On this episode of Expanded Perspectives we talk with documentary film maker Seth Breedlove about his latest movie "The Boggy Creek Monster". As well as some of his previous movies "The Minerva Monster" and "The Beast of Whitehall". These documentary films are all made by "Small Town Monsters". Small Town Monsters is an independent film series that explores lost and bizarre history around the United States. In addition to film, STM is also merchandise, and other media devoted to this same subject matter.

The legend of the Boggy Creek Monster has long captivated the people of Fouke, Arkansas, a little town about 150 miles outside of Little Rock. It is said that Fouke is the first place that this cryptid was spotted. According to legend, the Boggy Creek Monster stands between seven and eight feet tall on two feet and weighs close to 300 pounds. Its chest, legs and arms are covered with thick, long hair.

The first reported sightings go all the way back to 1834, when it is said that the large, hairy “wild man” was roaming in Arkansas. In the 1900s, sightings around Fouke became more frequent with residents spotting the monster more than 40 times in 1997 alone. It has been suggested that the animal is nocturnal, but a hunter reported a sighting in broad daylight in the Sulfur River WIldlife Area near Fouke in 2000.

The Boggy Creek Monster has been subject of at least four different films, beginning with 1973’s The Legend of Boggy Creek. This movie, centered around Bobby Ford’s supposed encounter with the beast, played in drive-in theaters around the country and introduced millions to the legend that had never heard of this creature before. Mostly shot on location in Fouke, with additional scenes filmed in Texarkana and Shreveport, Louisiana, the film also served as a major economic boost to the region; many cast members were locals or nearby college students.

The famous encounter that the film is based on occurred in 1971. Bobby and Elizabeth Ford claimed that the Boggy Creek Monster attacked their home late on the night of May 1. The monster, Elizabeth said, reached through her screen window, but was chased away by Bobby and Dan, his brother, who had just returned from a hunting trip. Unsatisfied, the monster returned shortly after midnight and tossed Bobby to the ground, the Fords say. Bobby was taken to the St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana and treated for large gashes across his back; he was suffering from mild shock when he arrived, according to newspaper reports (there were several papers covering the legend around this time). No traces of blood were found on the Ford’s home, but three-toed footprints were found near the house, scratches found on the porch, and damage sustained to a window and the house’s siding.

Thanks for listening to Expanded Perspectives!

• Small Town Monsters
• The Minerva Monster
• The Beat of Whitehall
• The Boggy Creek Monster
• The Beast of Boggy Creek book by Lyle Blackburn
• SasWhat? Podcast 
• Gaia

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