example, did you know the average Bigfoot sighting only lasts 5 seconds?). I also just had fun being with 'my people.' Not only was my good buddy, Ike, in attendance, but so was Amber and her daughter, from Amber's ParaWorld. There were also a ton of other like-minded folks who were genuinely interested in this subject and eager to learn more. One lady bravely stood up and told of her encounter, but I was surprised that more people didn't share publicly. 

Bigfoot Footprint Castings

I'm sure they made up for it afterwards, as Mike was swarmed following the lecture with people eager to take a closer look at the casts he had brought, pick up a keychain, or just talk to him and hopefully share their experiences! I managed to snap a quick picture with him (thanks, Amber!) but time was short, and the library was ready to close. But, I walked away completely happy knowing that there are so many people right here in this area who are open-minded and eager to accept the possibility of Bigfoot...and maybe a few other unexplained things.

As an added bonus, while outside talking with Ike and some new paranormal buddies we met, I got to witness a little raccoon emerge from the sewer and boldly approach the trash can we were standing beside! It was cute, but we gave it a wide berth just in case! A large part of Mike's message was to just get out and enjoy nature as much as possible, but I wasn't expecting to get that close to nature out in front of the library's main entrance, lol. 

Me and Mike Familant

Anyway, make sure you follow Mike at the links provided above, and if you missed his lecture at the library, don't worry! He'll be speaking this Saturday at the West Virginia Bigfoot Festival in Sutton! There's an awesome lineup of speakers and events, as well as plenty of vendors and activities on Saturday, and a special banquet on Friday night (sorry, but as of this writing, ticket sales on Friday's banquet have closed, but check with the event organizers for more info!)  And, for you Kanawha Valley folks who are itching for MORE Bigfoot learnin', Wild and Weird WV is once again hosting a Bigfoot Workshop at Kanawha State Forest! Tickets are $40, which includes a ton of hands-on activities, food, and a small Bigfoot hunt in an area with plenty of known sightings. This year's event will be July 15th, and ticket sales are limited, so hop on over to the Wild and Weird website to sign up. 

Happy (Bigfoot) Hunting, Y'all and Stay Spooky!

Our lil' raccoon friend!

Elkhorn Wild Man

 

Happy Wild Men Wednesday! I thought today I'd bring you the article that actually inspired this series of post about wild men running amok in West Virginia. Back at the beginning of the year, the West Virginia High Strangeness Collective posted that they had been chosen as Bigfoot Research Group of the Year by The Bigfoot Forums. That awesome accolade led me over to the forums myself to poke around. 

There was an entire section, much to my delight, called Tirademan's Historical Newspaper Archives. According to the description on the site, this is a historical archive of newspaper clippings compiled by member, Tirademan---or Scott McClean. Unfortunately, Scott passed away, but before he did, he donated this collection of old newspaper clippings to the website. 

Broken down by state, West Virginia had two entries. One article was about the Braxton County Monster sighting of 1961, involving a Bigfoot-type creature (not to be confused with the 1952 Flatwoods Monster incident), which I've already blogged about pretty extensively. You can find out more about that from my post, The Braxton County Monster Wrap-Up. However, the other entry was one with which I wasn't familiar and was about a wild man spotted by hunters in Bluefield, back in 1895. This particular article came from the Newark Daily Advocate, an Ohio newspaper, and is dated November 9th, 1895. 

If you're interested in the Bigfoot phenomena, definitely go check out the Bigfoot Forums, linked above. There's a ton of great information, and a ton of knowledgeable individuals on there sharing their research. And, of course, there's a great collection of historic newspaper articles! 

My (Maybe) Bigfoot Experience at Kanawha State Forest

I was born and raised in West Virginia and come from a family of avid outdoorsmen and hunters. Yet, personally, as much as I love nature, I've never really ventured that deeply into the wilderness. Therefore, I always thought my chances of running into a Bigfoot were slim to none. Oddly enough, I DID have a potential sighting of a white Bigfoot in Lawrence County, Ohio while a friend and I were doing some research at a small, country cemetery, but that was my only sighting of anything I would even remotely consider cryptozoological. But, it may not have been my only ENCOUNTER.

