December 4, 2023 • 19 mins
Imagine stumbling upon a cryptid creature, lurking in the wild woods of Arkansas. Would you be terrified or thrilled? This episode of Smarticus Tells History brings you face to face with the eerie legend of the Fouqe Monster. A creature that has both fascinated and frightened locals for over a century. We dive into the theories and tales surrounding this gorilla-like monster, discussing everything from its first sighting in 1908, to the 1973 movie that brought it into national focus. Strap in as we dissect whether it could be a misidentified bear, or perhaps an undiscovered primate species?
Nothing adds more flavor to a legendary tale than a dash of humor and a touch of local cuisine. As we unravel the Fouke Monster, we offer a light-hearted segment, featuring a hilarious meme about this cryptid creature. And while you're laughing out loud, we take you on a culinary journey to Arkansas, with a delicious serving of spicy pulled pork sandwiches. This episode not only teases your mind but also your palate! We also feature thrilling stories and sightings from our listeners, making this episode a collective journey into the unknown. So tune in, enjoy, and remember, your curiosity could be the key to solving the mystery of the Fouqe Monster!
Recipe:
Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.
https://houseofnasheats.com/sweet-spicy-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Smarticast .
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Tales.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
History.
Alright, enough with the Echoand Fanfare.
You're here for history, right,and not that boring crack you
learned in high school.
This stuff's actuallyinteresting, like things you've
never heard about the Civil War,cleopatra, automobiles,
monopoly, the Black Plague andmore Fascinating stories,
interesting topics and somedownright weird facts from the
(00:27):
past.
It's a new twist on somestories you may know and an
interesting look at some thingsyou may have never heard.
So grab a beer, kick back andenjoy.
Here's your host, smarticus.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hello and welcome to another episode of Smarticus
Tales History.
I am your host, smarticus,accompanied by my co-host
Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Hiya.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
And today we're going to talk about a legendary
creature that has been seen inthe deep woods of Arkansas for
over a century.
I'm talking about the FouqeMonster.
We're going to do food firstand Looks amazing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I don't know how yours looks.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It looks really good.
So I didn't put mine on buns, Iput mine, yeah, I put mine on
sourdough bread, nice.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
That'll be just as good.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
And I toasted it beforehand, right on.
So I toasted it with butter andI mean the butter obviously
doesn't taste good.
So this is I didn't even pullit up here, it's just pulled
pork, because we're in arelatively general area- but,
(01:31):
it's an.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Arkansas staple.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
It's, yeah, it is called.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Pulled pork.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Just spicy.
Yeah, sweet and spicy slowcooker pulled pork.
You can cook it in the crockpot or the oven.
We both did the crock pot, Ibelieve.
Yes, and it's got a very.
I mean the recipe was supersimple.
I mean it's just pulled pork.
I mean it's kind of hard tomess that up, but you can put
(02:03):
your own dry rubbs on it.
Whatever, I used the dry rubthat was given in the recipe.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And I used one that was sent from Montana.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, so the one that's in the recipe was just a
generic brown sugar, groundcumin, garlic powder, onion
powder, chili powder, salt,ground pepper.
I mean, you could honestly getone of those all season things
and probably just put it inthere and it would be a very
(02:32):
similar result With sugar in it.
Yep, that's what I did.
I used that, the recipe that itcalled out.
Oh yeah, there's paprika in ittoo, and it has.
You know, it says optionalcayenne pepper, but with a dry
rub.
I mean, you can, you know, dowhatever, do it up however you
want.
Really.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And this one.
This recipe called for you tobrine it.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Which I've never done before, not for that, or I've
never done pork.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, usually it's chicken, you brine, but I did
that too.
The brine that it called outwas, you know, cold water.
Eight cups of cold water, brownsugar, again salt, two bay
leaves, and then also add inthat dry mix that I described a
second ago.
Or, if you have, I mean sureyou could use.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You know, I mean it's a brine, yeah you can mix and
match with the brines howeveryou like.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, do whatever you want.
This is what we did, thoughshort, quick and simple it's.
The episode takes place inArkansas.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
With a big furry monster.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
That is good.
You're right.
And yeah, it's a pulled porksandwich.
That's all it is.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
The recipe recommended eating it with a
cold slot.
Cold slot, not cold slot.
