Bigfoot Encounter at Crow Creek, Illinois

0:00 And we watched you probably for a good couple three minutes, and then my friend be it. Finally, something less than just clicked in her head that this wasn't something she wanted to see, and she screamed, and when she screamed, they both turned and looked at us, and then she just took off on her bike and I kind of stared back at him for a couple of minutes, and I said, that's probably a good idea, and then I took off home my bike and real portion I'll be in love with twelve year old kids. We were all excited, and I told my dad, and she went and told her mom and dad, and so my dad and her dad and my uncle went back. My uncle said it smelled really foul, kind of like a little musty basement, kind of earthy. Right there.

0:57 You're listening to The Big Society podcast. I'm Jeremiah Byron. Every week I talk to individuals who have experienced sasquats in some way or another, so you won't want to miss an episode. Make sure you're subscribed on the platform that you're listening to, and share this episode with a friend does not cost a thing, and it helps the show continue to grow. I'm heading out on a big Foot expedition soon with Horonymous and others, and I want to take a few minutes to thank those who have bought me a coffee to help me go on that expedition. Special thank you to Shakti, who bought two coffees and her message is love the show. Appreciate your support, Shakti. Also a special thank you to someone who bought five coffees anonymously. Their message is good luck. I'm going to need it and I appreciate it. Thank you, Anonymous someone. If you'd like to hear Bigfoot Society episodes early in ad free, you can do so by becoming a Patreon supporter or a YouTube channel member. Links to those are in the show notes and Bigfoot Society.

1:57 I've taken far too much of your time so far, so let's get on with the show, all right, big Faciety. We've got the privilege of talking to Mike from Illinois. He just contacted me via Facebook with a very interesting thing that happened to him back in nineteen seventy seven. How's it going today, Mike? Good? Good? Just you know, right not to melt? Oh yeah, I hear that out in Iowa. I mean, what we're getting up to like one hundred and five today and the next three days you're supposed to be heat index lit one hundred and eleven. I know, I'm hoping it gets a little bit cooler. I'm going out into the woods in Iowa this end of this week, so definitely hope that it gets a little bit cooler as well. But we will see. But Mike, I'm guessing hopefully back in the time frame of when your story takes place, I think it may have been a little bit cooler back then. Well, it was. It was a it was a warm summer night. It was in August of seventy seven, and it was we you know, it was once I recall it is probably you know, seventy eighty degrees typical late summer day. But yeah, it was. We were it was evening, so we were riding our bikes, me and my friend or my friend and I and uh, it's a really small town that it wasn't really town, it's

3:31 more of a I guess you would clarify it kind of the village. The town was kind of three miles north of where I lived, and the town was Washburn, and I lived in a full village called Woolburn. And so anyway, we had a railroad that ran through there and it was bracketted on the side. On both sides. One side was an old oil refinery pumping station. They used to pump oil up the line and loaded on the rail cars, and it was on it was abandoned as an oil pumping station and a farmer owned it and used it for the animals and stuff we played in at as kids. And then the other side of the tracks was Crow Creek and it had a bridge that we always played around and on and under and everything. And we were just riding our bikes at night and came across the bridge and that's when we kind of noticed there was something strange down along the bank of the creek. So it turned out to be uh to what we saw. It turned out to be two bipedal creatures. One was probably uh

5:11 eight maybe eight and a half feet tall, and the animal was shorter, probably five and a half maybe six, two different colors. A larger one was really a dark kind of a chestnut brown color. And this was right, It was just a four dusk, so we saw a plenty of light. But and then the other one was kind of a blondish color, the smaller one was than They were at the edge of the creek splashing in the water either. I mean, I never thought about it this time, but as I look back on it, they might have been washing themselves. It might have been trying to catch a fish, because there were catfish and blue gill in that creek, and they were just they're going through the motions of being in the water and and didn't even notice us because we were probably oh, we were up on the bridge looking down at them, and we were i'd probably escinate. We were mm hmmm, probably two hundred maybe one hundred pig two hundred feet away from him, so we could we could see them and detail, you know, we could tell that they were fur covered, and we also could tell that there was lighter patches around the faithful in hand

6:46 area. And we watched them probably for a good couple three minutes, and then, uh, my friend be it, Finally something less than just clicked her head that this wasn't something she wanted to see, and she screamed, And when she screamed, they both turned and looked at us, and then she just took off on her bike and I kind of stared back at him for a couple of minutes, and I said that's probably a good idea, and then I took off my bike and real coursetion. I'll be in eleven twelve year old kids. We were all excited, and I told my dad, and she went and told her mom and dad, and so my dad and her dad and my uncle went back. And when they went back, we stayed up on the bridge, but they went down to the bank, and my uncle said it smelled really foul, kind of like a little musty basement kind of earthy smell. They did find tracks, my dad said they were either or I can't there. He said they were four toad. I think he said they were four toad, possibly five toad in the mud.