It's been over a year now, closer to two actually (March 2021), that I had a strange experience at Kanawha State Forest. I had seen my therapist that morning and after talking through some pretty heavy stuff, I felt the need to just reconnect with nature for a little while. So, I hopped in the car and drove to Kanawha State Forest. I made a couple of stops throughout the park, taking some photos and even walking one of the easy trails. I still had some time before I needed to be back to pick my son up from school, so I made my way down to a little area known as Dunlop Hollow that had some stories about being haunted by a woman who, folklore says was lynched from a large tree at the site.

I parked the car, took a few photos, and made my way over to a picnic bench and sat down with a book. I didn't stay too long, but spent probably about a half hour or so, just enjoying the sunshine, listening to the birds, and reading my book. For the most part, Kanawha State Forest is a really clean, well-maintained park. But, like any outdoor area, there had been some visitors some time before me that didn't quite get their garbage to the garbage can.Before I left, I spent about 5-10 minutes picking up the trash in the area, which was mostly some little things, like candy wrappers, fast food cups/straws, and random plastic pieces. Just as I had dumped a handful into the trashcan, I distinctly heard a deep man's voice say "Thank you." 

Thinking maybe a park ranger or other employee had somehow snuck down to where I was without me seeing them, I looked around but didn't see anyone. And, that's when I realized that I THINK I heard the words in my head, not aloud, and also got the feeling that someone, or something was watching me. I needed to leave to go get my son, but I was kind of...unsettled...about what had happened. Was I hallucinating? Did I hear a ghost? Or, did I experience Mind Speak, a type of telepathic communication that some believe these creatures known as Bigfoot may be capable of? The skeptical side of me absolutely believes it wasn't anything more than my imagination (or maybe an actual person that I didn't see). But, there's a side of me that really, really wants there to be some type of paranormal explanation. I'd love it if my actions, no matter how small, were appreciated by an elusive beast who called the area home. And, you never know---Kanawha State Forest IS known for sightings of a Bigfoot! You can learn more about at least one of these documented sightings, as investigated by the Wild and Weird team from the videos below!

Possible Bigfoot Activity in Kanawha County at the Salamander Site

Unexpected Sasquatch Encounter

Wild Man Attacks Train Near Morgantown

Opekiska Locks and Dam
Source

Last December,  I had the opportunity to head up to Sutton, WV and attend the Yeti Festival, hosted by the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum! While I was there, I purchased a copy of Louis R. Petolicchio's awesome book, The Wild Man of North America: Historic Newspaper Accounts About Encounters with Wild Men, Feral Humans and Other Curiosities. I was pleasantly surprised to see the following account from March 3, 1905 included in the book. The Daily Telegram, a newspaper based in Clarksburg, WV, reported that passenger trains coming through Opekiska, a small community in Monongalia County, located along the Monongahela River between Fairmont and Morgantown, were being attacked by a wild man! After one man was arrested, the attacks continued, scaring both train personnel and passengers so badly that they refused to go after the wild man themselves. 

I think this is a really interesting story in the annals of wild man lore, because to me, there is no mistaking this wild man as anything other than a normal human, possibly suffering with a mental illness. Despite being described as a 'giant,' by today's standards, his estimated height of 6' is about average for a man, and the fact that he was able to shoot a gun (given that it was the same 'wild man' in each encounter) would be more indicative of a human being than something more...animalistic. But, that does bring up a fascinating point...was this Lynch fellow involved in the first incident, and a separate 'man' involved later on? If so, why was Lynch trying to flag down the train? Was he trying to escape the true wild man? And just where did this wild man come from? In many stories where the wild man is clearly a human being, it is suspected that he is an escaped inmate, of either the prison system or the insane asylum, or has otherwise witnessed something so horrible that he takes to the wilderness and becomes feral, slowly losing his human identity which is replaced with more animalistic characteristics. I'll be completely honest: while I love this story as another one of WV's oddities, I'm a little disappointed that this is not an example of a wild man story that is clearly an early sighting of what we'd call a Bigfoot or Sasquatch today.  Anyway, I'll get more into my theories of Wild Men, both from a historical perspective AND a modern one, in another blog, so until then, enjoy this strange and fascinating tale from right here in the Mountain State. 

WILD MAN ATTACKS TRAIN

Giant Creature in Human Form with Bristles on Face Is at Large Near Morgantown

03 March 1905

The Daily Telegram (Clarksburg, WV)

The citizens of Monongalia County are thoroughly aroused over the strange and murderous actions of a man in that country, whose identity has not been established so far and whose capture seems a remote possibility, unless the state authorities organize a posse and force him to surrender.