Oh my gosh, a cold slot.
I'm not a huge fan of cold slot, so I did not include that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I don't like cold slot either, so I didn't put it
in any of it.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
And I love cabbage, but that's that stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I've never, although I haven't tried it in a while
and I've only tried like ahandful, but every time that
I've tried it it's I can't do it.
Yeah, I don't know where it is.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
But yeah, so barreling on into our episode,
the uh, the Fowk Monster is acryptid that has been reported
to inhabit the swamps, forestsand rural areas of southern
Arkansas, particularly in thetown of Fowk, which is not too
far from the Texarkana border.
(04:29):
By the way, in case anyone'swondering, it is said to be a
large bipedal creature thatstands over seven feet tall and
has a muscular build.
It is covered in long, shaggyhair and has a face that
resembles that of a gorilla.
Almost sounds kind of like myhusband Cuter, though my
husband's cuter.
Anyways, he has large, glowingeyes that reflect light in the
dark.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, I would say Sasquatch.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
That he's actually very much likened to Bigfoot and
they consider him the southernstates version of Bigfoot
Because, you know, everyoneknows, bigfoot sticks northern
areas Apparently.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And every time you get a photo of him, it's just
not quite in focus.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
They have the same problem down there in Fowk Fowk.
Sorry.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
So all right.
So the first recorded sightingof the Fowk monster occurred in
1908.
Willie Smith reported that hissister, when she was 10 years
old, saw a large creaturewalking around on two legs the
south end of Mercer Bayou.
However, it wasn't until 1973that the folk monster gained
national attention, after therelease of a movie called the
(05:33):
Legend of Boggy Creek, whichdramatized the sightings of the
creature in the area.
Interestingly enough, it wasfilmed on location and had
locals as well as actualwitnesses in the film Crazy
right.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I couldn't believe that Since then, there's been no
less sightings and reports ofthe Fowk monster in the area,
with many witnesses claiming tohave seen the creature up close
and personal.
Some have even reported hearingits eerie howling cries echoing
through the woods at night.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
It reminds me of that meme that I saw.
I had Bigfoot, or I was talkingabout Bigfoot, and this guy is
camping out, you know wherever.
He's sitting at his campfire orwhatever, and he's got an ice
chest next to him.
He's drinking a beer and all ofa sudden, bigfoot walks out,
grabs a beer, opens it, drinksit, pounds it and it looks at
(06:28):
the guy and the guy's like dude,no one's going to believe you.
And then left, no one will everbelieve you Nobody.
Yeah, it was so funny.
That's awesome.
Yeah, but let's talk about theencounter that inspired the
movie real quick.
The event took place in 1971outside of the house of a man
(06:51):
named Bobby Ford.
He described the creature asbeing over seven feet tall,
three feet wide, covered inshaggy hair and having a face
that resembled that of a gorilla, with a smashed nose and red
eyes, which you mentionedearlier.
Yes, he also claimed that thecreature emitted a horrible odor
that he could smell, which hesmelled when the beast wrapped
his arms around Ford's shoulderand tried to grab him up.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Shake him like a dog.
Yeah, sorry, I watched monsterseat the other day.
She picked me up and shook melike a dog.
Yeah, but Ford told the FoukeConstable he fought to release
himself and when his feet hitthe ground he ran so hard and so
fast that he didn't even openthe front door of his house.
He barreled right through it.
(07:33):
When he went to the hospital,he was treated for minor
scratches and shock.
Ford went on to say that thecreature had been around the
house for several days, whichwas corroborated by several
eyewitnesses, who included hisbrother, hunting companions and
his wife.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
His wife had a particularly traumatic
experience when she was taking anap in the living room with the
windows open.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Not safe anywhere.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Yeah, not safe anywhere.
She woke, no doubt feeling thateerie feeling that all humans
are born with that activateswhen you're in danger.
What she saw was a hairy armwith big claws reaching in
through the window, where it wasattached to something with
glowing red eyes.
Naturally, she started toscream.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
This was what alerted Ford and his hunting companions
to the trouble at home.
With flashlights they spottedthe great hairy creature outside
of the house trying to get in.
They fired multiple rounds,several of which they said hit
because they saw it fall.
However, there was stillscreaming from inside the house,
so a Ford ran.
When he arrived, he wasattacked for the second time.
