Bigfoot Terrorizes Beach Residents (1885)


Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Bigfoot Chicks, Melissa Adair. As serious researchers, the Bigfoot Chicks are committed to seeking the truth regarding the Bigfoot mystery. You can visit their blog at bigfootchicks.blogspot.com.

This is the first account I have come across of an alleged Bigfoot at the beach. What I found interesting in this account was the number of eyewitnesses who said they saw the creature perform some type of "war dance". Not entirely sure what a "war dance" is - maybe he just had to pee?

Newark Daily Advocate
Newark, Ohio: Thursday, December 3, 1885

A Rockaway Wildman

The Residents Of The Beach Alarmed By A Stranger

Clad in a Salt-Sack He Dances Didoes
Terrifying Women and Children
A Searching Party Returns Without Him
Drinks All Round

New York, Dec. 3 - Peekskill, Westchester county, this time last year was terrorized by the appearance and actions of a strange being, whom the residents of that little town for want of a better name dubbed "a wild man." He was seen by everyone, frightened everyone, everyone tried to catch him and everyone failed. After a score of tramps who looked more or less wild had been arrested without checking the familiarity of the Peekskill wild man, he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared, and the good people slept peacefully without being compelled to barricade their doors to prevent him gazing in at them as they prepared themselves for bed. This habit was adopted by the wild man, who when he saw others disrobe always did the same thing himself.

Recently, along the south shore of Long Island, there has been reported about a man with long hair, two sharp front teeth that hang down over his under lip, a long shaggy beard, and muscles that even terrorize the hardy members of the life saving crews. His dress, like that of all other wild men, consists only of a salt sack girded across his loins, and his body is of a dark saffron color. This is "the wild man of Rockaway Beach." He first put in an appearance two weeks since, but then he was only seen by men who were returning home late at night and the men who told what they had seen were advised to give up drinking.

On Friday, Capt. Rhinehardt, of life saving station No. 16, while patrolling the beach saw the wild man. He ran out of a clump of cedars and executed a sort of war dance on the sand, much to the consternation of the captain, who ran back to the house as fast as he could, and could only be coaxed to do patrol duty again by Zophiar Pearsall going with him. These two worthies patrolled the beach, but did not see him. On the same night while Mrs. Falling sat in her little cottage mending bathing suits for next summer, she heard a tap at the window, and when she turned to see who it was she saw a most hideous countenance, which she likened to a big false face. She, with true womanly instinct, screamed and the face, like that of all wild men, disappeared. He was also seen by F. Foster, of Brooklyn, who was gunning at the beach. Mr. Foster was lying in wait for duck and saw him come out of the cedars, do a dance on the beach and turning a handspring, land in the water. After plunging in the breakers a few minutes he came out and sat on the beach in the sun to dry and then ran back in the cedars.

On Saturday evening, several reputable citizens saw him and a searching party was organized. They met at "Al" Meisel's Sunday morning, The searchers were those who live on the beach during the winter, and their search was for the wild man. "Al" Ruland was elected captain, Thomas H. Bond, lieutenant, and George Bennett, ropemen. At 10 o'clock Capt. Ruland got his forty eight men in line, and spread them from the ocean to the bay and each man within calling distance of the other and they marched over the entire beach, but of course found no wild man. Once they thought they had him. Immense footprints were found in the sand and the toes pointed inward, gave the prints a peculiar appearance. They followed them up to John Reinsen's barroom, but did not arrest John as he is said to be extremely tame, but the prints occasioned "a set them up for all hands." Sunday evening the wild man was seen again, an another party will go out and see if they can locate him. Uncle Jim Remen is authority for the statement that the wild man is one of the museum wax figures out for a walk.

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. sometimes a "wildman" is just a wild man. Unless of course bigfoot is known to do cartwheels into the surf.

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    2. We know next to nothing about bigfoot.

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    3. Frankie Avalon made a movie based on this incident. It was called "Beach Blanket Bigfoot"

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  2. With a name like Shawn Evidence, you just knew the kid was going to grow up to run a bigfoot site.

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    Replies
    1. that or get his ass kicked a lot in high school . ..

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    2. Likes to suck non-circumcised peckers.^

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    3. What could possibly motivate you two idiots above to talk crap like this?

      This stuff is posted for entertainment?

      What is your f'n problem?

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    4. Leon quit your bitchin and go fuc yourself!

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    5. No no no, you need to tell him to go fuck his mother! Get it right!

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  3. Call me skeptical but I have a hunch that if it wears cloths and dances a jig it may not be a Sasquatch.

