THE BEAST OF BOGGY CREEK: The True Story of the Fouke Monster (28 page)

The term “Sundown Town” is used to identify towns or cities that are suspected of resisting integration, specifically when it comes to African Americans. One basis for being labeled a Sundown Town is the number of African American, Hispanic, or other races living in the town versus the number of Caucasians. Another basis is whether any racist laws were ever on the town’s law books. In the case of Fouke, no such formal laws existed, but there is no denying that the town has always been populated by an almost exclusive Caucasian demographic and was resistant to integration at some point in the past. This being so, whispers spread that “blacks” were not welcome and, at times, outsiders joked that the Fouke Monster was created to keep it that way.

To make matters worse, an old Pepsi promotional item became an unintentional player in the Sundown saga when it was offered to Fouke as a “Grand Prize.” Sometime in the 1940s, a painted statue of a black man pointing into the air was bestowed upon the town. Its intention was to point at a nearby sign which advertised Pepsi-Cola for five cents. However, at some point someone turned the statue so that it seemed to point out of town. Whether intentional or not, this was interpreted as saying “blacks turn around and leave,” or as the name Sundown Town suggests, “… don’t let the sun set on you in this town… or else.”

The Pepsi-Cola promotional statue pictured sometime in the 1940s.
(Courtesy of the Miller County Historical Society)

Regretful as it was, the statue remained that way until the 1960s when one local man finally had enough. Under the cover of night, he backed his truck up to the figure, threw it into the bed of his truck, and drove off. He then made his way down to the Sulphur River where he heaved it into the muddy water. The out-dated promotional statue sunk to the bottom, never to be seen again.

The statue and its all-white population did not reflect well on the town, so that when the civil rights movement gained momentum in the late 1960s, right about the time the Jonesville/Fouke Monster sightings were becoming more frequent, it was inevitable that some would theorize that the town may have concocted the monster as a warning to minority outsiders. But like the moonshiner theory, there is little to suggest that these two elements had any connection whatsoever. First, the town was not being threatened by an influx of minority visitors or residents, so it would seem unlikely that it would need something as far fetched as a monster to keep it that way. The statue had already proved to be an uncomfortable icon. What more could a fictional monster do?

And just as in the moonshine case, the reluctance by the witnesses to spread their tales suggests that this would be contrary to the desired effect of spreading the monster story as far and wide as possible. How would minorities be “warned” unless the word was spread to the outside world? Many Fouke residents I spoke to had heard this particular theory, yet again, no real source could be traced back to confirm it.

The facts surrounding the Sundown Town theory are not pretty, but this was a dark facet of life during America’s formative years, not just for Fouke, but for other places as well. The rationale behind segregation seems old fashioned and cruel now, but in those days it was a part of the culture.

Hidden Hominoid

The last major theory holds that the Fouke Monster is some sort of unknown biological entity, specifically a large bipedal primate that has existed beyond the reach of modern science. In simple terms: a Sasquatch-type creature.

As we all know, circumstantial bits of Bigfoot evidence, such as blurry videos, sighting reports, or footprint casts, have been scrutinized for years by numerous cryptozoologists, scientists, amateur researchers, and television shows, but as of yet, there is no definitive proof one way or another. The various theories regarding Bigfoot’s existence are wide ranging and have been the subject of countless books, but in the interest of the Fouke Monster, we will consider only that which has come to light in this case. If such a creature does exist, it may ultimately be linked to a larger family of unlisted primates nationwide, but for now it will be treated on its own merits as a creature indigenous to the four state area where it appears to dwell.

In this regard, to be a flesh and blood animal, it would require proper habitat, food, water, and a breeding population. There could not be a single “Fouke Monster.” A family is required. The creatures would also require a suitable habitat where they could thrive, a place that would provide plenty of cover far from the eyes of humanity, otherwise they would not be able to endure so long without discovery.

There is no doubt people in the area have seen an entity that they believe to be a seven-foot hairy man-like primate, so it can only be assumed that on occasion the creatures are willing to venture from their swampy stronghold closer to the boundaries of civilization. It is on those occasions that they come into contact with some lucky—or perhaps unlucky—witness, as the case may be.

Could such creatures even exist near Fouke? If the area is not remote enough or could not support a population of large creatures, then the validity of this final theory is diminished right out of the gate. Fortunately, however, it seems that if our mystery beast is indeed a living, breathing hominoid, then it has chosen a likely stomping ground. In fact, it couldn’t be more ideal.

8. The Burden of Proof

Land of the Southern Sasquatch

“He always travels the creeks.” So say the locals. And certainly there are plenty of muddy tributaries, leading from the deep reaches of the Arkansas bottomlands to the edges of civilization, that the alleged creature could follow. In fact, if we were to go looking for a such a thing as a “Southern Sasquatch,” this would be a logical place to start. The area is not only a marshy bottomland, but a densely forested region that has all the necessary ingredients to host an animal like the one reportedly seen near Fouke.