Only a few days ago as chronicled, a man was seen standing on the track in front of a passenger train nearing Morgantown.  He was violently waving his hands.  The train did not stop and he was compelled to step aside to save himself. As the train was passing he fired several shots at it.

Later a fellow Lynch was arrested suspected of the deed and is yet held. But after his arrest the matter of trying to hold up passenger trains continued and Thursday afternoon at Opakeiski* as the passenger train was coming toward Fairmont a strange looking man stoned it.  The train stopped after having run him and the brakeman went back to arrest the fellow, but as he approached him the fellow showed fight and the trainman grew so nervous over the man's strange appearance that he returned to the train.

By the time he boarded the train, it had started again, but the brakeman called upon the passengers to volunteer to go with him and capture the giant--as he was at least six feet tall and wore a beard all over his face which looked more like a mass of bristles than whiskers. 

The passengers were not sufficiently alarmed over the attempt made by the fellow on their lives to organize themselves into a posse and pursue him. 

*You can read the original newspaper article as it appears in the Daily Telegram on the Chronicling America website, located at THIS LINK.

Bigfoot Tackles the Real Estate Market: A Friday Funny

Happy Friday! Who's ready for the weekend? I know I am. Let's kick off the end of the week with a different sort of Friday Funny...

So, the real estate market can be a competitive field, especially in these strange times we're living in. As a result, agents sometimes need to take a creative approach to getting their listings noticed, and then sold for the best price possible for their client. One agent in Ravenna, Ohio, took the creative approach to a whole new level of awesome.

Several year ago, the paranormal community got a hearty laugh out of the 'For Sale' signs noting that the property for sale was 'Not Haunted.' But beginning in late 2019, the Bigfoot enthusiasts got their own taste of real estate hilarity with the actions of an agent named Shauna Bailey. 

Shauna Bailey, an agent for Century 21 Goldfire Realty, was selling a piece of vacant property near Newton Falls. After the property had sat on the market for longer than she'd like, Shauna knew she had to get creative in order to get the property noticed. So, she bought a Bigfoot costume, made her 6'4'' husband put in on, and took some pictures of him roaming around the property.

Another client loved the idea so much, that they requested similar...services. Mike and Shelly Mowen wanted to sell their 3-bedroom home on Hattrick Road in Ravenna, Ohio. Out of about 35 photographs, showing off the garage, the kitchen, and various improvements and upgrades to the 2.88 acre property, about 5 random shots feature Bigfoot engaged in everyday tasks, such as having a cup of coffee, and making use of the restroom facilities! It must have worked, because the house sold. By mid-November of 2019, several different news stations, including Fox8 and 19News, had picked up the story and shared the hilarious listing. 

What makes this story especially interesting, aside from it just being super clever, original, and hilarious, is that there's some history to back it up. Portage County Ohio might actually have a real Bigfoot in residence. In a 2007 article, CleveScene reported that the Bigfoot Field Research Organization put Portage County as the Ohio county with the most Bigfoot reports (13). The neighboring county of Geauga came in second with 7 sightings. That's prime Bigfoot-spotting territory! 

The story doesn't end there, however. After his Ohio domain was sold, Bigfoot must have headed west. In 2020, Bigfoot helped sell a million dollar historic home in the woods of Felton, California! Reading, lounging, baking cookies, and even yoga were all activities that made this particular house a home for our favorite cryptid. Definitely go check out that story as well, over at BoredPanda! 

The Wild Creek Bigfoot Photo

 

Wild Creek Bigfoot
Photo Property of Cliff Crook

Back in 1995, an off-duty forest ranger allegedly took a series of seven 35mm photos of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Wild Creek area of Washington State, near Mt. Rainier. Not wanting to draw attention to himself or put his career in jeopardy, the ranger was said to have sold the photos to sculptor and (controversial) Bigfoot researcher, Cliff Crook. The photo above is the only one of the set to be widely circulated among the public, appearing in quite a few books about Bigfoot, cryptozoology, and all things strange and unexplained.

In fact, that's how I first became familiar with this photo. I was watching a YouTube video (I really wish I could remember who the creator was so I can credit them) of a guy talking about some of the books he had read as a child. He happened to show this photo, which appeared in one of those books, and noted that it scared the crap out of him at the time. I immediately thought the photo looked familiar, so I assume that I had probably also come across it at some point in my younger days, as I was devouring anything and everything I could find written about anomalous phenomena. 