The men shot at the creatureagain.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Blood was never found by the authorities, not near
the house or in the woodssurrounding the property.
What they did find was a set ofstrange footprints and claw
marks on the Ford's porch.
Word, of course, quickly spread18 miles to Texarkana, where
the Texarkana Gazette and theTexarkana Daily News picked up
the wild story and came out toinvestigate.
What Jim Powell, the reporter,found was the Ford family
(08:55):
packing in a hurry and movingout.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
They were gone.
I thought that was so crazy.
Like I don't want to talk, I'mleaving.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, what the reporter Jim Powell found was
the family packing in a hurryand moving out.
They had only lived there oneweek, but they were absolutely
done.
Powell was the one who wrotethe article that the Associated
Press and United PressInternational circulated out to
the rest of the nation with thewords Fouke Monster on the top.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of course, as said before, there were sightings of
this big, hard to authenticatecreature since the early 1800s,
one of which was by James LynnCrabtree back in 1965, as
written by Lyle Blackburn fromCryptoMundocom, one of the most
influential and importantsightings of the Fouke Monster
occurred when Lynn was 14 yearsold.
(09:42):
He allegedly encountered it oneevening in 1965 while squirrel
hunting near his home.
The creature had apparentlychased some horses into the
waters of the Crabtree familylake when it noticed Lynn and
began to advance.
Lynn fired three times with ashotgun before running back to
the house in a panic.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
So a fun story.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh, I thought I wrote that I was like what?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
No, no, my cousins are Crabtrees.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Really that could be related.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That was written in April 2011, when Crabtree died
of natural causes.
While the Fords, after theirencounters, fled Fouke, the
Crabtree family, james, whopreferred to be called Lynn, was
a pipeline welder for most ofhis life and continued to live
on the Crabtree family propertyuntil he died, minus the time he
spent in the hospital towardthe end.
Interestingly, it wasn't Lynnwho spoke of his encounter, but
(10:40):
his father, who everyone calledSmokey.
He wrote about it in hisjournals, while Lynn all but
refused to speak on it.
Whether from trauma or fearover the reticule, he was silent
until his death.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I thought it was sad.
I mean, you know that you had acrazy wild experience.
You should talk about it just alittle bit.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I mean, you're already on your deathbed.
I mean right, what are theygoing to do?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Right.
Despite the numerous sightingsand reports of the Fouke Monster
, there has been no concreteevidence to prove that the
creature exists, aside fromquestionable cast molds of feet
and blurry pictures, much like,you know, bigfoot, many of which
have been placed into the FoukeMonster Mart, which is their
local museum of all things,fouke Monster.
(11:26):
However, there has been severaltheories put forward as to what
the creature could be.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
I bet you're pretty cool store.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Oh, the pictures online are awesome.
If you get a chance, go look atthem.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It's probably a lot like the Roswell stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think so yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
All right.
One theory is that the FoukeMonster is simply a
misidentified bear.
According to this theory,witnesses may have encountered a
large, dark colored bear thatwas standing on two legs, giving
the appearance of a bipedalcreature.
However, this theory does notexplain the glowing eyes or the
foul odor that witnesses havereported, which has been likened
(12:05):
to a wet dog and skunk.
Well, I mean, it's a bear outin the wild.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It could have, you know, rolled around in something
I thought the same thing, butthey're very consistent it's a
wet dog and skunk smell, notbear scat smell.
I know I thought the same exactthing.
Another theory is that theFouke Monster is a type of
undiscovered primate which stillkind of I'm like really, but
(12:31):
okay Similar to the legendaryBigfoot, as we discussed earlier
.
According to this theory, thecreature could be a member of
the hominid family, such asGigantopithecus or a Sasquatch.
However, there is no concreteevidence to support this theory
either.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It's because it ain't real.
Sorry, there's always a partypooper.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
The demon.
That's why he has the red,gloomy eyes.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, no.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
It's man bear pee.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I said the same thing when I was writing it up.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Oh my gosh Alright.
Some skeptics have evensuggested that the sightings of
the Falco Monster are simply theresult of mass hysteria or
hallucinations.
However, this theory does notexplain the consistency of the
reports and the similarities andthe descriptions of the
creature.
