Bigfoot through history in Michigan

by Scott Harper
Michigan. The Great Lakes State. The Wolverine State. Michigan is the only US state to be made up of two peninsulas. Fifty percent of Michigan is covered by forest. Many lakes, ponds, and streams dot the peninsulas that make up Michigan, as well. Deer, and other wildlife are populous. In short, the state of Michigan is perfect country for Sasquatch—despite the heavy lake effect snow the region receives during the winter. And Sasquatch have been there for quite some time.

In 1878, a woman was hanging laundry in her backyard. A noise captured her attention. Upon looking up, she saw a 12-foot-tall, white Sasquatch in the cow pasture. The creature ran on all fours, leapt over a cow, stood up to its full height, then charged the woman, now running on two feet. She screamed, and ran into the house. The creature, chasing her, got tangled up in the clothesline. The woman ran from the house, to the lumber mill where her husband worked, refusing to return home for hours. When she did return home, with her husband, her husband found footprints, but no other sign of the creature.
A report filed in 1891 told of a Wildman of “gigantic proportions” with arms to below its knees, and “hands twice the usual size”. The “Wildman” was said to have killed a bulldog with “one swipe”. This took place in Gladwin County.
During the winter of 1917, in Ironwood, Michigan, two hunters saw a “man in a fur suit” steal a deer they had killed. The “man” made off with the deer carcass tucked under his arm.
News of a 12′ 7″ skeleton being unearthed in Jackson, Michigan made front page news on September 6, 1919.
Somewhere along the Saginaw River, in 1937, a Sasquatch was seen to climb from the river, rest leaning against a tree for a time, and then return to the river.
An area in Charlotte County Michigan bears the name Gorilla Swamp due to a string of sightings of a bipedal, hairy creature seen there multiple times in 1951.
A report filed in 1891 told of a Wildman of “gigantic proportions” with arms to below its knees, and “hands twice the usual size”. The “Wildman” was said to have killed a bulldog with “one swipe”. This took place in Gladwin County.
During the winter of 1917, in Ironwood, Michigan, two hunters saw a “man in a fur suit” steal a deer they had killed. The “man” made off with the deer carcass tucked under his arm.
News of a 12′ 7″ skeleton being unearthed in Jackson, Michigan made front page news on September 6, 1919.
Somewhere along the Saginaw River, in 1937, a Sasquatch was seen to climb from the river, rest leaning against a tree for a time, and then return to the river.
An area in Charlotte County Michigan bears the name Gorilla Swamp due to a string of sightings of a bipedal, hairy creature seen there multiple times in 1951.

From 1962 until 1964 sightings of a creature dubbed the Monster of Sister Lakes was sighted off and on a number of times in Cass County. In 1964, a woman was chased into her house by a creature with long black hair, and glowing eyes. The woman estimated that the being weighed 500 pounds. It left footprints that were 6-inches-wide. It was thought that the creature that chased the woman had been the Monster of Sister Lakes.

August 13, 1965 brought a frightening account of an encounter with a 7-foot-tall, black- haired, growling Sasquatch. 17-year-old Christina Van Acker, and her mother, Ruth, were in a car, heading home. Christina was driving. Though they saw nothing in the road ahead of time, the car ran over something. After the bump, Christina stopped the car. Instantly, the Sasquatch reached through Christina’s window, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her head into the car door. Christina passed out. Ruth, later claiming that there was nothing she could do, fled to get help. Apparently, and luckily, Christina survived the ordeal with nothing but some bruises.

Sasquatch have been in the area we call “Michigan” for a very long time—long before the Patterson/Gimlin film, which was recorded in 1967. They’re still there, too. Reports still come steadily from the Wolverine State. Years ago, I may have even had my own experience with a Sasquatch on Mackinac Island.

It was the late 1980s, or very early 1990s. I was on a vacation trip with my parents and best friend at that time. We were walking a trail in woodlands on Mackinac Island. Something off in the woods screamed. At the time, we chalked it up to a bobcat. Still, all four of us were unnerved, and turned around, and left the area quickly. To this day, I don’t know what screamed in those woods. If it was a bobcat, though, it was a very large one!

