I don’t often write about cryptids, but this month’s Legends and Lore is a tale from Miller County, Arkansas. This is the same area where a series of unsolved murders occurred in the 1940s. If you haven’t read my post about the Texarkana Phantom Killer, you can click this link.
Fouke, Arkansas is a tiny town of around 860 people located in the Texarkana metropolitan area. The Native American Caddo Tribe inhabited the area long before the European colonization of North America. Fouke was founded in 1890 by a Seventh-Day Baptist minister and his followers. The town got its name from James H. Fouke, an entrepreneur, lumberman, and railroad executive who helped the settlers establish their colony.
In the early 1970s, Fouke received nationwide attention due to several sightings and claims of a bigfoot-like creature. Reports described it as a large bipedal creature, around 7 feet tall, weighing 250-300 pounds, covered in long, dark hair, and having bright red eyes the size of a silver dollar. Witnesses also described a terrible odor—something like a cross between a skunk and a wet dog.
As with the case with many such tales, the creature “grew,” eventually becoming ten feet tall with a weight of 800 pounds.
The first sighting occurred on May 2, 1971, when the monster attacked the home of Bobby and Elizabeth Ford. According to Elizabeth, the creature reached through a screen window as she was sleeping. Her husband and brother chased the creature away, firing several shots at it, but no blood was found. There were three-toed footprints near the house as well as scratch marks and damage to a window.
The next sighting occurred on May 23 when three people reported seeing an ape-like creature crossing U. S. Highway 71. Over the next few months, more sightings occurred by local residents and tourists. A set of footprints were taken from a soybean field, but game wardens were unable to confirm their authenticity.
Interest increased, and a Little Rock radio station offered a $1,090.00 bounty on the creature. A strange amount, for sure. Attempts to track the monster using dogs were unsuccessful as they were unable to follow the scent.
After hunters became interested, the county sheriff was forced to put a temporary “no guns” policy in place for public safety reasons. Three people were fined for filing a “fraudulent monster report.”
Public interest began to wane until the 1972 docudrama horror film The Legend of Boggy Creek was released. It played in theaters around the country and became the eleventh highest-grossing film of that year.
Interest waned again by 1974 only to resurface when two brothers reported seeing tracks near Russellville, Arkansas. Since then there have been sporadic sightings in the state through the 1990s. One witness claimed to have seen the creature jump from a bridge in 1991.
Archeologist Frank Schambach determined there was a “99 percent chance the footprints were a hoax.” Schambach noted primates, including hominids, have five toes. Other anomalies included there was no history of primate activity in the area ruling out the possibility of the monster being a descendant of some indigenous species. The creature was also nocturnal whereas primates are diurnal.
Some Fouke public officials, including the mayor and former sheriff Leslie Greer, believed the tracks to be man-made. H. L. Phillips, a chief deputy at the time who took many phone calls related to the sightings said, “I don’t believe in it. But I’d say you don’t argue with people who say they’ve seen it. Many were respectable and responsible folks.”
What do you think? Hoax, vivid imaginations, real, or legend? Please share in the comments.
I will be taking a break for the rest of this week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. For those in the United States, I wish you a happy one. I’ll be back next week.
32 Responses
I think if it was a hoax, then folks are stupid to dress up in a primate outfit and risk getting shot for the bounty! And it’s hard to say all the witnesses were lying, especially when the deputy called many of the “respectable and responsible.”
For real, Priscilla! I agree that not all witnesses were lying.
Due to the sensible characters of many of the witnesses, I’d er on the side of them telling the truth. I wonder what prompted the reward sum? That is a decidedly strange figure. Thanks for sharing, Joan, and happy thanksgiving for Thursday 💕🙂
I think some were legit sightings of “something.” Others always want their fifteen minutes of fame.
I’m curious if the radio station was 1090 on the dial. I think it was probably a hoax, but kind of a fun one.
I wondered about 1090 on the dial. That was back in the days of AM radio. I believe that some people actually saw “something,” but others turned it into a hoax.
I believe there are people who intentionally fuel the fire of fake sightings, but I also believe there are people who see “something” when they report sightings. What they see, I don’t know. But I would absolutely take their character into consideration. Scientists find new-to-us species all the time, so I won’t say it’s impossible. But some of these cryptids are pretty big to have gone undetected for so long. It’s fun to consider, to say the least. Thanks, Joan.
I agree. There are people who have legitimately seen something. I also think there would be some evidence (a carcass or other evidence) if they really exist. But who knows? Like you say, unknown species are found all the time.
Interesting story. I think that some people saw something inexplicable at first, but the story sort of took on a life of its own, as tends to happen, and that some of the reports were hoaxes. I also wonder if there is any connection to the so-called Skunk Ape, given the reported skunk smell.
I agree, Jeannie. I do wonder about the skunk ape. A lot of people who have purported to have seen a sasquatch say there is a distinct smell.
Probably a hoax, Joan, since we’re finding that human beings will believe anything. But who knows. On one hand, I kind of like the idea of these creature sightings being real. On the other hand… not so much! Happy Thanksgiving.
Humans are gullible. I agree with you. The thought of an unknown creature lurking about… Something to consider.
I say hoax for all the reasons you gave in your post. Well done, Joan.
Thanks so much, John.
😊
I’d probably say hoax except for the poor wife sleeping and having something reach in her window. That struck me as real. So…. maybe???
Who knows, Judi? I think some of the sightings were probably legit, but others not so much.
I think once a sighting is reported what follows are probably a hoax. I wonder about the three toes though. Could have been something else. Bigfoot was sure active in the 70s though. Happy Thanksgiving xo
I agree Denise. The three toes are unusual. Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Monsters? Cryptids? Hoax or not, you know I live for this stuff, Joan. I want to say I remember watching the movie, but now I’m not sure. I’m going to have to look it up.
Thanks for a great post and Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
I believe there are some legit sightings of “unknowns,” but as with everything else, there are hoaxes and also people who want their fifteen minutes of fame and will claim anything.
I’m pretty sure I saw the movie a long time ago.
I believe there are folks who genuinely believe they saw something, real or not, but then there are others who like to sensationalize things. Like Diana, I also like the idea that some sightings are real. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Joan!
I agree. Some genuinely believe, and others just latched on to the story for one reason or another. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well!
You never know. I don’t believe it possible for a ten foot, 800 pound creature to hide, but you never know. There are things out there we don’t know about yet. Something to consider.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Strange things have happened. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
Sounds like a power of suggestion thing–but one never knows . . . Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
Thanks, Liz. And a Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
You’re welcome, Joan.
I’m not sure how it stays hidden, but stranger things have happened. It’s kind of like UFO’s, with so many supposed sightings it’s hard to completely discount them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
You’d think there would be some evidence. But as you say a lot of people have seen unexplained things.
Fun post, Joan. I’m skeptical, but I do try to keep an open mind. After all, scientists discover new animals (and new facts about “old” ones) all the time.
I suspect the size descriptions of this one (and Bigfoot, Sasquatch, etc.) are probably exaggerated. Fear can do that. And some of the sightings are surely hoaxes. But I won’t absolutely rule out the possibility of a large(ish) hominid or two being out there somewhere, even if we haven’t yet proven they exist. And who knows? It might turn out that they aren’t even Abominable. 😁
These things do seem to grow in size and stature. I agree, who knows what unknowns exist?