Well, I mean, it kind of does.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, but throughout the last century and some extra
change, they never changed.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But I mean that could just be because they've heard
the same story and they're justrepeating it.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
That is possible, but not if you consider how far
back it goes.
Some of those people, like theFord family, had never heard of
him and they physicallyencountered him.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Well, they said, they've never heard.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
If you're going to be a party, pooper and rain on the
parade.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I am.
I'm going to be a party pooper,I'm going to rain all over the
parade, all over it, all of it.
There's no more parade.
Get out of here, boo.
No one wants you here.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That's right, take your Falco Monster and go.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
And let's not forget that it was reported by the
authorities that there were clawmarks on the Ford's front porch
.
Physical evidence is alwayshard to argue with.
I mean, you're still going toargue?
Go ahead, you can make falseclaw marks.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You can, you can.
Why would you do that and thenrun away the next day?
I don't know.
Oh my gosh, now I get where myhusband likes to play the
devil's advocate all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Maybe because they were, you know, drinking some of
that moonshine.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It is really popular out there.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And token the good stuff and they, maybe they were,
maybe they're making their own,you know pooch and it's the
hills.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
They are definitely, definitely doing some stuff out
there.
I who knows.
Well, regardless of what theFalco Monster may or may not be,
it has become a part of thefolklore and legend of the
Southern United States.
The creature has been thesubject of countless books,
articles, tongue in cheek,movies and documentaries, and
has even inspired a wholesubculture of cryptid
(15:25):
enthusiasts and researchers.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
One group of researchers who have been
studying the Falco Monster isthe Southern Bigfoot Alliance, a
small team of investigators whospecialize in researching
Sasquatch and other cryptids inthe Southern United States.
The team has conducted severalexpeditions to the Falco area
using a variety of methods totry and capture evidence of the
creature's existence.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
One method that the Southern Bigfoot Alliance has
used is trail cameras, which aremotion activated cameras that
are set up in the woods tocapture images of wildlife.
The team has set up severaltrail cameras in the area where
the Falco Monster has beenreported.
The team is hoping to capturean image of the creature.
The team has also conductedseveral nighttime stakeouts in
the area using thermal imagingcameras to try and detect the
(16:10):
creature's body heat.
If he's that flippin' big, theyshould be able to find
something.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I mean, you would think.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
However, despite their efforts, the team has yet
to capture any concrete evidenceof the Falco Monster.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
A possible explanation for the lack of
evidence could be that he's notreal.
The thick woods and swamps makeit difficult to navigate and
search for evidence, and thecreature's nocturnal habits make
it even more challenging tospot.
Another possible explanationcould be the creature's
intelligence and pervasiveevasiveness.
If the Falco Monster is indeeda type of undiscovered primate,
(16:44):
it is likely to have developed aheightened sense of awareness
and survival instincts, makingit difficult to capture or even
observe.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Uh, personally, I lean toward the School of
Thought that there are things inthe world that need to be left
the heck alone.
Like Latinos Against SpookyShit, says if you heard it, no,
you didn't Shout out, honey, Iam a huge fan.
And people in Appalachia anddeep forested areas around the
world and around the world, I'llknow.
Whatever it is out there.
(17:13):
If it knocks on your door,don't answer.
And if you need to go outsideat night, know the hell, you
don't.
Yeah, that's just go to bed,take some medicine and go to bed
.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yeah.
Despite the lack of concreteevidence, the legend of the Falk
monster continues to thrive.
The creature has become a partof the local folklore and has
inspired countless stories,songs and even a festival in the
town of Falk.
The Falk monster festival is anannual event that celebrates
the legend of the creature,featuring live music, food
(17:46):
vendors and a variety ofactivities and events.
Sounds fun has become.
It does sound fun.
The festival has become apopular attraction for locals
and visitors alike, drawingpeople from all over the country
to celebrate the legend of theFalk monster mmm.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
One of the most interesting aspects of the Falk
monster legend is the culturalsignificance that it holds for
the people of the region, but itisn't unusual for such
creatures with mysterious habitsand elusive appearances.
The legends of the Falk monsteris just one example of the many
cryptids and creatures thathave captured the imaginations
of people All over the world.
From the Loch Ness monster tothe Chupa Cabra, these creatures
(18:24):
represent a deep-seatedfascination with the unknown and
the mysterious.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Who knows, maybe one day the Falk monster will
finally reveal itself and wewill be able to uncover the
truth behind one of the mostenduring legends of the American
South.