But unlike this YouTuber, I don't remember ever being scared by the image. Rather, I thought it was pretty hilarious to look at! I'm not sure if it has something to do with  the Uncanny Valley, or if my love of movies like Clash of the Titans (1981) influenced me, but I never thought this thing looked like a living, breathing animal---undiscovered or not. I thought it looked like a claymation/stop-motion model of a monkey man. 

And, as an adult, I'm pretty relieved to find out that most people agree with me! On January 30, 2010 Matt Moneymaker of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) wrote an article in response to Cliff Crook's continued promotion of this image (licensing it to publishers for up to $9000!). In the article, titled 'Hoaxer Cliff Crook Promoting Phony Photo, Again,'  Moneymaker notes that Crook is a sculptor by trade, and thus this image, along with a whole collection of tracks, were merely pieces of art, photographed and passed off as the real thing. Respected researcher Doug Hajicek agreed, noting that the 'model' Bigfoot used was probably no bigger than a foot high. This makes total sense to me, because whenever I see this image, my mind interprets the figure as actually being very tiny. I think its mostly the vegetation in front of him. To me, those look like blades of regular ol' grass, not waist high weeds or anything. There are no big trees in the background for perspective, just a reflection that could have been nothing more than a tiny branch. Trying to be fair, however, I sought out another analysis.

Posted on the ThinkerThunker Facebook page on October 3, 2021 is an analysis video titled 'Shadowlands Bigfoot...Could it Be Real?' In the analysis, ThinkerThunker kind of tears Matt Moneymaker's article apart, pointing out the old adage, 'just because you CAN, doesn't mean you DO.' In other words, although Crook was a sculptor and could have created a model, that doesn't mean he actually did. Okay--I can see that. When I want to know for sure if something has been hoaxed or not, I like to see indisputable proof that fraud has been committed, not just a mention of that it could have happened, so it did. ThinkerThunker then delves into analyzing some facial and body proportions. The results were inconclusive, but seemed to lean to the idea that it was at least possible for this to be a real creature. He also takes at look at the fur, which is of an irregular length and hangs in wet clumps in a way that he feels would not be possible with fake fur. At this point, I'm seriously starting to believe that this guy is going to come to the conclusion that this is a photo of a real Bigfoot. 

On the right is the 2nd photo, used in
Thinker Thunker's analysis.
Screen-shot from video.

And then a second photo emerged. 

The original photo that we've all seen floating around for 25 years was supposedly taken from a bridge, with the forest ranger aiming the camera at a downward angle. This second shot appears to be taken at a totally different angle, from the side and much closer to the creature. Yet, in the time that it would have taken the ranger to access the other vantage point, the creature does not move at all. It doesn't even turn it's head (well, actually, from its lack of neck, it'd probably have to turn its whole body) to look at him, or throw up it's arms. I don't know where ThinkerThunker obtained the second photo (I can't find a copy online) or if it is 100% true that it's the same creature, but this was the smoking gun for him. That was the proof needed to declare the photo a hoax. 

I think it's safe to say that the majority of the Bigfoot research community has filed this photo away as being fraudulent, but without the rest of the photos in the set of 7 available for analysis or the true photographer coming forward, there will always be doubters. Unless Crook confesses or the actual model that was used is found, there will be someone out there who legitimately believes this goofy, neckless creature represents the Holy Grail of Bigfoot evidence. 

What do you think? Could there be any chance that this photo is the real deal? Is there a piece of the puzzle I'm missing or overlooking? Or, do you agree that it's nothing more than a hoax? Let me know down in the comments below, or join me over at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook for more discussion on this and lots of other paranormal topics!

May's Bigfoot Book Round-Up

May's Bigfoot Reading

I had officially declared last month Bigfoot Month.  All throughout May, I spent every spare second I had reading about Bigfoot, watching documentaries/webinars/online lectures about Bigfoot, and listening to podcasts about Bigfoot. I shared several historical Bigfoot articles here on Theresa's Haunted History.  I even attended an awesome hands-on Bigfoot workshop at Kanawha State Forest, hosted by Wild and Weird West Virginia. I fully immersed myself in Bigfoot research, and I learned a TON. Of course, now that I've exposed my mind to so many different theories from so many different people in the field, and heard so many different personal encounters, I find myself having MORE questions about the topic than I did coming into it, lol. 

