YEAR: 1965-66

SEASON: Spring

DATE: 15

STATE: Tennessee

COUNTY: Sumner County

LOCATION DETAILS: This area is totally changed since the 1960. Hendersonville continues to grow in population as families sale off farms held for decades.

NEAREST TOWN: Hendersonville

NEAREST ROAD: Indian Lake

OBSERVED: I always tell this story whenever there is big foot conversation. However, I have never reported the incident to an official source. The creature was witnessed by myself, my sister, brother-in-law, my brother, and two of my cousins (both male.) Here's the real nutty part. The sighting was in Hendersonville, TN. Whereas there was (at the time of sighting) a lot of wooded land, it is by no means a wilderness. At the time of sighting, Hendersonville was experiencing phenomenal growth. Here's what happen. My brother Eddie, my two cousins James and Larry and I were spending the weekend with my sister (Nell) and brother-in-law (Leo). Their's was a new house next to the last one in the development at that time. The subdivision was a new one cut into some of the wooded area of Hendersonville. We turned int the driveway of the house and when the headlights from the car straighten down the driveway Leo abruptly stopped the car and said, "What the hell is that?" We all looked. The creature was digging in the trash can at the end of the driveway(its right side towards us). As the lights hit it, it turned and looked in our direction then looked in the direction of its regress (never looked in our direction again) and casually stride away. Leo got out of the car and went through the front door of the house and got his gun. We all watched as the creature ran (not fast) away on two legs. Never did it drop on all fours. It was not even built for all fours. It was man-like (and please, give us some credit, it was not a bear)about eight feet tall and completely covered with medium dark brown hair. When Leo got back outside the creature was gone. The next door neighbor's dog (always barking at us and everything else) did not make a sound and we found him hiding under the neighbor's back deck. At the time of this sighting, we had never heard of a big foot. We did not even think to look for hair of footprints or anything like that. This may sound a little odd, but we saw what we saw. I realize since this incident occurred such a long time ago, it will probably be of no interest but since I had never reported this incident to an official researcher, I wanted to do so. Thanks.

ALSO NOTICED: The trash can contained a chicken (store bought) that she through out because she said she didn't like the way it smelled.

OTHER WITNESSES: AS my account described, there were six of us.

OTHER STORIES: No.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was late between 10:00pm and midnight. There were no street lights so it was pitch dark on what I believe was a clear night.

ENVIRONMENT: Edge of wooded area.

Follow-up investigation report:

I spoke with the witness at length and found him to be very credible. I am very familiar with the Hendersonville area, and it is now one of the most populated areas surrounding Nashville, and is the home to many country music stars. However in the mid-1960's it was just beginning to grow and was in many ways a remote and unpopulated area.

The area where this sighting took place sits in a "U" formed by two arms of Old Hickory lake. At the time the sighting took place there would have been a lot of undeveloped land along the lake and it would have been a good corridor for travel.

The witness has done an excellent job relating his story. The only details that I have to add area as follows:

The witness was 17 at the time. His brother was 16 and his cousins were 14 and 15.

The creature was described as having dark brown hair that was rather long. The witness revised his estimate of the height to be closer to 7' tall, but said the creature was not bulky - he described it as more slender for it's height.

When it turned it's head toward them it did so slowly and deliberately, and when it 'loped' away it did not appear to be afraid. The stride was described as being very long.

After the creature loped away and the brother-in-law came back outside with his gun the neighbor became aware that something was going on and he joined the group as they searched the area where the sighting had taken place. The neighbor immediately asked where his dog was. The witness related that this was a very agressive dog that had to be kept chained when children were near. When the dog was found under the neighbor's back deck it was very frightened and was panting as if in distress. It had not made a sound during the time of the sighting.

Keep in mind that this sighting happened a number of years before the Patterson/Gimlin footage was filmed and these witnesses did not even know what they had been looking it. It was not until a number of years later that they realized they had seen a Bigfoot.