Revisiting the Chambers Creek Monster
Posted by: Nick Redfern on September 9th, 2013
Good mate and fellow creature-seeker, Larry Parks, sent me the following article, which updates his very much ongoing research into the Bigfoot of Chambers Creek, Texas. Enjoy! Over to Larry…
Coming up next year is the 50th anniversary of a well-known sighting that coined the name above. A man by the name of Kenneth W. had a terrifying encounter while fishing back in 1964 near Ennis, TX. It involved the sighting of a huge, hair-covered beast somewhere between eight and ten feet tall. You can find the full details right here.
Now, many that are familiar with this N. Texas report may think the incident really stood alone and there was not much else to go with it or support it, unlike the popular reports coming from Lake Worth a few years later – in 1969 – that included many witnesses and events.
It’s turning out not so. I began digging deeper into the local reports near his home in Ellis County. I tracked down the son of the original witness and was able to exchange some additional reports both had picked up, including the news that Brad W. shared with me about his father’s serious illness over the last year or so.
Well, unfortunately it turns out that his father, Kenneth, passed away this past month, in August 2013, and my plans to meet the original witness face-to-face, and record his report firsthand on audio, was lost. But, as we mourn the loss of a man who shared his frightening encounter, all is not lost! Just in the past weeks, not only has one new report surfaced from Ennis in about 1969 of a very large hair covered creature, but two reports!
The first was seen – along a wood-line of a small tributary creek that connects to Chambers – by a group of young men that were out and heard some kind of animal sound. Looking up, they saw an 8-9 ft. tall hair-covered creature drop down on all-fours and charge towards them with a strange gait. They fled and recalled that what they saw wasn’t a bear; it had really long hair and it was very big.
Described as ugly, and knowing there were no bears anywhere around there, they never really knew what they saw but it sure fits the description of classic gorilla-like Bigfoot bluff-charge, as does the ability to go from bipedal to quadrupedal at a fast pace.
The second was at Chambers Creek’s low-water crossing at Ensign Road, back around 1964-65, when several people were camping and fishing at the creek. While cooking up some fish they had caught, they heard sounds of something large approaching them, on two feet, through the brush. As it got closer, they heard some kind of growling, and a very strong, bad odor came with it. Then they saw a very big hair covered creature appear, which made them feel very unwanted, and they fled for their lives.
More details are yet to come, as more interviews are to be conducted, but that’s the short of it for now. Many consider reports like this as just stories and not as statistical, anecdotal evidence that keeps the researcher digging for more. But, in this case, the names of those involved in these two reports are unrelated and only corroborate one another. It strengthens both tales, since they occurred at the same area and same time frame. It really brings life to the creature!
Much more on these local accounts will hopefully be shared in a future publication, and additional information on Chambers Creek-related monster stories will be presented next month, at the 2nd annual Oklahoma Bigfoot Symposium, on October 5-6th 2013 in Stilwell, Oklahoma.
About Nick Redfern
Punk music fan, Tennents Super and Carlsberg Special Brew beer fan, horror film fan, chocolate fan, like to wear black clothes, like to stay up late. Work as a writer.
Thanks to Mr. Parks and Mr. Redfern for this post. My family appreciates it, and I know my father would to. His story about witnessing, or rather, being accosted, by the Chambers Creek Monster is one that we have cherished for many years, and one that has always rang true with most that have heard it, especially my older brother and me. It’s the definitive reason why I have enjoyed and have been interested in this wonderful and varied topic for most of my life. My brother and I hope to meet with Mr. Parks next month at the location of the sighting to provide as much information as we can. I just wish my father had been well enough to do so, too. Thanks again, and thanks to the fine folks at Cryptomundo, as well.
With regard to “the ability to go from bipedal to quadrupedal at a fast pace,” this report, also from TX, is enlightening:
Excerpts:
As I focused on the location of the ruckus, the animal came into view from the thicket and this is what I saw; it was not what I expected: At about 15-20 yards to my right, it came into view and turned to its right (towards me and parallel to the roadway). It was moving, on all fours, at what I would call a hustled pace, almost as if it was running from something. When it was at about 9-12 yards from me and about two feet off of the roadway, it used a rather large (4ft) wooden fence post to hoist/propel itself into a bipedal progression, using its left arm and hand. Its change in gait or posture did not result in a change in its speed. …
From the follow-up report:
Per the witness, the subject was first heard moving through the brush and dense undergrowth at a distance outside of 20 yards. At approximately 15 – 20 yards the subject was observed approaching him from his right while moving quadrapedally. The movement was described as quick and fluid. The witness stated that the subject appeared to be looking down; he was unable to discern the face or upper chest movement during the approach. The witness stated that he was uncertain if the subject was moving quadrapedally before he saw it or if it had turned to quadrapedal locomotion in order to duck under some brush. At 10 – 12 yards away the subject used its left arm/hand to pull itself into a running, bipedal stride by grabbing the top of an old wooden post from the movement position. After pulling itself to its full height, the subject continued in fluid motion to move the 10 – 12 yards bipedally to position itself nearly parallel to the witness. At this point it turned its entire body to face the witness. It was 10 feet away. …
Other than Patty, no single piece of bigfoot evidence can be considered “compelling,” other than for its consistency with other pieces of evidence. That said: this, for its detail and consistency and a good clear look, is as compelling a report as I am aware of.
I was in a hotel lobby in Tyler TX for the 2009 Texas Bigfoot Conference when this witness recounted his story. (In the audience was a rapt Peter Matthiessen, taking notes.) He deviated not a jot from an encounter report I’d virtually memorized.
“Described as ugly, and knowing there were no bears anywhere around there, they never really knew what they saw”
Who described the witnesses as “ugly”? It’s uncalled-for, and certainly unnecessary.
Hanging clauses, like guns, are dangerous things in inexperienced hands…