8:15 And also found some pressed down tall grass around the area. And it was right next to an old damn that used to keep the water so they could pump it to the machinery to keep it cool while I was plumping the oil. Because he swim there his kids and stuff, and so the water kind of that started at you know, normal bank levels of probably a few inches and then slowly descended about twelve feet or so around the Damn it was deeper. But yeah, my uncle and my my dad and my friend's dad, they all confirmed there was something down there. And then, of course, you know that they started to try to come up with explanations for stuff.

9:05 And I think the funniest suggestion was that it was a three toed sloth, which we know were extremely indigenous to central Illinois. So other than that, we never we never saw anything again. There were other members of the where I lived, people lived there, there were hunters and such, and they they said they'd smelled things and they'd heard things, and but yeah, I mean that was that was pretty much hit. It stuck with in my whole life. It was, you know, a pretty amazing thing. And it was during a time when that was a a lot of that type of stuff was going on. He had Moment of the Monster, and he had the most these world monster and you know, the big Bogie Creek movie and they know. But you know, I was a little kid and it was interesting to me, but I had never put any real thought into it that these could be real. Even though Bogie Creek gets starre of hell. I mean that movie still scares me. But it wasn't like we were thinking about it, It wasn't. It wasn't in the forefront of our blocks. Oh yeah, there's big big foot creatures around there's I mean, it wasn't just something you know, might be talking passing or whatever. So it wasn't like we

10:37 were blowing on it. And I really don't think that anybody would have gone to the trouble of dressing up in some crazy costume on a hot August day and to hang out by a creek hoping they'd be seen, you know. So I kind of, you know, dismissed that the hoax angle of it. But yeah, I mean that was that's the whole that's the whole story. It was quick, you know, I mean, the whole thing probably lasted from the beginning end when we saw it, when our parents went down there and everything, probably less than an hour. But it was a pretty amazing experience. And like I said, it's stuck with my whole life, and I have no problem talking about it. I've never had any problem talking about it. You know. I believe there's things out there we have no idea, our concept of that's all out there, and so and I like to think that there are things like that out there. It makes life interesting, you know what I mean? Oh? Absolutely, and that is it's such an interesting story, like a small anecdotal story, but a huge part of your life. And just for context for listeners who aren't aware of that area Illinois, that Washburn Wilburn area is northeast of Peoria. Correct, yes,

12:13 and it's about it's about twenty thirty minute drive away from Sparland, Illinois. Uh huh yeah, right, yeah, we're right between Metamora and Laken and then you know you found Sparland Henry always in probably a good thirty forty minute driving each other. Very interesting. When you were looking at the creatures, did you get did you get a good look at the face or did you notice anything about the facial makeup of the two creatures that you saw? They were definitely you know, when I was when she had already taken off on her bike and they were kind of looking at me and I was on at them, which probably was only twenty twenty five thirty seconds maybe, but I could definitely see that there was no fur around the facial area, kind of a thicker brow, a fodder nose, pretty pronounced pretty pronounced bottom jaw, and that was the bigger one, because I think that's why focus on was a bigger one, because you know, if anything, I figured, if anything was gonna jump up and try to get me, it was gonna be a bigger one, and the smaller one the same thing. It had, you know, no fur around the face. It was a lighter complected face. I didn't see the eyes, didn't see any teeth or anything like

13:46 that, but from about that distance, I could make out, you know, the basic facial structure. I mean, it wasn't it wasn't obstructed by any hair or anything hanging in their face or anything like that. I definitely got the feeling that it was an intelligent exchange. I didn't feel like I was looking at, you know, an animal was strictly an animal. I mean, I felt like they were aware of my presence and I was aware of their presence, and and that was kind of that was kind of a creepy but kind of neat thing. When I talked about it later that it didn't come off as I was just looking at a couple animals. It was like two, you know, if on a sound, I don't know, two sentient beings, like we knew that each of us were like I don't know gets you know, real or you know, we kind of think.

