1895 Connecticut 'Wild Man': A Historical Look at Bigfoot Encounters

In a video recently posted to The Sasquatch Discovery Project YouTube channel, host Jeremy shares two newspaper articles from 1895 that detail accounts of a "wild man" or "gorilla" sighted in Winsted, Connecticut. The first article, published in the Scranton Tribune on August 26, 1895, describes how Morris Paflin, a well-to-do farmer, saw the "wild man" eating blackberries near the Holmes Farm. Paflin's description of the creature's features matches that of Riley W. Smith, the local head selectman, who had a similar sighting a week prior. The sightings caused such a stir among the inhabitants of Colebrook that they were armed when leaving their homes, and a hunting party of 300 men, including members of the Connecticut National Guard, was organized to search for the creature. The second article, published in the Estherville Daily News in Estherville, Iowa on September 11, 1895, also discusses the same "wild man" sighting in Winsted, Connecticut. This article identifies the creature as a full-grown gorilla, which is particularly interesting as the existence of gorillas was not widely accepted as fact until the late 1800s. These accounts serve as a reminder that the idea of wild, hairy men or sasquatches has been around for centuries, and is not a new concept. The Sasquatch Discovery Project aims to share historical accounts such as these, even if they are written in a way that may seem comical or outdated by today's standards. On a side note, it's interesting to consider the context of these accounts. At the time these articles were written, the concept of gorillas was still relatively new and not widely accepted as fact. It's fascinating to think about how the witnesses in these accounts could have accurately identified a gorilla, if that is indeed what they saw. If you're interested in learning more about these accounts, be sure to check out the video on The Sasquatch Discovery Project YouTube channel. And as always, we encourage our readers to keep an open mind and consider all possibilities when it comes to the existence of sasquatches.