Gum Creek Bottom, IL - A preacher was out hunting for squirrels at Gum Creek Bottom near Mt. Vernon, Illinois, back in the summer of 1941.  He became startled when a "baboon-like" creature jumped out of a tree at him.

As the creature walked towards him, it remained on two feet, walking upright. When it came near, he swung his gun at it, smacking it. That did little to stop it from continuing, so the preacher aimed his gun up in the air, firing it a couple of times to scare the creature off. This appeared to work and the man was able to get away.

Other people, including schoolchildren, began to report hearing "terrorizing screams" in the woods, usually at night. Hunters would come upon strange tracks in the forest. Then in the spring of 1942, a farmer near Bonnie, Illinois reported that the creature had attacked and killed his dog.

A mass hunt was organized to try to find the creature. Reports started coming in of sightings of strange creatures as far away as 40 to 50 miles from the first sighting at Gum Creek Bottom.

The creature was seen near the Muddy River in Jackson County when it ran across the road in front of the driver reporting the event. Hunters also found evidence over in Okaw.

Around 1990, a hunter heard screaming on Prairie du Long Creek. The screams were heard all winter. Finally, hunters banded together and began chasing it. The dogs they were using would pick up a trail and then lose it.  The men would follow screams down the creek in one direction, only to hear the screams coming from the opposite direction.

The beast was never reported as caught or killed, or even identified.

Two additional items. The 1941 sighting was before the Roger Patterson Film and before the knowledge of a creature like Sasquatch became widespread.  Also, thinking about the 1990 incident, perhaps there was more than one creature which would explain why the screams seemed to come alternately from opposite directions.

(Interested in sponsoring a story? then send us an Email!)