YEAR: 1972

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: January

DATE: 17

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Gallia County

LOCATION DETAILS: Close to Bob Evans farm on Route 35 south of Centerville.

NEAREST TOWN: Between Rio Grande and Centerville.

NEAREST ROAD: Route 35

OBSERVED: In the winter December to January 1971-1972 my wife and I had quite an experience. I was hunting for deer in an area in southern Ohio, close to the Bob Evan Farm Area off route 35 before you come to Centerville. I had parked my Pinto station wagon at a farmhouse close to an area of hills and forested area.

I entered the woods after an overnight rain. With everything being wet you could move through the woods very quietly. I worked my way up and into the hill into an area without fences, building, or any signs of population, no cigarette buts, gum wrappers or nothing. Was hiking away thru some ravines for about (2) hours until I came to a small creek. I followed it for about ½ hour until it came to a grotto of rocks and pine trees. In this rocky area was a raised area about 8 feet higher than the surrounding area and resting on this solid rock ledge rested a wagon with broken wood spoke wheels (very old, very heavy construction) and a yoke for oxen with old leather straps and tack. It was setting to the right and forward of a large rock overhand that went back about 20 feet. On the floor up against the back wall was a large pile of pine fronds about 12 feet long and 6 to 8 feet wide, 8 inches to a foot deep and fresh. It was a bed for sure and it was dry and fresh.

To the left, about 20 feet was a small pool formed in the rock and fed by a trickling waterfall. Something had crapped on the edge a small way downstream. Knowing that animal I.D. is easier if you know what’s being eaten, I examined the stool with a stick to find hair, bone fragments, shells from crayfish, and maybe eggs of some sort. Various types of grass blades or vegetation made up a large portion but keep in mind that the stool was very large, maybe wrist size, and probably 4 or 5 pounds in a pile. There were stains in the rock from previous times. There were no campfires nor human sign anywhere except for the remains of that farm wagon. I can not remember any bird sounds or other animal signs. Very quiet overall! Before leaving this area, I marked my visit by relieving myself on the wheel and yoke of the wagon remains and quietly left the area.

I later told my father of this experience and asked his opinion of the possibility that this was a sleep sight for a Bigfoot. My dad was employed by the Game Protector Division for a period from 1950 to 1957 in the Marysville, Ohio area. He said there needs to be a breeding population for the existence of any species and there was just no evidence of that now, but the conversation was not over. Having given his opinion and reasoning for his view he then said this about that. “This happened to me” (see additional stories) He said that he wasn’t interested in going into the woods to help me investigate but my wife volunteered to go back with me.

We went back around the end of January and made it a point to notice what we could. The stream had all but dried up but the big flat rocks in the creek bed were resting on edge in a very unnatural way. The temperature had fallen, and everything was crisp, dry and noisy. We took the same route back through the woods taking about 1 ½ hours to get back to the grotto. The bed was still intact, and the creek though smaller was frozen and the dung was gone but the stains were still present. The wagon oddly enough had been moved and was now resting at the bottom of the rock grotto and scratched into the rock were drag marks 4' to 6' long indicating steps taken by something very strong and very big.

Terry, my wife said she was feeling very uneasy and wanted to leave so we started down the ravine and that’s when it started. Shuffling sounds in the leaves were coming from the top of the ridge on our right and they continued as it follows us out. Several knocks occurred for the next hour as we proceeded out of the woods as well as sheering saplings, snapping limbs and various chirps, whistles, grunts all now coming from both sides of the ravine.

Rocks could be heard zipping through the leaves and hitting the limbs as they made their way down through the Sycamore trees to either side of us only to “thump” to rest in the woods, hard enough to be felt close to the path. I took time to pick one up and put it in my hunting coat. (I still have that rock) Several times I stopped and raised my 8mm mouser, pointing towards the areas of disturbance. At no time did the onslaught stop. I don’t think the perpetrators knew that I was aiming a high-powered rifle in their direction. I never fired thinking that it may have been humans, bootleggers or who knows who. They followed us, harassing all the way until nearly dark at the edge of the woods. That is where I gave my wife one of my pistols and told her to get to the car, lock the doors, and wait quietly. As she kept going down the path, I dropped down at the edge of the thicket to see what was dogging us out of the woods. At this time everything went silent, no more movement. I waited there until the sound of the horn off in the distance. I made my way out never to return.

