"Some people romantically perceive New England as a Norman
Rockwell painting: a spirited and sentimentalized canvas of folksy
charm, dry wit, and self-reliance. But Maine has an undercurrent
of things passing strange—strange experiences told and retold as
long as people have been here.
"This book’s aim is to chronicle Bigfoot within the state of Maine.
Presented herein are Native traditions and legends, modern Bigfoot
sightings, along with associated stories and Bigfoot-related folk
lore. With the intent of not overlooking perhaps distally related
topics, the Wild Man in Maine, both as a source of terror haunting
the dark backwoods and as entertainment ensconced in fairgrounds
and sideshows, is included. Similarly, Bigfoot in Maine’s popular
culture, important for the transmission of ideas and reinforcement
and shaping of concepts, will be examined.
"John Green’s seminal work, Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us
(1978) lists over 75 regional names for Bigfoot, including Haskell
Rascal, (Texas), Big Mo (Illinois), and the Spottsville Monster
(Kentucky). As will be explored in later detail, Maine has its own
special colloquialisms for Bigfoot and Bigfoot-like entities, including the Wendigo, Yoho, Maine Ridge Monster, Osgood the Ape,
Durham Gorilla, Leach’s Point Devil, Leeds Loki, Meddybumps
Howler, and the Wild Man of Katahdin."
