Friday, April 22, 1887

Wild Man Of The Woods

Decatur Daily Review

An alleged wild man of the woods is making life miserable for rustics of Logan county.

Tuesday, July 06, 1976

It speaks softly, carries a big foot

Rockford Morning Star

17-inch tracks found

Dixon – Is Big Foot, the huge, legendary man-like creature whose existence never has been documented, visiting the Lowell Park area near hear [sp] ?

That’s a quesiton being asked by some Dixon area residents after 17-inch-long footprints were discovered Monday at the edge of the Rock River, a short distance north of the heavily-timbered 200-acre park, two miles north of Dixon.

The two clearly-defined footprints were of flatish feet, with five toes of nearly equal length. One print was of the right foot; the other a left footprint and the stride between the two prints was 40 inches. There also were several heelprints.

The prints measured 8 3/4 inches wide at the ball of the foot.

An unidentified fisherman, who was in the park early in the morning, said he found “park benches were thrown around and big footprints all around them.”

By afternoon, however, the only big tracks that could be found were upstream from the park in a deserted area. The prints ended at the riverbank.

Lou Gerdes, who has a cottage nearby, at first said “maybe I did it. I have the biggest feet around here.”

But when Gerdes feet were measured, they turned out to be only 11 inches long, six inches short of the Big Foot tracks.

Dixon Police Officer Howard Kendell, who has been on duty in Lowell Park since April 16, said he had not seen any sign of any creature resembling Big Foot.

Thursday, June 30, 1988

Area man recalls encounter with infamous Bigfoot monster.

By Joe Jones

Lawrenceville Daily Record

Bigfoot, Yeti, abominable snowman, Big Muddy Monster, the missing link.

Whatever the name, wherever the sighting, the description is basically the same – large, hairy, upright-walking creatures that continue to mystify and terrify.

While persons who swear they have seen the elusive beasts are sometimes brushed aside as kooks or over imbibers of distilled spirits, most are dead-sure of what they saw.

Darwin Hart, 50, Route 1, Claremont, recalls his experience as vividly as the night it happened – about 35 years ago – near Lawrenceville.

“There were five of us, two girls and three boys, going swimming in the gravel pits north of Lawrenceville,” Hart said from his residence in rural Richland County.

“We were in a 1952 Ford and were driving along a gravel road that led to the pits when this…thing…crossed the road in front of the car. We stopped, it stopped in front of our car’s headlights, and just stared.

“It made no sound and I don’t remember any particular odor. The thing was about seven or seven-and-a-half-feet tall and thin, not wide like a gorilla, and covered with brownish-gray hair. Its face was completely hair covered and the head was pointed. What I remember most was the length of its arms. They were very long and hung below the knee.”

Hart, who was about 15 at the time of the sighting, said the five went on to the pits and went swimming, but it was nearly 20 minutes before anyone brought up what they had seen.

“Someone, probably me, the ’mouth of the group,’ asked ’Did you see what I saw?,’” Hart said. “Everyone answered that they had. We weren’t really scared, but it was like we were all mesmerized and not quite sure of what had happened.”

After telling the story to his parents, Hart said many of his friends at school laughed off the sighting as a tall tale and he decided to keep the story quiet.

It was only after reading of recent sightings of the so-called Big Muddy Monster near Murphysboro that he consented to retell his story.

“I’m not crazy and I would stand on a stack of Bibles and swear to what I saw,” he added. “Others in the group could corroborate the story. I haven’t mentioned their names, only because I haven’t had contact with them for some time. Two live in Oklahoma and I’m not sure where two are now. But we all saw the same thing, whatever it was.”

Hart said the creature was no more than 20-30 feet from the vehicle and in plain view of the car lights.

“It crashed off into the woods and we went on and swam. That was a long time ago, but with all the sightings around, it makes you wonder if they live in pairs and if some offspring are still around. And it brings to mind that they must eat to survive. Are they vegetarians or meat-eaters?”

And do they still frequent the local gravel pits on nocturnal visits?

Monday, January 26, 1974

Aurora comes clean . . . it’s ‘Abominable’

Elgin Daily Courier – News

Geneva – The Abominable Snowman – or his counter-part – has been sighted in Aurora, according to persons here who wish to remain anonymous.

Other Aurorans refer to the “monster” as Big Mo. It is said to be huge, hairy, of dirty white color and with a “peculiar” howl.

Some residents report that dead dogs have been found with their throats torn out.

Others say they have seen footprints similar to a barefoot man but much larger and with longer toes.

The “thing” is supposed to be in the North Lake Street region where there is a tunnel leading to the river.

It is said to have been in the area for about three weeks.

Kane County Sheriff’s police say they’ve had no reports on wild animals or strange happenings.

They didn’t seem surprised at the question, however.

Friday, July 26, 1929

Gorilla Scare Ends

Oshkosk, Wisconsin, Daily Wisconsin

Freeport, Ill. – (AP) – The terrible gorilla which yesterday, had Elizabeth, Ill., agog, astir and aghast had shrunk today to a monkey, if that.

The farm women who locked themselves indoors, and their men folk who went forth with guns and grim determined faces were breathing more easily. The ‘gorilla’ they wanted was the one who started the story.

Friday, July 26, 1929

Illinois Village Now Engaged In Big Gorilla Hunt

Middlesboro (KY) Daily News

Elizabeth, Ill., (U.P.) – This community was engaged in a great gorilla hunt today.

Posse of farmers searched the countryside for a huge Simian. The “big boy” first observed in a big patch of woods just outside of this town late yesterday, is believed to have escaped a carnival at Savanna, twenty miles from here.

He was wandering around about aimlessly, reports here stated. Housewives barricaded their doors as men folks sought the unwelcome guest.