About Connections: Love it or hate it, history is a map. Those who hate history think it irrelevant; many who love history think it escapism. In truth, history is the clearest road map to how we got here: America 2014.
Here’s the question: Is there a Berkshire Bigfoot?
Aren’t we far too sophisticated to believe in an out-sized creature that belongs to an unknown species? Why, then, does the myth persist and the stories continue to be written? People keep claiming to see it, him, the thing, and that is why.
For some reason reports of early Berkshire sightings always begin with the North Adams Transcript article, August 23, 1895.
The Transcript was a weekly newspaper until 1895 when it issued a daily. One suspects, with a new venture into daily reporting, they wanted to generate more readership. What could be better than a firsthand account of a monster in the woodland on the front page?
“Built like a horse!” the headlines screamed, “Farmers terrorized!”
The average reader must have thought, “That’s worth a look,” and plunked down his money.
The story was scintillating. A selectman saw the beasty; not just anyone but a trusted and popular elected official. He was on the Dodd Stage Coach traveling from Sandisfield, Massachusetts to Winsted, Connecticut. There were other passengers, so he was not the only witness. Moreover, the article promised to “make a determined effort to capture it.”
And that was that. Not another word was written about the Berkshire Wild Man, surprised? Probably not but this may surprise you: rewriting the story of the sighting in 1895 is telling less than half the story of Berkshire Big Foot, Sasquatch, giant ape or Yeti.
The earliest accounts of an exceptionally big, strong, unique creature roaming the wilds are found in Indian tales. Tribes in Canada and the Northern United States describe Sasquatch in the same way: 6 to 9 feet, very strong, human-like but hairy and unable to speak. Some tribes describe the creature as benevolent — even as a guardian of mankind. Other tribes describe it as fierce and dangerous, pillaging and sometimes kidnapping a woman.
The first printed account of a sighting of a Berkshire County “creature” was published in 1765. It took place at a particular spot in Great Barrington.
With modern transportation, probably few realize that there was a swale between what is today the Great Barrington Town Hall and the bridge. Traveling on foot or horseback, people in the mid-eighteenth century certainly noticed.
It was not just a damp depression but at times it was bog or swamp-like. It was the perfect atmospheric condition to produce mists, and the perfect psychological condition to produce myths. When the mist or fog rose over the spot, some thought they saw ghosts flying. When the nights were darker and the mist thicker, the tales grew wilder. Strangers were warned to travel near the spot on dark nights at their peril.
It was there — where else — that the Berkshire Bigfoot was seen in July 1765.
“A description of an uncommon animal lately found at Great Barrington. This animal resembles the human species yet is monstrous in its nature and actions.”
The description of the creature, its looks, habits, and traveling companion was more detailed than in any subsequent account. There is a reason for that: later sightings were fleeting; in 1765, they captured it. That’s right: no glimpse of an elusive beasty that can all but disappear; they got it.
“It was pursued and taken as it lay asleep. It has since been brought to Cambridge and fixed in a cage where all whose curiosity leads them may have a sight of this uncommon creature.”
“Upon a near view it appears to be vested with a kind of robe having the appearance of the hide of a large bear while the ‘hair’ of its head appears to be white and bushy.”
Its face is “mask-like” dark and leathery – like a gorilla’s face.
Before it was captured, it was observed for some time.
It was two-faced, with the “appearance of calmness and innocence when observed…boldness and ferocity when thinking itself unseen.”
The creature was voracious and would not hesitate to break into any place where food might be stored.
“This monster has even had the audacity to enter many houses in pursuit of food.”
It was almost equally attracted to shiny objects which it carried away.
“The mischief of this animal at length becoming insupportable, it was pursued by a number of armed men.”
After its capture, it was transported to Cambridge. They intended to study the beast but it escaped. The animal traveled with a Negro woman. When it was captured, she followed. When she could, she opened the cage. Together they ran presumably back into the wild.
Then as now the next voice heard was that of the doubter and debunker. Even on the printed page, the sniff of derision was audible.
“To Messrs. Printers Observing in your paper an attempt to describe an animal written by a young reporter for such I apprehend him to be.” How else could he be so credulous?
“If now he is ashamed of writing such, let him confess it was only the effect of sudden thought [imagination] and nary after [never again] sacrifice his wisdom for wit.”
So there you have it – even in 1765 they were far too sophisticated to believe in Bigfoot.
