I received the following correspondence about an encounter that occurred east of Texarkana, Arkansas. The sister of the witness (who lives in Florida) forwarded the account.
"Hello, Sir. My brother and his wife had a shocking event on May 5th, 2011 when they were driving home to Genoa, Arkansas from a visit with his in-laws in Texarkana. He was driving eastbound on Tennessee Rd (County Rd. 16) at around 7:30 pm and had just gone by Mosely Rd. when a creature suddenly jumped out of the trees and brush, crossed the road, and blended into the thick woods. It was headed in the direction of Old Bitty Lake.
They both had a decent look at it and said it was about 6 feet tall and very stout with huge legs and feet. It was covered with very long reddish-brown hair that had dirt and debris stuck to it. When they stopped the car to look in the direction it went into the woods they got a whiff of a horrific stench (the windows were open).
I had heard the tales of the 'Fouke Monster' since I was a young girl but never bought into the hype. We actually lived near the Mercer Bayou at one point and talked to several people who verified the stories. My brother doesn't dare identify himself since he feels that it may cause problems but he felt there was a need for a warning.
I do believe him because he has never lied to me and is a very trustworthy, hard-working man. He is also a very experienced outdoorsman and knows the swamps and backwoods of southwest Arkansas like the back of his hand. But this has left him shaken, to the point where he was at a loss for words when talking to me. That is VERY unlike him.
That's about all he had to say. Can you tell me of other sightings in the area? Respectfully, D"
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| The area where the supposed encounter took place |
NOTE: I've read many accounts about Arkansas swamp monsters over the years, none much different than this account. The area where this sighting supposedly occurred is only 10-15 miles north of the area of the 'Fouke Monster' incident, but I am still very wary. I'll keep my radar up, but I have serious doubts even though the witness seemed honest and forthcoming. Lon
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There have been many creatures and legends that come from the swamps of Arkansas. The Fouke Monster is certainly one of the strangest. This six-foot-tall, hairy, humanoid monster gained notoriety in the late 1960s when it harassed two families living outside this town in the southwest part of the state. The monster is reported to have smelled awful and made a habit of killing chickens and livestock and mauling several dogs. The story became so popular that a low-budget horror movie called The Legend of Boggy Creek was made about it in 1973.
Another famous creature is the White River Monster, a mystery so widely accepted that it has its own game preserve! From about 1915 to the 1970s, residents of the small town of Newport reported seeing a monster in the nearby river. The sightings were not constant but seemed to occur many at a time.
The monster was described as being sea-serpent-like and at least thirty feet long. Witnesses reported that it made a loud bellowing noise and had a spiny backbone. The reports varied the creature's size over the years and it was often encountered by fishermen and campers along the river. Two men reported in 1971 that they saw three-toed tracks along the muddy river banks and a place where the monster had crushed some of the vegetation.
In 1973 a resolution was passed in the Arkansas State Legislature creating the White River Monster Refuge along all of the White River that runs adjacent to the Jacksonport State Park. This resolution made it illegal to "molest, kill, trample, or harm the White River Monster while he is in the retreat."
The Fouke Monster was seen near this town in southwest Arkansas at the junction of the Sulphur and Red Rivers. The sightings occurred between 1955 and 1975 along Boggy Creek.
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