We want to thank you forjoining us.
This episode of smarticus tellshistory.
We hope you enjoyed learningabout the Falk monster and if
you have any stories orsightings of your own, we would
love to hear them.
Until next time, stay curiousand keep searching for the
unknown.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Thanks for listening to smarticus tells history.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to rate and review,
and make sure to subscribe andbe sure to follow the show at
facebookcom slash smarticustells history or just click the
link in the show description.
Thanks again for listening.
See you next time.
Welcome to Smarticast .
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Tales.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
History.
Alright, enough with the Echoand Fanfare.
You're here for history, right,and not that boring crack you
learned in high school.
This stuff's actuallyinteresting, like things you've
never heard about the Civil War,cleopatra, automobiles,
monopoly, the Black Plague andmore Fascinating stories,
interesting topics and somedownright weird facts from the
(00:27):
past.
It's a new twist on somestories you may know and an
interesting look at some thingsyou may have never heard.
So grab a beer, kick back andenjoy.
Here's your host, smarticus.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hello and welcome to another episode of Smarticus
Tales History.
I am your host, smarticus,accompanied by my co-host
Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Hiya.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
And today we're going to talk about a legendary
creature that has been seen inthe deep woods of Arkansas for
over a century.
I'm talking about the FouqeMonster.
We're going to do food firstand Looks amazing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I don't know how yours looks.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It looks really good.
So I didn't put mine on buns, Iput mine, yeah, I put mine on
sourdough bread, nice.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
That'll be just as good.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
And I toasted it beforehand, right on.
So I toasted it with butter andI mean the butter obviously
doesn't taste good.
So this is I didn't even pullit up here, it's just pulled
pork, because we're in arelatively general area- but,
(01:31):
it's an.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Arkansas staple.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
It's, yeah, it is called.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Pulled pork.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Just spicy.
Yeah, sweet and spicy slowcooker pulled pork.
You can cook it in the crockpot or the oven.
We both did the crock pot, Ibelieve.
Yes, and it's got a very.
I mean the recipe was supersimple.
I mean it's just pulled pork.
I mean it's kind of hard tomess that up, but you can put
(02:03):
your own dry rubbs on it.
Whatever, I used the dry rubthat was given in the recipe.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And I used one that was sent from Montana.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, so the one that's in the recipe was just a
generic brown sugar, groundcumin, garlic powder, onion
powder, chili powder, salt,ground pepper.
I mean, you could honestly getone of those all season things
and probably just put it inthere and it would be a very
(02:32):
similar result With sugar in it.
Yep, that's what I did.
I used that, the recipe that itcalled out.
Oh yeah, there's paprika in ittoo, and it has.
You know, it says optionalcayenne pepper, but with a dry
rub.
I mean, you can, you know, dowhatever, do it up however you
want.
Really.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And this one.
This recipe called for you tobrine it.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Which I've never done before, not for that, or I've
never done pork.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, usually it's chicken, you brine, but I did
that too.
The brine that it called outwas, you know, cold water.
Eight cups of cold water, brownsugar, again salt, two bay
leaves, and then also add inthat dry mix that I described a
second ago.
Or, if you have, I mean sureyou could use.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You know, I mean it's a brine, yeah you can mix and
match with the brines howeveryou like.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, do whatever you want.
This is what we did, thoughshort, quick and simple it's.
The episode takes place inArkansas.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
With a big furry monster.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
That is good.
You're right.
And yeah, it's a pulled porksandwich.
That's all it is.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
The recipe recommended eating it with a
cold slot.
Cold slot, not cold slot.
Oh my gosh, a cold slot.
I'm not a huge fan of cold slot, so I did not include that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I don't like cold slot either, so I didn't put it
in any of it.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
And I love cabbage, but that's that stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I've never, although I haven't tried it in a while
and I've only tried like ahandful, but every time that
I've tried it it's I can't do it.
Yeah, I don't know where it is.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
But yeah, so barreling on into our episode,
the uh, the Fowk Monster is acryptid that has been reported
to inhabit the swamps, forestsand rural areas of southern
Arkansas, particularly in thetown of Fowk, which is not too
far from the Texarkana border.
