Atomic Robot: Fouke Monster Sightings - Ape-Like Creature Encounters

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Fouke Monster Sightings - Ape-Like Creature Encounters | Cryptid Investigations

Photo and Story By Ken Hulsey

For over a century, residents of Fouke, Arkansas and the surrounding rural areas have reported encounters with a large, ape-like creature. Initially known as the "Jonesville Monster," the creature was first sighted by farmers and hunters around the town of Jonesville. Over the following decades, sightings expanded across Miller County, Arkansas and into eastern Texas, with even a few reports within the city limits of Texarkana.

Sightings were sporadic until the mid-1960s and early 1970s, when there was an outbreak of reported encounters. During this period, the creature seemed to have become more aggressive, and violent confrontations became commonplace. In April 1971, the Ford family, who had recently moved to Fouke, were allegedly driven from their home after multiple attacks by the monster. On one fateful night, their cousin Bobby was so severely attacked and injured that he required hospitalization in Texarkana.

The Fouke Monster remained a local legend until 1972, when Charles Pierce, an ad salesman from Texarkana, set out to make a movie about the stories he heard growing up. Pierce borrowed $160,000 from a friend who owned a car dealership, then armed himself with a handheld camera and a cast of local Texarkana theater actors. This low-budget production would go on to become one of the top-grossing films of 1972, propelling the Fouke Monster into international stardom. "The Legend of Boggy Creek" still has a devoted fan base today, over 50 years later, and the town of Fouke continues to attract scores of tourists and amateur monster hunters annually.

This past week, I passed through the town of Fouke and made a stop at the Monster Mart, which serves as both a convenience store and a Fouke Monster museum. I was fortunate to meet the owner, Denny Roberts, and his wife. Denny was interested to learn where I was from and how I had discovered his store and the local legend.

I explained that I had seen "The Legend of Boggy Creek" as a child, and it had frightened me greatly. Denny was also very interested to hear about the wood knocking sounds I had heard around Boggy Creek two years ago. He informed me that local residents regularly hear such noises, which are believed to be the creatures' means of long-distance communication.

Additionally, I told Denny about my father's encounter with a Bigfoot in Northern California in the early 1960s. He seemed to relish hearing these stories.

Denny shared a chilling monster story of his own. He explained that he and his wife were driving just south of town over a year ago when he glanced down a logging road and spotted something strange in the roadway. Upon closer inspection, he realized the dark-colored object was far too large to be a deer. Denny brought the car to a stop, and that's when the creature suddenly stood up on two legs and looked directly at them. Denny described the animal as standing between seven and eight feet tall, with an orangish hue and a face resembling an orangutan. The creature was holding something in its hand, which it then dropped on the road. Despite its imposing size, it did not act aggressively and simply walked off into the nearby treeline. Denny stated that while he had always been a believer in such creatures, seeing one in person was a profoundly life-changing experience.

Initially, Denny was somewhat skeptical when his brother Rick claimed to have seen the creature in a nearby area a couple months earlier. However, after witnessing the creature himself, Denny no longer teases his brother about the encounter.

The sightings of the Fouke Monster are not isolated incidents. Locals frequently report new encounters at the Monster Mart, sharing their stories. While the creature has not attacked anyone or driven families out of the area in decades, it appears to still lurk in the woods around Fouke, Arkansas, perhaps keeping to itself these days. If you find yourself traveling through Miller County, be sure to keep a watchful eye on the forest - you may just catch a glimpse of this local legend.