Bigtruth Presents Harper's History Vol.1 #4 - ARIZONA
By Scott Harper
Arizona is primarily a hot, dry desert state. It isn't what comes instantly to mind upon hearing the word "Sasquatch". However, a lot of people aren't aware that Arizona does boast some forested areas that look, and feel a lot like the Pacific Northwest. This forest accounts for only about twenty-seven percent of the state, though. Historically speaking, these northern wooded areas are where a lot of Sasquatch sightings in Arizona have taken place. In more recent times, we're seeing more accounts coming from the lower, hotter desert areas of the state. My hypothesis on this is a return to the idea of Sasquatch needing to expand their typical roaming territory as humans continue encroaching upon their domain. It's something I've discussed before in this series of articles.
Regardless, Arizona isn't exactly
a hot-spot for Sasquatch sightings, or encounters. There are some reports which
come out of the state, though. Again, most of these come from the verdant
northern sections of Arizona. For those who have never been there—my wife, and
I took a honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon—the northern part of Arizona can be
as damp, rainy, chilly, and mist-enshrouded as primeval northern California,
Oregon, and Washington forests, even while the rest of the state is baking like
a dry oven!
In 1920, a miner returning to his
camp found the trail blocked by a pair of Sasquatch. From the description he
gave of the creatures, they appear to have been a male and a female. Fortunately
for the miner, the Sasquatch seemed to be only curious. They stood in the
trail, watching him, not moving. After a minute or so of this, the miner simply
led his mule around the creatures, and continued on his way, unbothered by the Sasquatch. The nearest town to this event at the time was Payson. There doesn't
seem to be anything on record, however, describing just how far from Payson
this sighting took place.
Somewhere near Flagstaff, in
1925, two women witnessed a Sasquatch taking turnips, and corn from their
garden.
Not far north of Winslow, in 1965
a school teacher sighted what seemed to be a juvenile Sasquatch beside a road.
The 3-foot-tall creature was described as "hopping and scrambling". No
indication seems to have been given as to whether the small being was playing,
or had been injured.
Possibly the most telling,
however, is something that still exists to this day. About eighteen miles
northwest of Gila Bend, Arizona—which is in the southwestern part of the state;
in a very hot, dry climate—is the Painted Rock Petroglyph site. Primitive cave-painting-type
of artwork can be found there. It's thought that these paintings were created
over the time span ranging from 300 B.C.E, until sometime in the 1400s B.C.E. Among
the artwork found there, among depictions of birds, snakes, antelope, and other
animals that present-day scientists have long accepted as living species, are
representations of what archaeologists claim is meant to be a
half-man/half-beast creature with large hands,
large feet, and no neck. It's a description, and a depiction, that fits Sasquatch perfectly.
Did the ancient people who
created those cave paintings travel to the forested northern parts of the
state, and encounter Sasquatch? Or did they witness Sasquatch who, for some
reason, ventured so far south into the low desert of what we know today as
Arizona? Regardless, it looks as if they did have sightings of Sasquatch there
thousands of years ago.
Either way, it seems clear that,
despite its predominately dry, arid climate, Arizona has been home to at least
a few Sasquatch for a very long time.
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