(04:29):
By the way, in case anyone'swondering, it is said to be a
large bipedal creature thatstands over seven feet tall and
has a muscular build.
It is covered in long, shaggyhair and has a face that
resembles that of a gorilla.
Almost sounds kind of like myhusband Cuter, though my
husband's cuter.
Anyways, he has large, glowingeyes that reflect light in the
dark.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, I would say Sasquatch.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
That he's actually very much likened to Bigfoot and
they consider him the southernstates version of Bigfoot
Because, you know, everyoneknows, bigfoot sticks northern
areas Apparently.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And every time you get a photo of him, it's just
not quite in focus.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
They have the same problem down there in Fowk Fowk.
Sorry.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
So all right.
So the first recorded sightingof the Fowk monster occurred in
1908.
Willie Smith reported that hissister, when she was 10 years
old, saw a large creaturewalking around on two legs the
south end of Mercer Bayou.
However, it wasn't until 1973that the folk monster gained
national attention, after therelease of a movie called the
(05:33):
Legend of Boggy Creek, whichdramatized the sightings of the
creature in the area.
Interestingly enough, it wasfilmed on location and had
locals as well as actualwitnesses in the film Crazy
right.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I couldn't believe that Since then, there's been no
less sightings and reports ofthe Fowk monster in the area,
with many witnesses claiming tohave seen the creature up close
and personal.
Some have even reported hearingits eerie howling cries echoing
through the woods at night.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
It reminds me of that meme that I saw.
I had Bigfoot, or I was talkingabout Bigfoot, and this guy is
camping out, you know wherever.
He's sitting at his campfire orwhatever, and he's got an ice
chest next to him.
He's drinking a beer and all ofa sudden, bigfoot walks out,
grabs a beer, opens it, drinksit, pounds it and it looks at
(06:28):
the guy and the guy's like dude,no one's going to believe you.
And then left, no one will everbelieve you Nobody.
Yeah, it was so funny.
That's awesome.
Yeah, but let's talk about theencounter that inspired the
movie real quick.
The event took place in 1971outside of the house of a man
(06:51):
named Bobby Ford.
He described the creature asbeing over seven feet tall,
three feet wide, covered inshaggy hair and having a face
that resembled that of a gorilla, with a smashed nose and red
eyes, which you mentionedearlier.
Yes, he also claimed that thecreature emitted a horrible odor
that he could smell, which hesmelled when the beast wrapped
his arms around Ford's shoulderand tried to grab him up.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Shake him like a dog.
Yeah, sorry, I watched monsterseat the other day.
She picked me up and shook melike a dog.
Yeah, but Ford told the FoukeConstable he fought to release
himself and when his feet hitthe ground he ran so hard and so
fast that he didn't even openthe front door of his house.
He barreled right through it.
(07:33):
When he went to the hospital,he was treated for minor
scratches and shock.
Ford went on to say that thecreature had been around the
house for several days, whichwas corroborated by several
eyewitnesses, who included hisbrother, hunting companions and
his wife.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
His wife had a particularly traumatic
experience when she was taking anap in the living room with the
windows open.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Not safe anywhere.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Yeah, not safe anywhere.
She woke, no doubt feeling thateerie feeling that all humans
are born with that activateswhen you're in danger.
What she saw was a hairy armwith big claws reaching in
through the window, where it wasattached to something with
glowing red eyes.
Naturally, she started toscream.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
This was what alerted Ford and his hunting companions
to the trouble at home.
With flashlights they spottedthe great hairy creature outside
of the house trying to get in.
They fired multiple rounds,several of which they said hit
because they saw it fall.
However, there was stillscreaming from inside the house,
so a Ford ran.
When he arrived, he wasattacked for the second time.
The men shot at the creatureagain.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Blood was never found by the authorities, not near
the house or in the woodssurrounding the property.
What they did find was a set ofstrange footprints and claw
marks on the Ford's porch.
Word, of course, quickly spread18 miles to Texarkana, where
the Texarkana Gazette and theTexarkana Daily News picked up
the wild story and came out toinvestigate.
What Jim Powell, the reporter,found was the Ford family
(08:55):
packing in a hurry and movingout.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
They were gone.
I thought that was so crazy.
Like I don't want to talk, I'mleaving.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, what the reporter Jim Powell found was
the family packing in a hurryand moving out.
