Omak, Okanogan County, Washington

I grew up in Omak, Washington, a small town in Okanogan County just below the Canadian border. We moved there, from Montana, in 1941. At the time I was five years old. Omak, WA is situated in the Okanogan valley and is bisected by the Okanogan river. The whole valley is surrounded by mountains, that are densely covered with timber.

The east side of the town where my family lived is partially located on the Colville Indian Reservation. My Uncle Albert found employment in the local sawmill and in the normal course of his employment made friends with many of the employees of the mill who were Native Americans that were native to the area.

During that period of residence is where I first heard the name of a large man-like animal known as "Sasquatch". All of the Indians that I met had either seen Sasquatch or had relatives whom had seen him. At that time no one was calling Sasquatch by the more modern term "Bigfoot". In later years I remember reading that the earliest known sighting of Sasquatch was recorded in the Mount Rainier area of Washington state by a group of loggers. This was in "1756." The animals were supposed to have thrown large boulders and downed logs at the logger's cabin. The loggers discharged their firearms at the beasts sounds and succeeded in driving the beasts off.

I know that a large group of people, native to the Omak area (Indians), who lived out on the reservation, honestly believed they had seen the animal that they knew as Sasquatch. All of their stories were matching in almost every detail. I know that many of these people that related their stories were not acquainted with each other. Hence, I believe in Sasquatch.

One of the biggest problems that most scientists seem to have with the existence of Sasquatch is the lack of definitive physical evidence, i.e. a skeleton or a cadaver. I have hiked, camped and hunted all over the mountains in Washington State for many years, and I have never seen a bears cadaver in the mountains anywhere. And I'll bet that very few people have either. The reason? Bears must die while denned up during their hibernation period. Who then, or what, says Sasquatch does not hibernate? Thank you for listening to me. If you are lucky enough to see Sasquatch shoot his picture only.

Thank you again,
William D. Ward,
Carson, California

Wednesday 01/03/2001 10:03:59 pm.