Myth or Legend? Top 10 Illinois monster stories

With Halloween approaching, goblins, ghouls and ghosts will be walking the streets in droves. But what about the kinds of monsters that don’t go door-to-door asking for candy? Believe it or not, Illinois is rife with reported sightings of monsters ranging from ferocious creatures hiding beneath murky waters to towering humanoid-like beasts seen wandering the woods and river valleys in remote and rural parts of the state.

Whether these stories derive from local legends, folklore, myths or overactive imaginations, you definitely wouldn’t want to stumble upon one of these nightmarish Illinois monsters.

1. Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot)

Alleged sighting in Utica, Ill.

• Illinois has the most reported Bigfoot sighting of any state east of the Mississippi, most of which are concentrated in remote and rural parts of southern and central Illinois.
• The earliest documented sighting was in 1883 in a wooded area near Centreville.

2. The Enfield Horror

• In April 1973, numerous sightings of a deformed creature having T-Rex-like arms with short claws, pink eyes, gray, slimy skin and three legs attacked a young boy as he was playing in his backyard. Later that evening, the bizarre creature tried breaking into a neighbors home, where it was shot by a man named Henry McDaniel with a .22 caliber pistol. A news director for WWKI Radio supposedly taped the monster’s screams as it ran off, covering 50-75 feet with just three giant leaps and vanished.
• Back in the 1940s, similar sightings were reported in the nearby town of Mt. Vernon, leading some to believe this creature reappears every few decades and will return again.

3. Thunderbirds

• There have been many alleged sighting of Thunderbirds in Illinois, which are giant birds with wingspans reaching up to 20 feet. One well-known local legend near the town of Alton is that of Piasa bird, a name given by the Illini Indians meaning “bird that devours men.” Although it has been restored, there is a painting of the Piasa bird on a bluff that’s believed to date back to the late 17th century.
• In 1973, an incident occurred in Lawndale where two gigantic birds attacked a group of children, one of whom was carried off by the bird being being dropped shortly after. A man named Texas John Huffer is said to have filmed a group of these birds at Lake Shelbyville that same year.

4. The Farmer City Monster

• A giant, humanoid-like monster with bright yellow eyes seen multiple times in the 1970s. The good news is it’s seemingly afraid of humans as it runs away whenever spotted.
• Sightings: Farmer City, Bloomington Weldon Springs State Park, Heyworth and Waynesville in the 1970s.

5. The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

• The Gasser is described as a tall, thin man who wore dark clothes and a tight-fitting cap. While gas attacks were originally reported in Botetourt County, Virginia, a spate of them happened a decade later in Mattoon beginning in August of 1944.
• Hysteria swept through Mattoon after numerous residents claimed to have been sickened by gas. Things got so out of control that the FBI took on the case, but the Gasser was too elusive and never caught by the authorities.

6. The Gooseville Bear

Source: mysteriousheartland.com

• Between the 1940s and late 1960s, reports of extremely large animal tracks were discovered by Gooseville residents along Indian Creek near Bethalto. The tracks resembled that of a bear, but none lived in the area. No witnesses ever claimed to have seen the beast, just its footprints.

7. Murphysboro Mud Monster

• Also known as “Big Muddy,” the seven foot, white-haired monster was first seen roaming along the banks of the Big Muddy River near Murphysboro. While police found its footprints along the river, and even heard its bizarre screams, it was last seen by a young boy running through his family’s backyard before it mysteriously vanished.

7. Cole Hollow Road Monster

Source: mysteriousheartland.com

• South of Peoria near Creve Coeur, an eight to 10 foot-tall beast with thick white fur was seen along Cole Hollow Road near the Illinois River during the 1970s. In the summer of 1972, there were so many reported sightings that the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department organized a search party to hunt down Cohomo.
• While it was never found, a man driving near Essex in July 2000 said he caught a glimpse of the monster in his headlights.

8. Lake Michigan Monster

• During the late 1800s, there was an abundance of newspaper reports detailing a huge sea serpent lurking beneath the waters of Lake Michigan. It was described as having dark blue scales with a gray or white underbelly and ranged up to 50 feet in length.
• In 1867, a fisherman named Joseph Muhlke, who was on his boat about a mile and half from the shore of Chicago’s south side, said he came within 20 feet of the monster’s head.

9. Tuttle Bottoms Monster

• First reported during the 1960′s in Tuttle Bottoms near Harrisburg, the monster is said to resemble an unusually large and furry anteater — similar in size to a bear.
• Hunters and others who visit the scenic wooded area along the Saline River have notified authorities about the creature numerous times, but only strange animal tracks have been found.

10. Bull Valley Monster

• In the woods surrounding the secluded and twisting roads of Bull Valley, a small town just east of Woodstock in McHenry County, are reports of an upright-walking monster resembling Sasquatch. While Bigfoot sightings are common in central and southern parts of the state, northern Illinois is home to its own bipedal beast, one that apparently enjoys attacking teenage couples who drive the roads at night.
• The McHenry County Sheriff deals with reports from time-to-time, but there has never been any conclusive evidence.

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   Kevin Hoffman is a Reboot Illinois staff writer who graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism, political science and international studies. He believes keeping citizens informed and politicians in check is the best way to improve Illinois and bring about common sense reform.  Follow us on Facebook.