They had only lived there oneweek, but they were absolutely
done.
Powell was the one who wrotethe article that the Associated
Press and United PressInternational circulated out to
the rest of the nation with thewords Fouke Monster on the top.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of course, as said before, there were sightings of
this big, hard to authenticatecreature since the early 1800s,
one of which was by James LynnCrabtree back in 1965, as
written by Lyle Blackburn fromCryptoMundocom, one of the most
influential and importantsightings of the Fouke Monster
occurred when Lynn was 14 yearsold.
(09:42):
He allegedly encountered it oneevening in 1965 while squirrel
hunting near his home.
The creature had apparentlychased some horses into the
waters of the Crabtree familylake when it noticed Lynn and
began to advance.
Lynn fired three times with ashotgun before running back to
the house in a panic.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
So a fun story.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh, I thought I wrote that I was like what?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
No, no, my cousins are Crabtrees.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Really that could be related.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That was written in April 2011, when Crabtree died
of natural causes.
While the Fords, after theirencounters, fled Fouke, the
Crabtree family, james, whopreferred to be called Lynn, was
a pipeline welder for most ofhis life and continued to live
on the Crabtree family propertyuntil he died, minus the time he
spent in the hospital towardthe end.
Interestingly, it wasn't Lynnwho spoke of his encounter, but
(10:40):
his father, who everyone calledSmokey.
He wrote about it in hisjournals, while Lynn all but
refused to speak on it.
Whether from trauma or fearover the reticule, he was silent
until his death.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I thought it was sad.
I mean, you know that you had acrazy wild experience.
You should talk about it just alittle bit.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I mean, you're already on your deathbed.
I mean right, what are theygoing to do?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Right.
Despite the numerous sightingsand reports of the Fouke Monster
, there has been no concreteevidence to prove that the
creature exists, aside fromquestionable cast molds of feet
and blurry pictures, much like,you know, bigfoot, many of which
have been placed into the FoukeMonster Mart, which is their
local museum of all things,fouke Monster.
(11:26):
However, there has been severaltheories put forward as to what
the creature could be.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
I bet you're pretty cool store.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Oh, the pictures online are awesome.
If you get a chance, go look atthem.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It's probably a lot like the Roswell stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think so yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
All right.
One theory is that the FoukeMonster is simply a
misidentified bear.
According to this theory,witnesses may have encountered a
large, dark colored bear thatwas standing on two legs, giving
the appearance of a bipedalcreature.
However, this theory does notexplain the glowing eyes or the
foul odor that witnesses havereported, which has been likened
(12:05):
to a wet dog and skunk.
Well, I mean, it's a bear outin the wild.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It could have, you know, rolled around in something
I thought the same thing, butthey're very consistent it's a
wet dog and skunk smell, notbear scat smell.
I know I thought the same exactthing.
Another theory is that theFouke Monster is a type of
undiscovered primate which stillkind of I'm like really, but
(12:31):
okay Similar to the legendaryBigfoot, as we discussed earlier
.
According to this theory, thecreature could be a member of
the hominid family, such asGigantopithecus or a Sasquatch.
However, there is no concreteevidence to support this theory
either.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It's because it ain't real.
Sorry, there's always a partypooper.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
The demon.
That's why he has the red,gloomy eyes.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, no.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
It's man bear pee.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I said the same thing when I was writing it up.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Oh my gosh Alright.
Some skeptics have evensuggested that the sightings of
the Falco Monster are simply theresult of mass hysteria or
hallucinations.
However, this theory does notexplain the consistency of the
reports and the similarities andthe descriptions of the
creature.
Well, I mean, it kind of does.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah, but throughout the last century and some extra
change, they never changed.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But I mean that could just be because they've heard
the same story and they're justrepeating it.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
That is possible, but not if you consider how far
back it goes.
Some of those people, like theFord family, had never heard of
him and they physicallyencountered him.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Well, they said, they've never heard.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
If you're going to be a party, pooper and rain on the
parade.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I am.
I'm going to be a party pooper,I'm going to rain all over the
parade, all over it, all of it.
There's no more parade.
Get out of here, boo.
No one wants you here.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That's right, take your Falco Monster and go.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
And let's not forget that it was reported by the
authorities that there were clawmarks on the Ford's front porch
.
