Fact or Fiction
Do you believe in Monsters? Have you ever heard of such a thing in Monroe County?
In the debate over whether or not the 1965 Monroe Monster was real or a hoax, many lose sight of the facts and background of Bigfoot or Sasquatch history. Throughout my search I found no such evidence that anyone of the names listed in the local newspaper had a flair for closet Bigfoot impersonation, and I am not certain the word "Bigfoot" was even a household name then, and yet, a witness or witnesses of such an experience were roundly ridiculed for reporting it.
In the eyes of thousands who have witnessed this anomaly it comes at a cost. Some typically loose their bowels involuntarily or suffer from leaky bladders upon sight of these things. While for others, they may seem forever trapped between sleepless nights and anxiety, nervousness, or otherwise experience difficulty dealing with a reality that only they can say for certain. Then, add into the mix, hundreds of early Native American tribes who themselves encountered such a beast and even had a name for it in their own native tongue, is when the mystery widens. Even some of America’s greatest folk heroes' of history such as Teddy Roosevelt, Daniel Boone, General Hull, French explorers along the Detroit river, and even a British officer during years following the Monroe Massacre wrote of their experiences similar to a large hairy beast that Monroe authorities referred to as a hoax, centuries before 1965.
The controversy that caught authorities and public by surprise took place during the evening of August 13, 1965. It occurred on Mentel and Fix, near Nadeau Road west of Dixie Highway and less than five miles from a more recent 2009 sighting and in between those years similar encounters popped up in Dundee, LaSalle, Blissfield and northward near Exeter Twp. The once sparsely populated area replete with wild game and crop fields, thick woods, and narrow dirt back roads are now paved. Much of the vast empty fields are dotted with modern development visible in every direction. Few of those named as principles in the height of the action then have long since passed, but the story lives on.
Officially sources claim Bigfoot sightings in Michigan to be about 160-166 but unofficially the number of Michigan sightings top over 700 which is still alot considering our encompasses over 19 million acres of wooded land. Many chance encounters occur while driving but many are reported by hunters, campers, hikers and anyone spending time outdoors in the wild.
Is the phenomena limited to Monroe County of course not, nearly every county (83) in the state and nearly every state of thsi great country has similar reports with the exception of Hawaii. Though here in Michigan, some counties do report more than others.
Key Facts Specific to the 1965 Monroe Monster Mentel & Fix Road, southeast Michigan
· 7 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and weighing about 500 pounds
· Huge and ugly
· Moldy smelling
· Grunts like a mad dog
· Grunting and growling like a dog
All of these features are typically recounted over again throughout the country in witness descriptions.
Key Facts Specific to the 1963-64 Dewey Lakes-Twin Sisters Lake,southwest Michigan
· 9-foot, 500 pound beast
· Numbers of adults witnessed the encounter including young girl who faints
· The Dewey Lakes/ Twins Sisters encounter incident cause panic in out-state Michigan
· Several people out here have put up their houses for sale in out-state Michigan
· State Conservation Officer said he doesn't believe went along with the cops but couldn't find any tracks.
· The sheriff's department reported on another occasion they found a 6-by-18-inch footprint
Prior to the so called, "Hoax," more commonly referred to as the Monroe Monster there were more than 50 known reported Michigan sightings dating back to 1634 by a Native American tribe whose ancentors were very well informed of there presence. We can believe it or choose not believe it but the fact remains they exist good or bad and the unfortunate side of this is that nobody seems to know what their purpose is. I do believe the greatest obstacle to understanding this creature is ignorance and fear of being thought of as a crazy by media.
While most researchers may agree they do appear to communicate in language that apears like a mix of many different tongues and tens of hundreds of encounters and sightings continue to heap questions science and academia cannot agree on whether or not they can agree it exist. Many Native American sects have their unique language and words for Bigfoot or Sasquatch, and many respect them and others despised them as cannibals.
A recent publication explaining the questions many researchers have concerning this creature is explained well in a book titled: Missing 411, easy to find and locate on the internet, If you haven't read it, by all means do so. It deals in missing persons by thousands in some of America's largest most well known state and national park systems and how federal agencies and in some instances the military are called in to help search for some those lost souls.
Sasquatch or Bigfoot
What is known is that about these are creatures or sapient beings is that they are very intelligent, very strong, and hunt like old hunter gathers. They are curious about children and women. They inhabit wooded lands and are omnivores… meaning they eat meat and plants. Although history details one account where these creatures killed a man, you will rarely find any information specifically speaking to violence on humans despite numerous reports. Even political correctness has seaped into this area.
I make no pretense to a special expertise with these beings and know little more about the Monroe incident than what was learned from published news reports. Are they good or evil? I cannot say with personal conviction but I know what heart says and I will reserve my opinion. As the world population increases with each passing year and greater demand is placed on limited sustainable food and water resources how will mankind and these beasts co-exist? Can we co-exist? Will there be competition for limited food and water resources with these creatures?
· Creatures are very large ranging from infants to teenagers to full- grown adults ranging in height from 7-10 feet and weighing anywhere from 400-800 pounds in rare instances 12 feet in height.
· Colors range from reddish long hair to black, brown, and even white or gray
· Large numbers of witnesses report smelling an overwhelming musky odor before or after an encounter
· They will growl, grunt, and let out blood curdling scream audible for great distances
· There have been reports of acts of aggression toward humans by these creatures
· They will destroy dogs if they are attacked!
· They seem to be territorial and will warn humans away with aggressive growls, bluff charges, breaking large tree branches and throwing rocks
· They are extremely fast! Some eye witness reports say their cars were chased at 35 and 65 mph
· They are bi-pedal, meaning they walk and run on two legs but are also extremely fast on all fours much like that of an ape or gorilla
· They will mimic birds and wildlife sounds, humans in some instances
· They are watchers, and while they avoid humans, they may see you before you see them
· They appear enamored by human females and small children. Some researchers have suggested they detect female menstruation cycles
· Some have been known to window peep, especially if women and children are home at night
· Many sightings in Michigan occur in the woods but many occur during roadside crossings late at night or early morning
· Greater degree of sightings occur during activities such as; hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, etc…
· They form wood formations and bend medium size trees and saplings for some still unknown reason, that some believe are communicating territorial boundaries to others
· Habituation most often reported is isolated farmlands and thickets and woods, fields, swampy areas and anywhere to close to water; creeks, rivers etc.
· They appear nomadic living off of anything they can eat from blue berries, apples, pine cone seeds, acorns, pet foods, fish, chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, and deer
· They are skillful hunters often hunting in pairs and our clannish
· Deer carcasses found typically show broken necks and in one case, a bear whose head was twisted, was witnessed by a frightened bow hunter in a tree blind
· They seemed to feed of the liver of deer leading some researchers to believe it is the nutrient value necessary for cholesterol sustenance and vitamin E for nighttime vision
· Many witnesses of personal encounters reported experiencing fear, confusion, loose bowels or bladder, depression, headaches, nightmares and restlessness others do not
Remarkably though, some of the habitat, physical descriptions, behavior and sounds underscored above from across the country are astonishing “right on” similar to what many have come to associate succinctly with Bigfoot mannerisms described before and since the 1965 Monroe incident. Somehow, I can envision some very contentious smoke filled backroom discussions among sweaty business elites and political leaders and law enforcement hand wringing about how best to quiet this report “once and for all.”
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Topic: The 1965 Monroe Monster... is Bigfoot still lurking? (Read 2960 times)
