The discovery of footprints at a construction site in 1958 coincided with the advent of television and modern media, which amplified the story and captured the imagination of Americans, leading to a national fascination with Bigfoot.
Ray Wallace was a contractor who, according to his son, admitted to creating fake Bigfoot footprints using wooden feet to hoax the public. His actions in the 1950s are credited with sparking the modern Bigfoot craze, though many researchers had long suspected him of involvement in hoaxes.
Bigfoot is described as being around 7 feet tall, covered in dark, auburn-colored hair, with broad shoulders, a flat face, and a cone-shaped head. It walks upright and leaves footprints ranging from 12 to 22 inches long.
The Wendigo is a Native American legend of a cannibalistic, man-eating creature that roams the forests. It is often described as tall, thin, and with glowing eyes, similar to some Bigfoot-like creatures. The legend may have been influenced by actual sightings of hairy, man-like beings.
The Patterson-Gimlin film, shot in 1967, is one of the most famous pieces of evidence for Bigfoot. It shows a female Bigfoot walking away from the camera. While some claim it is a hoax, others argue that the creature's gait and movement are unlike that of a man in a suit, making it a genuine sighting.
In 1969, near Bossburg, Washington, 1,089 footprints were discovered, indicating a creature with a deformed right foot. The sheer number of tracks and their remote location made it difficult to dismiss as a hoax, leading many researchers to believe they were genuine evidence of Bigfoot.
The Farmer City Monster was a large, hairy creature reported in 1970 near Farmer City, Illinois. Witnesses described it as having glowing yellow eyes and a foul odor. The creature was blamed for killing livestock and terrorizing locals before disappearing without a trace.
The Murfreesboro Mud Monster was a large, hairy creature reported in 1973 near Murfreesboro, Illinois. Witnesses described it as having glowing pink eyes and a muddy, whitish appearance. The sightings made national headlines, and despite extensive searches, no definitive explanation was found for the creature's existence.
Evidence includes numerous eyewitness accounts, plaster casts of large footprints, hair and feces samples that resist identification, and audio recordings of vocalizations that do not match human vocal patterns. However, no definitive proof, such as a captured specimen, has been found.
Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate)Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream)Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV)IN THIS EPISODE: It all started with a bunch of footprints at a construction site. Or at least the modern-day fascination with “Bigfoot” did. Stories of hairy giants in the woods and wandering “wild men” had been a part of American lore for nearly two centuries by the time the nickname “Bigfoot” was coined in the late 1950s. But it was then, with the advent of television and the modern media, that chasing down giants in the woods became a national craze. SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…Taken from the book, "Cabinet of Curiosities" by Troy Taylor: https://amzn.to/3EMhYRz)Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: July 08, 2018SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/truebigfootstories