To sum up this story, I believe that it was a nest of sorts, I think that whatever moved that wagon down off of those rocks pulled about 800 lbs. or so down a good 20' with frozen axles and all. Those wheels were as high as my head an I’m over 6’2” tall. The yoke was about 12 feet long and to heavy for me to lift.

The trees that they shook were easy 25’ to 30’ tall. They snapped limbs that made one hell of a snapping sound and I’ve tried to repeat some of those sounds and can not do it. There was some sort of communications going on between the opposite ridges made up of grunts, whistles, snorts and wood knocks, rocks were thrown from the ridge tops as were limbs snapped in a loud fashion we were followed a good ways through the woods but I never saw anything visually. Not a glimpse!

ALSO NOTICED: No animal sounds

OTHER WITNESSES: my wife

OTHER STORIES: My dad was employed by the Game Protector Division for a period from 1950 to 1957 in the Marysville, Ohio area. “This happened to me”

"The sheriff’s department in the Marysville area notified me of a possible 'bear' sighting on a farm in the area, so I investigated it and in questioning the witness, a fairly upset farm wife told the story of a huge black man wearing no clothing came out of the woods behind the hog lot and had grabbed a hog about 200 lbs. and carried it squirming and kicking to a maple tree just outside of the hog lot where it took the pig by it s hind legs and smacked it against a tree leaving brain matter on the bark about 5 foot off the ground. He then tucked the now dead animal under his arm and walked back down the farm path to the woods then stepped over the 4-foot-high hog fence leaving a sample of crotch hair. Dad sent the hair in a paper envelope to Ohio State University for identification and was informed that even though it was nearly 6 inches long, it was probably the pubic hair from a human (probably Negro). Dad said that he had no choice but to accept the explanation and had very little comment after that, except to say that its tracks were at about four feet apart and looked like a flat foot human, barefoot and very deep, very large.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: cold

ENVIRONMENT: Forested hills.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Marc DeWerth:

This witness reached out to me via telephone after he read an internet article about my Bigfoot investigations in the state of Ohio. He contacted the news source, which contacted me requesting permission for them to give them my cell phone number.

The only reason he contacted me was because, his wife and him decided that their ages were creeping way up on them and it was time to tell of their encounter(s) as well as his father's amazing story. They felt these incidents needed to be documented now that the subject of Bigfoot is considered to be more of mainstream subject.

After hearing their entire stories, I asked them to submit a report to the BFRO so I could ensure them it would be documented for many years to come.

Figuring out what the town name was a chore and he initially thought it was Circleville. He hasn't been to Ohio since the 70s and his memory of the little downs that dot southern Ohio was obviously clouded. But after a good conservation and his mention of Bob Evan's Farm we both figured it out.

They were so happy to finally be able to talk to someone that understood what happened to them. The couple has kept their story private for all these years telling nobody other than his father.

His story did not change in any way when comparing the phone interview to the submitted report. This is apparently a case of disturbing a Sasquatch nesting area and being escorted out in a passive aggressive way which is very well noted in the Sasquatch field. Reading the report is just amazing in itself. Hearing his voice and feeling his emotions during the phone interview was very fulfilling. Fantastic report!

The Marysville incident from the 1950s is also very interesting. Unfortunately, all the witnesses have been gone a very long time.

About BFRO Investigator Marc DeWerth:

Marc has been a longtime investigator with over 25 years of experience investigating alleged Ohio Bigfoot reports. He is currently the organizer of the Ohio Bigfoot Conference that takes place at Salt Fork State Park every year and has featured multiple BFRO Investigators as speakers. He will be leading the BFRO's upcoming expedition in Ohio.