Read Online THE BEAST OF BOGGY CREEK: The True Story of the Fouke Monster by Lyle Blackburn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lyle Blackburn
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Society, its population “varied between two hundred and five hundred during its fourteen year history.”
The Historical Society also lists several prominent town members and mill workers, including planer manager Will Crabtree. The Crabtree family will later come to play a significant role in the Fouke Monster sightings, so it’s interesting to note that they were living in Boggytown during that era.
Boggytown was located near the point where Boggy Creek crosses old Highway 71. Standing there today, it’s hard to imagine that at one time a little town bustling with gambling establishments, saloons, hotels, stores, and a post office thrived at the lonely spot, since not a single trace of it remains. Apparently, the Arkansas landscape hides evidence of its ghost towns well and, presumably, its monsters, too.
And indeed I could find no historical sightings, or even rumors, of a hairy monster stalking Boggy Creek during the heyday of Boggytown, despite the increased human presence in the area. It wasn’t until after the demise of the Boggy Mill in 1904 that people began to hear whispers that something strange may be lurking there. Perhaps it was coincidence, or perhaps it was the result of encroaching deforestation, that began to draw the monster out of the bottoms.
As I mentioned previously, Willie Smith went on the record claiming that his sister had seen the monster around 1908 in the vicinity of the old Boggytown location. After some further research and interviews with locals, I discovered that the sister Smith referred to is Kate Savell. I had heard of Kate’s sighting, and when I mentioned Smith’s claim, I was told that his sister and this woman were one and the same. I have spoken to other anonymous sources who claim that someone else—possibly a member of their own family—was the source of this sighting, dating it at around the same time, between the years of 1904 and 1910. Understandably, it’s hard to pin down an exact date or a precise recollection a century later, but suffice to say, one or possibly more incidents occurred at the end of the Boggytown era that could be attributed to our mystery animal.
Another sighting occurred in 1916, although in this case it took place approximately 19 miles west of Fouke near Wright-Patman Lake in Texas. While it may seem like a considerable distance, it is worth noting that the incident took place near the origin of the Sulphur River, which is part of the larger waterway network that includes Boggy Creek. The story was reported by a retired geologist whose grandparents lived in a place called Knight’s Bluff west of Queen City, Texas, and just south of the Sulphur River. Today there is still a campground on the edge of Wright-Patman Lake called Knight’s Bluff, but the true Knight’s Bluff was covered by water when the lake was created by the U.S. Army Core of Engineers in 1953.
According to the geologist, the incident happened on a summer night in 1916 when his grandmother was 18. She often told the story of what went on that night and the days to follow, so he and his family knew it well. On the night in question, his grandparents were returning home from town, navigating their mule-drawn wagon across the rough country roads. The moon was high and bright so visibility was good. As they turned onto the lane leading to their farmhouse, the mules began to act up as if they were spooked by something. Thinking that perhaps a snake was lying in the road, her father peered ahead, but saw nothing. A few seconds later they heard a strange noise coming from the east pasture, something like an eerie high-pitched wail or howl. The mules heaved as the family struggled to see what had made the noise. After a few moments, they saw a tall figure emerge from the dark line of trees adjacent to the field and walk out into the moonlight. His grandmother described it as being “tall or taller than a man and covered with long, dark hair.” She also noted that “it stood
The Historical Society also lists several prominent town members and mill workers, including planer manager Will Crabtree. The Crabtree family will later come to play a significant role in the Fouke Monster sightings, so it’s interesting to note that they were living in Boggytown during that era.
Boggytown was located near the point where Boggy Creek crosses old Highway 71. Standing there today, it’s hard to imagine that at one time a little town bustling with gambling establishments, saloons, hotels, stores, and a post office thrived at the lonely spot, since not a single trace of it remains. Apparently, the Arkansas landscape hides evidence of its ghost towns well and, presumably, its monsters, too.
And indeed I could find no historical sightings, or even rumors, of a hairy monster stalking Boggy Creek during the heyday of Boggytown, despite the increased human presence in the area. It wasn’t until after the demise of the Boggy Mill in 1904 that people began to hear whispers that something strange may be lurking there. Perhaps it was coincidence, or perhaps it was the result of encroaching deforestation, that began to draw the monster out of the bottoms.
As I mentioned previously, Willie Smith went on the record claiming that his sister had seen the monster around 1908 in the vicinity of the old Boggytown location. After some further research and interviews with locals, I discovered that the sister Smith referred to is Kate Savell. I had heard of Kate’s sighting, and when I mentioned Smith’s claim, I was told that his sister and this woman were one and the same. I have spoken to other anonymous sources who claim that someone else—possibly a member of their own family—was the source of this sighting, dating it at around the same time, between the years of 1904 and 1910. Understandably, it’s hard to pin down an exact date or a precise recollection a century later, but suffice to say, one or possibly more incidents occurred at the end of the Boggytown era that could be attributed to our mystery animal.
Another sighting occurred in 1916, although in this case it took place approximately 19 miles west of Fouke near Wright-Patman Lake in Texas. While it may seem like a considerable distance, it is worth noting that the incident took place near the origin of the Sulphur River, which is part of the larger waterway network that includes Boggy Creek. The story was reported by a retired geologist whose grandparents lived in a place called Knight’s Bluff west of Queen City, Texas, and just south of the Sulphur River. Today there is still a campground on the edge of Wright-Patman Lake called Knight’s Bluff, but the true Knight’s Bluff was covered by water when the lake was created by the U.S. Army Core of Engineers in 1953.
According to the geologist, the incident happened on a summer night in 1916 when his grandmother was 18. She often told the story of what went on that night and the days to follow, so he and his family knew it well. On the night in question, his grandparents were returning home from town, navigating their mule-drawn wagon across the rough country roads. The moon was high and bright so visibility was good. As they turned onto the lane leading to their farmhouse, the mules began to act up as if they were spooked by something. Thinking that perhaps a snake was lying in the road, her father peered ahead, but saw nothing. A few seconds later they heard a strange noise coming from the east pasture, something like an eerie high-pitched wail or howl. The mules heaved as the family struggled to see what had made the noise. After a few moments, they saw a tall figure emerge from the dark line of trees adjacent to the field and walk out into the moonlight. His grandmother described it as being “tall or taller than a man and covered with long, dark hair.” She also noted that “it stood
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