14:46 I think I understood that they were something I'd never seen before, but I never got the feeling it didn't belong other than they were, you know, there, And I didn't get the feeling that I was threatened or anything like that, you know. And that's when I decided, well, you know, maybe it is a good idea to get to hell out of here and go tell somebody. But I never felt threatened. I never thought I was in danger. It was almost like they were is intrigued by me. I was them, you know what I mean. But yeah, I mean the facial makeup was pretty symmetrical eyes, nose, mouth we're supposed to be.

15:31 But like I said, it had pronounced brow, deep set eyes, kind of flatter and broader nose, and a fairly prominent jaw. We'll be back with more Bigfoot society after these words from our sponsors. Was it making any sounds at the time that you saw it or did you hear any straight sounds around that same time area? No, The only only sounds we heard were the splashing that they were doing in the creek. Birds were still chirping crickets, cicadas, whatever, No, those sounds. They didn't make any grunts or anything like that. All of that was probably you know, one of the things that people said they'd heard stuff with hunting or out out in the woods or down by the railroad bridge by the creek, not the bridge we were on, but it's another bridge. A couple uh guys that they heard kind of like a screaming kind of noise. They rode off as a bobcat bobcat scream. But no, we didn't hear anything. The only sounds, like I said, were the insects and the little splashing noises that were making in the water. Do you remember anything about the arms or the hands of

17:03 the creature. The arms were longer. They weren't like, you know, big cartoonish exaggerated lengths. I would probably say they're probably how will we stand? I would probably say maybe I have to a full hand link past the knee. But they were definitely a longer on a shorter in seam or leg blinks. They are very corso driven. The torsos were very long. I mean that's where the height came from. The head was I would say, uh, kind of cone shaped, but not prominent, not like a big egg egg head, but I think just a higher forehead to accommodate the brow.

18:04 And but it was kind of a a conish curvature to the top of the head. Princen ears the lack of fur around the pads, the hands that looked like the hands looked like normal hands. I mean, it looks like five digits. And I always said that the fur coming down the leg looked like bell bottoms the way it just kind of kind of went down and kind of covered their feet, so you really didn't see the feet. But I would say the fur was fairly long on the big brown one the small blond one. The hair was a big, shorter body was the same proportion, a little less broadened shoulder and hip area. But overall it was either I figured it was either a juvenile and this is my theason my thoughts later as I grew up, but you know, I think it was either a juvenile or it could have been a mate. I don't know, but it was definitely a smaller statured creature than the large one. Over the years in that area, have you ever have you kind of mentioned a little bit so far that you've you've heard maybe hunters experiencing things. Have there any been any more specific reports though that you've heard of, Not since I had, not

19:41 since I moved away, but we have had instances in this area since that time frame. Another creature sighting is a coal coal hollow road creature, and that happened I think in the seventies. They've had subsequent sightings. That's an East Peoria and Kahla Road is kind of a secluded wooded road in East Peoria, which is across Rover from Peoria. And we've had sightings in Farmer City, which is near Bloomington where I'm at now, bunks Grow which was close to Bloomingtonoso. So yeah, Central and all we've we've had, you know, people have said they've seen Bigfoot type creatures, and like I said, being eleven o'clove years old, there might have been other sightings and stuff.

20:45 Like I said, that was a big deal back then, but I never paid attention to it me, you know, I mean I might have heard people talking about or whatever. But as I got older, and I think this sighting or what happened to me sparked my interests in this stuff. So I've kind of I've kind of you know, become a sort of a pseudo student of the paranormal. I love cryptozoology and all that stuff, you know, Like I said, growing up, I was that was a big part of my childhood. I mean, everything couldn't throw a stick without a documentary about Blockness, monster or the Junior Triangle or big Foot or UFOs or whatever. It was just really big in that time plane. And it didn't, like I said, it didn't occupy us. We didn't sit around go oh gee, I wonder you know wherever we see a big foot or I wh over to see Ufo. We just you know, it was just part of growing up. And so yeah, I mean this area has had i'd probably say within a probably fifty to one hundred miles square area from where I grew up, there were Peoria, East Peoria, you know, places like that all the way, and you're Boom, which is no. Thirty five miles north east of Peoria. That's where a lot of sightings took placed too.

