Stan – a week after the Incident at Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery (June 25th, 2011)  I was contacted by Larry Wilson and we talked about an investigation and findings that he and Chris Mason had been involved in at the cemetery. I asked Larry if he would like to write up a report and allow me to post it here. The following is that report.
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Date of Incident
June 28, 2011
Time of Incident
10:30 pm (approximately)
Location
Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery (Sangamon County-Illinois)
Witnesses: Larry Wilson,  Chris Mason
On Tuesday evening June 28, 2011, I along with fellow paranormal investigator Chris Mason arrived at the Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery in rural Sangamon County near the small town of Glenarm, Illinois a little before 10:00pm.
Chris and I are both paranormal investigators and had previously talked about trying to find the cemetery to check it out for a possible paranormal investigation. Upon finding the location, we decided to do a quick walk through of the cemetery to see if anything of a paranormal nature was occurring and to check out the cemeteries layout.
We also had heard from other local paranormal sources that a group of paranormal investigators had been pelted with rocks or dirt clods thrown from the tree line around the cemetery [see Incident at Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery].
This occurred less than one week ago and during a paranormal investigation. We had also heard of several recent sightings of large tracks or foot prints in the Covered Bridge area of rural Sangamon County which is not far from the cemetery.
[see Footprints in Chatham].
Chris Mason and I both felt that the throwing of stones sounded like classic Squatch activity and because of this we decided to check the tree line around the cemetery to look for possible signs of what may have been throwing the stones at the paranormal group.
This is when we found the following.
In the Southeast corner of the cemetery property and next to an opening in the fence line, we found a mound of fairly soft clay. As we were looking around the mound of dirt, we noticed what looked like a fairly large foot print. Upon further examining the foot print, it was apparent that whatever had been walking there was barefoot. In the same proximity we discovered two other foot prints which were approximately the same size. We estimated the size of the prints to be at least fourteen inches long. The foot prints were also barefoot.
One of three  14 inch footprints found in soft clay near the southeast corner of Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery.
The tracks were headed away from the cemetery and towards the southeast. Because we had not planned on doing anything more than a walkthrough of the cemetery we did not have our usual camera and lighting equipment with us, so we took several photos of the footprints with Chris Mason’s cell phone camera. We also noticed that approximately 75 feet or so and to the North of the footprints a fairly good sized tree of maybe 3 to 4 inches in circumference had been snapped and bent over. The tree was located next to but outside of the fence.
Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery
# 1 – location where the three footprints were found in soft clay.
# 2 – location where the tree had been snapped and bent over.
The area surrounding the cemetery is rural, the cemetery itself has a fence around the rear part of the graveyard however the best that we could tell in the darkness is that it looked like there was an open field to the rear of the cemetery and it appeared that on the other side of the open field there may be more substantial tree coverage. But unfortunately due to the darkness and lack of lighting equipment, we could not determine any further details of the surrounding terrain.
We then left the cemetery around 11:00pm.
Larry Wilson
What's the deal with the cemetery? If you accept the size estimate of the ghost hunters at 7' and these prints around 14" would this indicate a juvenile male or a female? Why the territorial displays in the cemetery? Is there a food source in the cemetery? Fruit trees or something like in the initial footprint story in the lady's backyard?
Of course we can not ascertain if the footprints belonged to what the ghost hunters saw, the sighting and the footprints were found several days apart. Plus, many believe that these animals are usually in a family group. There is no food source, other than leaves. My assumption is that squatches frequent cemeteries for the same reason that they are frequently seen in campgrounds, golf course, power line right-of-ways and gravel pits. And that reason being that they go to those places because it gives them the ability to observe humans. And also to interact with humans, either by throwing rocks, throwing sticks, yelling or breaking branches, all things that seem to get peoples attention.
Furthermore I believe that squatches seek out humans to mess with us. Are we their Saturday night entertainment?. Hundreds of reports would suggest just that.
For discussions on cemeteries and squatches please check out the following links.
Cemeteries & Ghosts & Squatches
Cemeteries and Squatches, Pt. 2
Cemeteries and Squatches, Pt. 3
Thanks Stan. That's extremely interesting information.
I am curious about the height and print measurements. One of the questions I have is this: do you think there is a variance in size across the population as a whole between those present in Illinois and those in other areas? Do you think we have the giants here?
Another question I have is: are these cemeteries possibly along common routes of travel for these animals? You seem to suggest that they might seek them out as recreation. However, I would think that would almost certainly be coupled with a more practical purpose like a source of food that's further but on a line from the creek to the cemetery.
Finally as regards the behaviors these witnesses experienced and some of the things you described from Shelby county, you don't translate these as territorial displays? What do you think they consider their territory? Would it be a large area or more localized like just the area immediately around them at the time? Would they attempt to protect a place or a route?
In Illinois we do not have a large set of casts of footprints. I have seen prints ranging from 9 inches to 18 inches. So yes, I would agree that we do have something very large in many of our woods. Any animal, whether it be bobcat, fox, cougar have a large territory and travel around in their home range. There is no indication that these animal migrate in Illinois as we find footprints during all months of the year. Until the time comes that these animals are observed in their daily lives we will be left with many questions.
In the 90,s i lived in Auburn it was the first time i learn about the Cumberland Sugar Creek Cemetery. I heard all the folk lore about the cemetery i didnt pay much mind about the stories about So one summer day i went out there to see how much facts was to the stories i heard i never been afraid to ever be in a cemetery when i started my search i felt that someone else was in that cemetery beside me it was so bad i was looking around for another person and no one was there. i return to my car which was parked on the north entrance of the cemetery and when i left i drove thru the cemetery and seen no one and exit thru the south entrance and never return. this is not a made up story but the truth of what happen to me out there