Illinois Bigfoot Research
Illinois has a long history of bigfoot-like creatures. The earliest reference that I am able to find is an article in the Decatur, Illinois Saturday Herald newspaper dated 8 Sep 1883 about a wildman near Centreville, St. Clair County, Illinois.
As the years have gone by there have been periodic reports and scares in different parts of the state. Probably the most famous stories were Cohomo of the E. Pekin, Illinois area in 1972 and the Big Muddy Monster near Murphysboro, Illinois in 1973. It is my opinion that after about 1980 as these stories started going into the tabloids that the main-stream newspapers no longer would report on the sightings.
However, with an increase of TV documentaries on the subject there has been an increased amount of newspaper coverage. The Chicago Tribune and The Ottawa Daily Times carried articles during the summer and fall of 2005 concerning several sightings in the Seneca, Illinois area.
I am an investigator with the BFRO. To report a bigfoot sighting please fill out a Sighting Report Form . If you would like me to be the investigator please type in Stan Courtney at the bottom of the form. The following information is provided by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the BFRO.