New England's 19th Century 'Wild Man': A Forgotten Bigfoot Encounter

A recent video posted on YouTube by the channel Willstar Monsters & Mysteries takes us on a journey back in time to the mid to late 1800s in New England, specifically in the states of Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The video focuses on newspaper accounts from that era that tell of sightings of a "wild man" in several small towns. While the term "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" may not have been used during that time, the descriptions of this mysterious creature certainly sound like what we now call Bigfoot. The video starts off by telling us about the Stanford Wildman, a creature that caused a genuine state of fright among the citizens of several towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and the southern tier of towns in Vermont. The sightings began in the summer of 1861 and continued for several months, with the creature being described as a large, hairy humanoid, standing at 7 feet tall. One of the most intriguing accounts in the video is that of Curtis Wilbur, a hunter from Stanford who claimed to have come face to face with the creature while he was hunting on the mountains east of will Mar's Tavern. Wilbur initially thought the creature was a large animal digging roots, but when he took aim and shot, his gun failed to fire. The creature then straightened up to the size and stature of a 7-foot man, covered in hair from head to foot, and let out an unearthly yell before disappearing into the woods. Another interesting account is that of two brothers named Pierce, who went in search of the creature after hearing strange howlings in the woods near their homes. The brothers described the creature as standing at 6 feet tall and bearing great resemblance to the human form, with the body covered in long, coarse black hair. The video also mentions a small cave that was discovered in Stanford, which was believed to be one of the creature's retreats. Bones found in its mouth were sent to Amherst and Williams College authorities for examination. The video is a fascinating look at the history of Bigfoot sightings and the impact they had on the communities where they occurred. The descriptions of the creature and its behavior are consistent with modern-day accounts of Bigfoot, which lends credence to the idea that this mysterious creature has been around for a very long time. I encourage our readers to check out this video and share their thoughts on the accounts presented. The video is a great reminder of the enduring mystery that surrounds Bigfoot and the ongoing search for answers.