On July 16, 1924, a daily newspaper from Portland, Oregon, aptly named The Oregonian, published an article describing a somewhat violent encounter between gold prospectors and a group of “ape-men” near Mount St. Helens. One of the prospectors reported that he was able to shoot one of the creatures. Later, during nighttime, the group reported that they had come under attack by the same creatures. Ape-men were said to have thrown large rocks at the cabin, where prospectors were hiding, allegedly damaging the roof and knocking one of the men unconscious. The men fled the area the next morning. However, after a thorough investigation, US Forest Service concluded the story to be a complete bullshit. Yet, the stories of giant, hair-covered ape-like men persisted around the area currently known as Ape Canyon.
Fast forward to 1958, when a simple man named Jerry Crew discovered a set of large human-like footprints — about 16 inches long — in the mud of Six Rivers National Forest in California. Being simple men, they simply used the word “bigfoot” to describe the apparition. Having observed more of these massive footprints, they’ve decided that if it was a prank, it would be too elaborate for their simple minds. Therefore a journalist was dispatched by the name of Andrew Genzoli. His article in Humboldt Times made the events and the word “Bigfoot” attached to them famous.
The story spread, with the New York Times and Los Angeles Times both running it. The term “Bigfoot” became a ubiquitous reference to large, hairy, unknown humanoid-like creatures leaving 16-inch-long footprints. Willow Creek and Humboldt County in California became a “Bigfoot Capitol of the World.”
Bigfoot research picked up, expeditions were chartered and sent, and evidence was collected, including the famous footage of “yeti,” drawings, eyewitness records, and so on. Things were looking good for science and research.
That is, until 2002, when the family of Jerry Crew’s deceased coworker, Ray Wallace, revealed a collection of wooden feet, about 16 inches long, hidden in his basement. Wallace and his wooden toys were the source of the footprints that Jerry Crews discovered. It also turned out that Wallace was inspired by another hoaxer.
In the 1930s, in Toledo, Washington, a man called Rant Mullens and a group of other Forresters — people who were taking care of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (today they would be called Forest Rangers), carved a pair of large wooden feet to scare away huckleberry pickers. The same group of these creative gentlemen also claimed responsibility for the Ape Canyon incident in 1924. They began referring to themselves as St Helens Apes. They would later have a Mt. St Helen cave dedicated to them.
Of course, it is hard to go on with the lack of actual subjects and evidence. Yet, that didn’t stop people from creating a whole museum and a research station in the woods of Georgia. Aptly named EXPEDITION: BIGFOOT! (yes, with all caps and with the exclamation mark at the end) the museum, at least, is a real thing. What it lacks in exhibits, it makes up in how seriously it takes itself. Featuring a few casts of large feet, illustrations, a whopping 8-minute movie dedicated to Bigfoot research, and the one and only Bigfoot Research and Tech Vehicle on Display. Yes, it’s a golf cart.
The total amount of time it takes to go through the museum is about 30 to 40 minutes, but it’s absolutely worth it. It’s fun, a good reminder of simpler times when information spread was slow and people remembered how to have fun, and — if all else fails — a gift shop.