Anyway, I've kept a list of every piece of Bigfoot media that I consumed last month, with the intention of sharing it with you all.  It's pretty massive, so I'm gonna have to break it down into categories, starting with my favorite: Bigfoot Books!

Having a well-stocked personal paranormal library really came in handy for this project. I was able to raid my own shelves for quite a few Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti books. Some I had read before, and others were part of my never-ending TBR pile. I pulled what I thought would be the most relevant, but unfortunately....I didn't make it too far into the stack.  I did, however, manage to read four books this month. 

1. Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know by Martha Brockenbrough

This was the first book I chose because I thought it would be a quick introduction to the Bigfoot phenomenon. I was wrong, lol.  This book took me forever to get through, not because it was boring or anything, but because it was just so densely packed with information. It covers the history of Bigfoot, current research and researchers, the science behind Bigfoot, and just about anything else you'd want or need to know. It's based around the show of the same name, and it's definitely a great companion piece if you're a fan of the show, but even if you've never seen Finding Bigfoot, this is still an extremely useful book. It's written for a younger audience, but honestly, anyone from a complete novice to a Bigfoot expert will probably find something in this book of interest. I took so many notes and got so many ideas of topics to delve a little deeper into. 

2. Mindspeak: Tapping into Sasquatch and Science by Christopher Noel

This is the only book I bought especially for this month's research. I had heard Christopher Noel on a podcast and was curious about his ideas of both the link between autism in humans and Bigfoot behavior, as well as Bigfoot's ability to communicate telepathically. Obviously, these beliefs are pretty fringe in an already fringe topic, but I wanted to read more about it because I had recently had my own experience that may have included a telepathic communication. I was in Kanawha State Forest, sitting at a picnic table down in the Dunlop Hollow area. I had had a rough therapy appointment that morning, and just wanted to get out in nature and relax. So, I was sitting out there, reading a book and just enjoying the solitude of the surrounding woods. Before I left, I decided to clean up the area a little bit---someone had been out there recently, and there was quite a bit of trash strewn around. After gathering up as much as I could find and depositing it in the trash can, I heard a deep voice say 'thank you.' I looked around, thinking that maybe a park employee was in the area, but didn't see or hear anyone. I realized I heard the voice more in my head than I did with my ears. I could have easily imagined the voice, but I'd like to think there was a Bigfoot out there, appreciative of my efforts.  

3. Sasquatch: North America's Enduring Mystery by Rupert Matthews

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't have super high-hopes for it, but it was actually a really thorough look into the major Sasquatch/Bigfoot events in history. It was a quick read, and really helped me personally start making sense of all this data that I was being inundated with. I'd hear something being mentioned in a documentary or during a lecture and then come to a mention of it in this book. 

4. Bigfoot: On the Track of the Sasquatch by John Green

I wanted to make sure that I got in at least one book written by one of the classic, iconic authors of Bigfoot research, and luckily, I had this on my shelf. I THINK I had read it before, but it was nice taking another look now that I had a much better understanding of the events and people discussed in the book. My brittle, yellowed paperback copy contained both 'books' under this title and as I was reading it, I couldn't help thinking about what the original owner of this book thought when it was bought in the 1970's. I loved hearing John Green's own words on the topic, and I'm really glad that I made the time to include this one. 

A few of the other Bigfoot books I was hoping to get to in May

Bigfoot Workshop with Wild and Weird

So, if you've been following this blog over the last week, you may be wondering why all the Bigfoot articles. I've unofficially dubbed the month of May to be Bigfoot Month! All throughout the month, I've been reading books on Sasquatch, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts. Most importantly, on May 8th, I took part in the West Virginia High Strangeness Collective's Hands-On Bigfoot Workshop and Cook-Out, hosted by  Wild and Weird West Virginia!!

A group of Bigfoot and paranormal enthusiasts met on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon at Kanawha State Forest for an afternoon full of excellent information, hands-on demonstrations, great food, giveaways, and of course, some really fun conversations, all culminating in an actual after-dusk Bigfoot investigation. 