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    Replies
    1. It might just be... A redneck.

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    2. It likely was, but the newspaper embellished the story. You can't take these old articles at face value, you have to understand the times and the culture they were published in.

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    3. Note to BF researchers... carry salt sacks with you to attract a bigfoot because they will be sure to steal them because they don't like being naked.

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  4. I beginning to think Bigfoot Chick has a fetish for wild men.

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  5. This is a story of a crazy homeless peeping nut case. Way before welfare and gov't programs that now keep most kooks off of the streets.

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    1. So you're ignoring the details about his hideous face, powerful muscles, and the fact no one could catch him? This is the story of a series of bigfoot sightings run through the filter of a newspaper trying to make it more sensational.

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    2. It would be more sensational if it was a butt-naked 8 foot monster. Like it or not, these stories are evidence against an undiscovered primate as they may provide an alternative explanation for whatever pre-1958 sightings are in the record(but of course not for the pre-colonial native american accounts).

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  6. the majority of these old stories posted by this chick seem to be just dirty,clothes wearing humans with bushy hair and a beard.

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    Replies
    1. But as we all know, appearances can be deceiving.

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  7. OMG BF Chicks, are you really implying this is about a Sasquatch? Sheesh, what is it with you chick? This and 99% of all of your other articles you put up on here are total crap. I just don't get it? What is the name(s) of the book you regurgitate all this from?

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  8. It was just some drunk ass pulling their cranks! ha ha ha!!

    Mr. Pooper

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  9. did anyone say how big this so-called bigfoot was? and if these bigfoots back in the day wore sacks to cover the sac, shouldn't our up to date sasquatches be wearing some sort of wife beater shirt by now? just seems a litle to easy forme to say this wasn't a f-ing sasquatch, bigfoot, or yetti! it was a drunk irishman looking for the beach pub! (p.s. i'm irish so don't get all libtarded and pull the race card, or is that only for the blacks now-a-days?)

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  10. It's just entertainment. Apperently the hillbillies here don't like to read!

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    Replies
    1. It was entertainment then, too. All of these stories are about half reported facts (the sightings) and half made-up nonsense to make their wildman sightings seem better and more sensational than the ones in some other newspapers. Newspapers then did report news, but they were also for entertainment, and they saw nothing wrong with mixing the two. That's why you see some very legitimate and recognizable sasquatch appearance and behavior, and reactions from witnesses, but then there's some anomalous or crazy-sounding details that have nothing to do with bigfoot. Those weird parts are what the newspaper men invented to sell even more copies.

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    2. I would have to agree with you. It is called "yellow journalism" and although this term was not coined until the end of the 19th century, it was in full effect for many years earlier in newspapers(and cheap dime novels especially about the western frontier fictionalized exploits).

      Of course Bigfoots were being seen in the 1800's, but they did not carry clubs, wear skins or loincloth, sport fangs and sharp claws, and though they may have carried off livestock, I doubt they did no more serious harm to humans, than they do today.

      Just my opinion

      Chuck

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    3. Now see, the two guys above are using thier brain. Can we get pinpoint scientific accuracy from these old stories---- hell no.

      But we can realize that odd things (sightings) go back a long way! We may recognize patterns in behavior or find a hidden clue that may help solve the mystery. We don't put great value in these.
      But hey, read a little "colored" history and have some fun. There may be a little diamond of truth in one of these old stories that helps YOU crack the mystery!

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    4. This is not the real Leon W!^^^

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  11. We want new evidence!stop the b.s. stories from the 1800s waste of time.

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  12. "She, with true womanly instict, sreamed at the face"
    Womanfolk. smh.

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  13. Screw this guy, I'm being terrorized by Frankenstorm right now and he's angry my friends.

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    Replies
    1. I'm in NYC....storm has not lived up to the hype yet, but flooding in my area (South Beach, Staten Island..near the Verrazano Bridge) is inevitable. Surfs up, dudes!
      Good luck to you.

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    2. I'm in New York and this storm ain't shit.

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    3. I don't think it really has hit New York at full force quite yet but I wish you you both well too.

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  14. "As serious researchers..." If you have to say it, maybe you should call yourselves something else.

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    Replies
    1. If you're implying that you are real "researcher" have you found definitive proof yet? If not then it looks like their research is just as effective and has produced more results.

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  15. Just a peeping piece of shit hippy from 1885

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  16. Will these bimbos go away, please!

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  17. i live near peekskill and i heard of him making howls which i heard last night.

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