As I mentioned previously, Boggy Creek, Days Creek, and the other bodies of water in the area are considered part of the Sulphur River Basin or Sulphur River “Watershed.” This great network of waterways provides some of the best habitat for supporting natural wildlife in the southern states area, and perhaps not surprisingly, Fouke sits almost smack dab in the middle of the richest concentration of forestland in the four state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. By combining the total forestland at the intersection of these four states, which is only miles from Fouke, we arrive at a staggering 65 million acres, or 100,000 square miles.

Investigators Daryl Colyer and Alton Higgins of the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy have built a convincing case that the forestlands and bayous in question would be ideal for harboring the target species:

While the forestlands of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma may be somewhat more parceled, or discontinuous, than northwestern forests, it is obvious that they are enormous in scope and depth, contrary to the misperceptions of some. Wildlife biologist Dr. John Bindernagel, who visited the region in 2001 and 2002, was struck by the richness and scope of the region’s forests, which are predominantly mixed deciduous, as opposed to the largely coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Bindernagel recognized the value and productivity of deciduous forests in terms of wildlife habitat and he pointed out that large species of mammals living in the southern forests would almost certainly require smaller home ranges than in northern coniferous forests.

Almost without exception, reported Sasquatch sightings occur near water. This is even true with the relatively few reports originating in the drier regions of Texas and Oklahoma, where Sasquatches are reportedly seen generally on or near waterways or lakes in thick brush or dense riparian vegetation. Most wildlife researchers and hunters would quickly reinforce the observation that many mammalian species often use rivers and creeks as travel routes. Since water is essential for the cycle of life, animals regularly congregate near or at least dwell primarily in areas featuring bodies of fresh water. Both Texas and Oklahoma have an abundance of rivers, creeks, swamps, reservoirs and lakes, particularly in their eastern regions. It is also reasonable for a large number of reported sightings to occur in or around swamps, river bottoms or bayous, since a reclusive, shy animal would find seclusion and sanctuary in such areas.

When a river basins map is viewed with an overlay of reported encounters and an annual rainfall overlay, it becomes evident that most alleged sightings have occurred along waterways and lakes and in areas with thirty-five inches or more of annual rainfall. Many reported sightings in Northeast Texas have occurred in the Red River Basin along the Sulphur River or Red River and/or their adjoining reservoirs or creeks. Many reported encounters have also occurred in the Red/Sulphur River watershed in southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas and Northeast Texas.

Given the data, it would appear that this area—perhaps more than most—would be capable of supporting a small population of large hairy mammals. The vast region of riparian woodlands and river networks, especially those that spread south from Fouke, would provide plenty of places to live, eat, and hide far from the eyes of humanity. It would only be on those rare occasions when the creatures ventured out of the bottomlands, that they could be seen in shadowy glimpses. Famed Sasquatch researcher John Green of British Columbia tends to agree with this scenario. In his definitive book,
Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us,
he writes: “If the bottomlands do indeed provide the habitat for hairy bipeds it is not at all necessary that all the sighting should take place there. It would be when they ventured out into the inhabited territory or crossed roads that they would be most likely to be seen, and that is in accord with the reports.”

Some theorize that the creature’s occasional ventures into more inhabited areas can be attributed to a rise in water level. During times of heavy rainfall or runoff, the bottomlands can become flooded, thereby forcing the creature to retreat to higher ground. This, in some cases, may result in the creature having to tread closer to civilization than it normally prefers. Several people who have lived in Fouke all of their life, and followed the creature’s sightings, told me that they have seen a correlation between the amount of seasonal rainfall and the number of sightings.

Since the area of prime habitat extends well beyond Fouke, it would stand to reason that creatures fitting the general description of the Fouke Monster are likely to be spotted throughout the four-state region. And that is precisely the case. As we learned earlier, stories of “wild men” in the area date back to the 1800s. In modern times, eyewitness accounts of mysterious ape-like beasts continue to be reported throughout the region with a staggering consistency. Encounters have been reported in more than a dozen Arkansas counties, including the nearby Lafayette and Little River counties, as well as others across the state such as Union, Ouachita, Logan, Montgomery, Saline, Baxter, Benton, and Hot Springs.

Counties near Fouke, Arkansas

In Little River County, just north of Miller County, several encounters with large, hairy bipeds have been reported along the Red River. In 1969, near the town of Alleene, several witnesses reported seeing an unexplained creature while on a camping trip. One was seen when a female camper got up during the night to relieve herself. As she walked from the tent, she was frightened by a large “half man, half ape looking creature” watching her from the edge of the trees. The creature was standing like a human with a slightly stooped posture, in full view approximately 15-20 feet away. It towered an estimated seven feet tall and had 4-6 inch fur on thetorso with shorter fur around the head and face. Its eyes seemed to glow with an eerie red bioluminescence.