After introductions, Wild and Weird member Wayne Barnes, gave a talk about the history of Bigfoot. I filled several pages of notes on interesting facts and tidbits. It seems like cultures all over the world have been telling stories of hairy man-like creatures since their earliest records were kept. After Wayne's presentation, Ron Lanham gave some really helpful tips on what sort of information to collect and what types of questions to ask witnesses when compiling a report on potential monster activity. I learned that Bigfoot encounters were classed under an ABC classification system, based on how clear the sighting/evidence is, much like EVPs are. 

Later on, Joe Perdue went over his recommendations of tools and equipment that every Bigfoot researcher should have in their pack. It was interesting seeing this broad range of items needed for safety and evidence collection. I was also pleasantly surprised that most of the recommended items were quite affordable and easy to acquire---you don't really need to spend a TON of money on equipment, especially starting out. Joe also took the group out on the trail, and showed us some things to look for that might indicate potential Bigfoot movement in the area. It was a great introduction on how to differentiate between man-made, natural, and 'unknown' disturbances, such as broken tree branches. We also got to observe some bear tracks!  Each person got to pour their own 'bigfoot footprint' cast and take it home, which was a really cool bonus. The best way to learn something is to just try it out yourself, so it was nice to get the opportunity to practice casting a print without having to worry about messing up a REAL print out in the wild. 

Dave Roberts and Ron Lanham wrapped up the educational lectures with an absolutely groundbreaking talk on the use of sound in Bigfoot research. With input from Joe, they discussed how they were using multiple recorders to record and triangulate sounds over a wide expanse.  Apparently, there's only about one other researcher doing something similar, despite the overwhelming potential that this system affords! I'm definitely interested in seeing more about this technique and its results.

Unfortunately, I had to leave before the Bigfoot hunt, but I totally feel like I got my $20 worth! Dinner included grilled hot dogs and BBQ, with Joe's own awesome recipes. Some really cool prizes, such as a 'Squatch Stick' and a giant collapsible bucket for plaster mixing, were given out, and EVERYONE received a signed Bigfoot art print and buttons featuring iconic Bigfoot researchers/images. 

Overall, it was an awesome experience. I love being around and talking with other paranormal enthusiasts, and I love having the opportunity to learn from such dedicated and experienced researchers, right in the field. Kanawha State Forest actually has reported Bigfoot activity, so it was neat to be right there in the area while examining footprint casts and hearing data that was collected there. The guys at Wild and Weird did a wonderful job. It was a well-organized event, full of top-notch information. I think that anyone, from beginning to experienced Squatcher, could have come away from this event with some new perspective and some valuable information. All viewpoints on the Bigfoot phenomenon were discussed tactfully and with an open mind, and I felt totally comfortable asking questions or expressing an opinion. 

If you missed this hands-on workshop, you're not completely out of luck. From my understanding, Wild and Weird West Virginia will be hosting similar events in the future! Feel free to follow them at any of the links below for more information.  As always, stay spooky, ya'll. 

Wild and Weird West Virginia Podcast and Website

Wild and Weird UFO/Paranormal Talk Facebook Group

Wild and Weird West Virginia Facebook LIKE Page

Wild and Weird YouTube Channel

Celibate Sasquatch

 

You better think twice before getting yo' freak on within the confines of one of the United States' National Parks! 

Have you ever visited a National Park and felt the overwhelming urge to make love, right then and there? Fortunately, Celibate Sasquatch is watching...ready to remind you that it is illegal to do so, and that you should probably go rent a room, somewhere else. 

According to a blog post by Zack Rock, so many hippies were running around getting busy in national parks that it became threat to the environment and of course, common decency.  Therefore, in 1967 his ad firm partnered with the United States Parks Authority to create the Celibate Sasquatch campaign. Unfortunately, Celibate Sasquatch failed to become as big an icon as Smokey Bear, and was largely forgotten about, aside from the slang phrase 'sasquatching the celibate,' meaning to smoke tree bark. 

But, like most things you'll find here at Theresa's Haunted History, there's more to the story than meets the eye! I know I certainly wanted this ad campaign to be real, but it's not.

Zack Rock IS the creator of this wonderfully fun poster and character of Celibate Sasquatch.  However, instead of being created for a 1967 National Parks campaign, the poster was created in 2009 for a vintage-inspired ad contest on the Sugar Frosted Goodness blog. In fact, Zack was named one of three winners in the contest for his work on Celibate Sasquatch! 

I can only hope that if the parks system ever does find that overzealous lovemaking becomes an issue in the parks, they convince Zack to let them use Celibate Sasquatch!