Physical evidence is alwayshard to argue with.
I mean, you're still going toargue?
Go ahead, you can make falseclaw marks.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You can, you can.
Why would you do that and thenrun away the next day?
I don't know.
Oh my gosh, now I get where myhusband likes to play the
devil's advocate all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Maybe because they were, you know, drinking some of
that moonshine.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It is really popular out there.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And token the good stuff and they, maybe they were,
maybe they're making their own,you know pooch and it's the
hills.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
They are definitely, definitely doing some stuff out
there.
I who knows.
Well, regardless of what theFalco Monster may or may not be,
it has become a part of thefolklore and legend of the
Southern United States.
The creature has been thesubject of countless books,
articles, tongue in cheek,movies and documentaries, and
has even inspired a wholesubculture of cryptid
(15:25):
enthusiasts and researchers.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
One group of researchers who have been
studying the Falco Monster isthe Southern Bigfoot Alliance, a
small team of investigators whospecialize in researching
Sasquatch and other cryptids inthe Southern United States.
The team has conducted severalexpeditions to the Falco area
using a variety of methods totry and capture evidence of the
creature's existence.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
One method that the Southern Bigfoot Alliance has
used is trail cameras, which aremotion activated cameras that
are set up in the woods tocapture images of wildlife.
The team has set up severaltrail cameras in the area where
the Falco Monster has beenreported.
The team is hoping to capturean image of the creature.
The team has also conductedseveral nighttime stakeouts in
the area using thermal imagingcameras to try and detect the
(16:10):
creature's body heat.
If he's that flippin' big, theyshould be able to find
something.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I mean, you would think.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
However, despite their efforts, the team has yet
to capture any concrete evidenceof the Falco Monster.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
A possible explanation for the lack of
evidence could be that he's notreal.
The thick woods and swamps makeit difficult to navigate and
search for evidence, and thecreature's nocturnal habits make
it even more challenging tospot.
Another possible explanationcould be the creature's
intelligence and pervasiveevasiveness.
If the Falco Monster is indeeda type of undiscovered primate,
(16:44):
it is likely to have developed aheightened sense of awareness
and survival instincts, makingit difficult to capture or even
observe.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Uh, personally, I lean toward the School of
Thought that there are things inthe world that need to be left
the heck alone.
Like Latinos Against SpookyShit, says if you heard it, no,
you didn't Shout out, honey, Iam a huge fan.
And people in Appalachia anddeep forested areas around the
world and around the world, I'llknow.
Whatever it is out there.
(17:13):
If it knocks on your door,don't answer.
And if you need to go outsideat night, know the hell, you
don't.
Yeah, that's just go to bed,take some medicine and go to bed
.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yeah.
Despite the lack of concreteevidence, the legend of the Falk
monster continues to thrive.
The creature has become a partof the local folklore and has
inspired countless stories,songs and even a festival in the
town of Falk.
The Falk monster festival is anannual event that celebrates
the legend of the creature,featuring live music, food
(17:46):
vendors and a variety ofactivities and events.
Sounds fun has become.
It does sound fun.
The festival has become apopular attraction for locals
and visitors alike, drawingpeople from all over the country
to celebrate the legend of theFalk monster mmm.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
One of the most interesting aspects of the Falk
monster legend is the culturalsignificance that it holds for
the people of the region, but itisn't unusual for such
creatures with mysterious habitsand elusive appearances.
The legends of the Falk monsteris just one example of the many
cryptids and creatures thathave captured the imaginations
of people All over the world.
From the Loch Ness monster tothe Chupa Cabra, these creatures
(18:24):
represent a deep-seatedfascination with the unknown and
the mysterious.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Who knows, maybe one day the Falk monster will
finally reveal itself and wewill be able to uncover the
truth behind one of the mostenduring legends of the American
South.
We want to thank you forjoining us.
This episode of smarticus tellshistory.
We hope you enjoyed learningabout the Falk monster and if
you have any stories orsightings of your own, we would
love to hear them.
Until next time, stay curiousand keep searching for the
unknown.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Thanks for listening to smarticus tells history.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to rate and review,
and make sure to subscribe andbe sure to follow the show at
facebookcom slash smarticustells history or just click the
link in the show description.
Thanks again for listening.
See you next time.
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