Bigfoot in Pennsylvania: A History of Wild-Men, Gorillas, and Other Hairy Monsters in the Keystone State

by Timothy Renner

Though the terms “Bigfoot” and “Sasquatch” have only been in our popular vocabulary since the late 1950s, people have been seeing large, bipedal, hairy monsters for as long as we’ve been keeping record. From the myths of early man, to medieval manuscripts, to the earliest newspapers, these creatures make appearances by various names, but their described appearance and behavior seem to suggest Bigfoot has been hiding in the woods beside us for as long as we can remember. Old newspaper articles call the creatures “wild men”, “gorillas”, “hairy giants”, “ape-men”, and “spooks” - but the reports describe large, hairy, man-like creatures crying out with unearthly, eerie howls and leaving strange footprints in their wake. Collecting newspaper reports from the 1830s through the 1920s, the articles in this volume show that Bigfoot is not new, nor is it a phenomenon confined to the Northwest United States and Canada. Bigfoot creatures seem to have been roaming Pennsylvania for as long as anyone can remember. Herein are strange tales of wild-women abducting children; frightening wild-men slaughtering livestock; and giant gorillas roaming over the hills of Pennsylvania. Read about huge, bare footprints found in the snow and mud; ape-men attacking humans; and weird, hairy beings creeping across farm, field, and forest.

Genres: Cryptozoology

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Timothy Renner has written articles for several publications including "Morbid Curiosity", "Weird USA", and "Weird Pennsylvania". His illustrations have appeared in fanzines, comics, magazines, books, and on many record covers. Timothy plays and sings folk music with his band Stone Breath. To date they have released twelve full length albums and multiple EPs. Beyond the Seventh Gate is his first book.

Reviews

[Jennifer Jessop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pennsylvania native, I recently read in the newspaper details of the Albatwitch festival which pays homage to this smaller, Bigfoot-type creature. Never having heard of the Albatwitch, I wanted to learn more. While this book provides introductory material, it primarily consists of clippings from newspaper archives throughout Pennsylvania. Although not what I expected, I enjoyed reading the accounts, especially because some alleged incidents occurred fairly close to home and others in rough terrain in Northern PA near family vacation cabins. Perhaps next year, I'll attend the Albatwitch festival.

[Lucas Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Cool historical stories

Well written and easy to read. I may have rated higher than others because I love in Pennsylvania and the lore meant a lot to me because I know the locations.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting newspaper articles with great insight from the author!

[Mary Jo]

Wasn’t what I expected. Or was looking for.