About the Author

Scott Harper is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 published short stories, and several novels. Harper grew up in Ohio, and graduated from Marysville High School in 1993, and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels. He has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions, and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film, and comic books. He was also a contributing writer for “Nuclear Winter Entertainment” for

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Cass County creature

‘Monster of Sister Lakes’ in Michigan
Posted: 03 Jul 2019 07:45 AM PDT

‘Huge Monster’ Frightens Girls at Sister Lakes

The ‘Monster of Sister Lakes’ made a daylight appearance today, terrorizing three young girls and causing one of them to faint. Joyce Smith, 13: Patsy Clayton, 12, and her sister, Gail, 13, said they were walking along a wooded road in Silver Creek Township about 9:15 AM when the ‘monster’ suddenly appeared. Joyce saw him first and promptly fainted. Patsy got a good look at the creature before it ducked into the woods. Gail was too far away to see it. After the ‘monster’ fled, the girls revived Joyce and they ran to a neighboring home and telephoned police. Sheriff’s deputies armed with rifles rushed to the area. Joyce said the creature ‘did not look like a man,’ Patsy, who said she saw it at close range, said it ‘looked like a bear.’ She said it was about seven feet tall and ‘had a black face.’ Earlier, authorities had ended the search for the ‘monster’ after thousands of residents poured into the area, creating a massive traffic jam. Area residents have been on edge in recent days since reports began circulating that the monster is back. Terrified residents have described the monster as about nine feet tall and weighing 500 pounds. Cass County sheriff’s deputies said the presence of the monster has been reported off and on for about two years. Mrs. John Utrup of nearby Dewey Lakes, Michigan, told the sheriff’s deputies the beast chased her into her home Tuesday night. She said she was saved when her dogs barked and drove the monster away. Other descriptions said it was covered with black hair up to its neck and had eyes that glowed like an animal that had a light shining in its eyes. Various witnesses said the monster made noises ‘like a tamed goose’ and ‘a baby crying.’ Cass County Deputy Sheriff Ernest Kraus said deputies were dispatched into the area in which the monster had been reported. They were armed with deer rifles and would stake out the area ‘until we solve this.’ But deputies said the area was inundated with a flow of curiosity seekers and all the officers were forced to direct traffic. ‘We had all the men we could spare up there and had to get some help from Van Buren County ‘to take care of the traffic,’a spokesman said. He said man cars were loaded with up to six people. ‘We don’t know what it is. We don’t even know if it exists,’ the sheriff’s spokesman said. ‘But there have been complaints by about 10 reputable persons and we have to check them out.’ Kraus said it has not been precluded the object of the extensive search in progress is a gorilla. ‘We have had no reports of any circus gorillas having escaped by the description of several persons matches that of a gorilla-hair up to the neck, widespread eyes and about nine feet tall. ‘Whatever it is, it could have been in that swampy and wooded area for some time.’ Authorities also theorized the creature could be a big bear. Tracks found in the mud showed an imprint of 3 3/4 inches at the heel and spanned six inches across the foot. The general area in which the monster has been reported is on the Cass Van Buren County line. The area is inhabited by year around occupants as well as the location of many summer resorts and cabins. Kraus said many witnesses agreed with Mrs. Utrup in the description of the monster. ‘That many people can’t be wrong, so there must be something out there,’ he said. He said that officers from two counties investigated similar reports about two years ago but were unable to locate the mysterious creature. ‘I hope we can find out what the score is,’ Kraus said. ‘Women are terrified and refuse to leave their homes without escorts.’ Gordon Brown, Dowagiac, Michigan, said he saw the monster Tuesday night in the headlights of his car on the farm of Harold Utrup, brother-in-law of Mrs. Utrup. ‘It’s no bear,’ Brown insisted. ‘It had a face like a human.’

Source: The Holland Evening Sentinel, Holland, Michigan, Thursday, June 11, 1964

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