Celebrating 53 Years of the Fouke Monster & Bigfoot Fever

In May of 1971, Bobby Ford told police that he was attacked by a large, hairy creature in Fouke, Arkansas. Police searched the area and reported finding several large tracks. And since that moment, over the last 53 years, there's been dozens of sightings of the Fouke Monster. And even more movies, documentaries, books and a whole lot more. Even the Arkansas Tourism Bureau calls Fouke the "Bigfoot Capital of Arkansas".

Sightings have become more sporadic over the years. But, while reports have become few and far between, fascination with the creatures continues to be just as strong today as it was in May of 1971.

Origins of the Fouke Monster & Arkansas' Bigfoot Fever

The first sighting of Fouke happened in May of 1971, as noted above. But between that first sighting and 1974, there were dozens of reports. A variety of tracks & claw marks were found during that time. People described it as a giant skunk ape - a 7 foot tall monstrosity that smelled terrible. The Fouke Monster, as named by Jim Powell of the Texarkana Gazette, was blamed for everything from missing live stock to attacks on people.

If you go back and read the history of the time, it was pretty wild. Miller County Sheriff Leslie Greer had to institute a 'no gun' policy to prevent people from shooting each other while trying to gun down the monster. People got fined for filing 'fraudulent monster reports'. It was a wild, wild time.

But, and I guess this is the million dollar question, was any of it real?

READ MORE: Unsolved Texarkana Murders Remain a Mystery After 78 Years

Is There Any Truth to Fouke Monster & the Legend of Boggy Creek?

This is, and probably always will be, a hot topic. For the most part, the reports were made by upstanding citizens. People who were respectable and responsible. People that folks believed. These weren't stoned college kids trying to have a good time at the expensive of the police, these were normal people who saw what they claim to be a monster. As former Miller County Deputy H.L. Philipps once stated to the AP news: "I don't believe in it. But I'd say you don't argue with people who say they've seen it. Many were respectable and responsible folks".

So, the question remains was it real or not? And I guess it all depends on who you ask. According to archaeologist Frank Schmarbach, there's a "99% chance the tracks are a hoax". However, if you talked to the Ford family (the family that made the initial report), it was anything but a hoax. According to reports from the time, the family was terrified after the attack and immediately moved out - despite only owning the house and property for about a week.

The Game Warden and other experts at the time said the prints having 3 toes mean it wasn't an ape...but they stopped short of saying the tracks were man made. So, was it man made? Was it a bear that looked weird in the moonlight? Was it a monster? We'll probably never actually know the answer to that question.

The Legacy of the Fouke Monster Continues to this Day

Whether you're a believer or non-believer in the Fouke Monster, you can't deny the last impact it has made. The Legend of Boggy Creek was one of the top grossing films of 1972 and has gone on to be a cult classic. The film was directed by Texarkana resident Charles B. Pierce. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he directed another locally based film The Town That Dreaded Sundown about the Phantom Killer of Texarkana.

There are dozens of books written about the Fouke Monster, most of which can be found on Amazon. Annually, there's a Fouke Monster Festival that celebrates the legend of the creature and helps raise scholarship money for Fouke High seniors.

There's a 'Monster Mart' that not only serves up tasty treats and Monster Memorabilia, but also actively works to preserve the legacy of the Fouke Monster. The state of Arkansas calls Fouke the "Bigfoot Capital of Arkansas".

And that's just scratching the surface. I could spend all die writing about the lasting impact of the Fouke Monster. While sightings may have tapered off, interest certainly has not.