Union County, Arkansas
1980, near Strong, Arkansas
This is a third or fourth hand story that happened 10 or more years ago.
A lot of oil was being trucked from this remote area which is close to
the Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge. The job required night loading on the
outskirts of this cyprus swamp. As the story goes, one truck driver was
sitting in the truck and was overcome by a strong smell. He turned on
his head lights to see a large, ape like creature staring at him. It had
red eyes and was of enormous size. The man panicked and drove off with
the loading hose still attached spilling oil all over the place. The oil
company owners were convinced that he had seen something by the circumstantial
evidence. The man refused to ever do a night load again. A second individual
was night loading and he was somewhat spooked due to the earlier event.
One night he smelled the "odor" and panicked as before doing
considerable damage leaving the area. He saw nothing but was sure the
smell was the creature. As to my knowledge, there has been no investigation
of this area. (Wilreich) March, 1999
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Additional Newspaper article:
Unknown Creature Sighted in Arkansas --"Wild Man of the Woods"
"During March last, Mr. Hamilton of Greene county, Arkansas, while
out hunting with an acquaintance, observed a drove of cattle in a state
of apparent alarm, evidently pursued by some dreaded enemy. Halting for
the purpose, they soon discovered as the animals fled by them, that they
were followed by an animal bearing the unmistakable likeness of humanity.
He was of gigantic stature, the body being covered with hair and the head
with long locks that fairly enveloped his neck and shoulders. The "wildman",
for we must so call him, after looking at them deliberately for a short
time, turned and ran away with great speed, leaping from twelve to fourteen
feet at a time. His foot prints measured thirteen inches each. This singular
creature has long been known traditionally in St. Francis Green and Poinsett
counties. Arkansas sportsmen and hunters having described him so long
as seventeen years since. A planter, indeed, saw him very recently, but
withheld his information lest he should not be credited, until the account
of Mr. Hamilton and his friend placed the existence of the animal beyond
cavil."