22:07 So yeah, we've always had every once a while to pop up in the newspaper. Matter of fact, I think the last recent one was oh, let's say twenty nineteen, twenty eighteen, over in Punks Grove, which is about m twenty miles more than me. So yeah, I mean, it's it's a something I heard about grown up, and it's still, like I said, it still pops up today. Something I found really interesting. After you had contacted me, I took a few minutes to do a few searches and I did see there as actually a reported sighting in Spartan near Sparland, Illinois, in nineteen seventy four, so that would have been a few years before your sighting. And that's just on the other side of the that creek I believe is where Sparland is, right, Yeah, it's it's if you go follow the creek down, it's more north to where I am, Sparling Lake and Henry, Like I said, that area there, but yeah, I didn't know about foland I didn't know about no one in Sparling. If you look up look up Marshall County, Illinois on vfrro dot net and there's it's it looks like a nighttime sighting around a deer hunting season. It's kind of interesting. Who knows what's in the part of the BFO that's not public

23:41 either, But I found it interesting how you mentioned that Coal Hollow Road creature of East Peoria, Illinois. That's the first I've heard of that. Would Would you be able to share any more information about that just off off the come. Like I said, I think it was back the first Coal Hollow creature sightings were back in the seventies. There's a big it was. It made the paper. It was a big deal because they a bunch of guys went out with guns hunting port and somebody got shot during the search for the co Hollow Monster. And then as recently as I want to say, in the two thousands, a lady said that something came out and grabbed the back bump of her car and lifted it off the ground and eventually dropped her car and she got out of there, and she attributed that to the co Hollow Monster. So it pops up occasionally around here in the newspaper. That's really interesting, just another mystery to add on to the list. There are some crazy things that happened in the Midwest, as we both know, when you start digging. If listeners have heard more about the Coal Hollow Creature of East Peoria, I'd love to hear about it. Please contact me Bigfoot Society at

25:11 gmail dot com. I might do a little bit more digging myself, so I put on my skeptic hat for a second as well, and I just said, well, well, maybe it was just something that escaped from the Prairie Wild Animal Park in Peoria. I don't think that would be the case, because I'm pretty sure it's always been North American animals, and I don't think they've had great apes in that particular wild Animal park at anytime, you know, Lilif Prairie Park has always been coyotes, buffalo, deer, occasional bobcats. It's really nice, really nice area out there there. It's i'd probably say that is just as nice as a place as Starbrock as to where another nice loaded area, and Starbrock itself as a pretty good weird history of bolt and involved that how it got its name or anything. And but yeah, yeah, I don't think. I don't think any big foot longer round with the buffalo while i's very far. Yeah, well probably not, although you never know, but I'm sure we would have heard something by now if they were starting to see a big foot over there. Yeah, it would probably upset the buffalo. Yeah, No, doubt. This has been a

26:47 very fun chat about an interesting time in your life. Mike, thank you for contacting me today so that we could chat for a little bit. If you have any other things that come up or that you hear of, it sounds like there's a lot of squatchy stuff that happens in that area of Illinois, Please don't be afraid to reach out again. All right, I certainly will. Jeremiad, Like I said, I kind of my Sunli boats are kind of the pseudo students of this stuff around here, we boys. I think it's probably because he's my son and I. You know, you impart a lot of your stuff on your kids, and he's very interested in that stuff too. And if then pops up around punks Grove or the area Purey or whatever, I'll certainly snick it out of the newspaper. And and if I can come up with anything links or whatever to send you down the path to some archives stuff, I'll definitely do that. You guys do a great job on your podcast. I was turned on to it by kind of a chain from a crooking out podcasts. The people like talking through that and then Spooks and Creeps when they started their own podcast. I'm really good friends with a few of them, and they turn me under you guys, and I've been listening to you guys every since, and you do a great job.

28:10 I think you're I think you're one of the better podcasts because the way you do approach it. You know, you're very You're very what's the best word, non judgmental, and you're not very opinionated, you know what I mean about. You just let the stories unfold and you look at all the facts from all the angles. You let people make their own decisions. You just the best way to handle that stuff. So I think you guys are doing a great job. And I appreciate you letting me tell my story, and it's it's really good to share something that happened to me, oh my god, five years ago, you all, and that somebody cares enough about it to want to hear it, So I thank you very much. Care about it. You're a big Society. Art goal is to provide a platform for those that have encountered Bigfoot to share their encounter in a safe and respected environment.

29:04 But we need to hear your story. If you've experienced something that you just can't explain, please send me an email at Bigfoot Society at gmail dot com. Then we can start the conversation. And I know a lot of you have not shared your encounter at all. It's been twenty years and it's time that you get this off your chest and then you can get some well deserved for rest, because I know you haven't been sleeping. I understand what you're going through, and I appreciate every one of you listening