HAUNTED ARKANSAS PART FOUR

The Legend of Boggy Creek

or

The Fouke Monster

I lived in Bald Knob in the early 70s and I can still remember the fear of being outdoors after dark. I can remember countless times walking home from a friends house and hearing footsteps behind me or a noise in the woods... which of course prompted me to run like the hounds of hell were right on my heels.

I can remember a friend of mine telling me his mother had seen a dark hairy face in the window after dark... they hid till his dad came home... now, how much is true and how much our parents were milking this to get us home early and not having to hunt us down we may never know.

This "creature" was supposedly 7 feet tall and hairy all over. He is smelly and kills chickens, dogs, cows and other live stock. So far he hasn't killed any people.

He resides in the southwest part of the state in a place called Fouke Arkansas. In the late 60's and early 70's the "monster" harassed two families living outside Fouke.

It also inspired the movie "The Legend of Boggy Creek".

I guess this is our version of Big Foot or Sasquatch, never the less I can remember how the hair would raise on the back of my neck if I was out at night... even the adults walked a little faster, despite the fact I am sure they used it to keep us kids in line, in the back of their mind even THEY weren't quite sure just WHAT that noise was.

Another story that made the 70's miserable was a story that started February 22, 1946 in Texarcana Texas/Arkansas.

5 people were murdered in a killing spree by a pillowcase wearing madman... It was dubbed the "Texarkana Moonlight Murders," It also inspired the movie in the late 70's "The Town that dreaded Sundown.

As of 2006 the case is still open.

But...

That is a story for another day!