Bigfoot spotted in Washington? State agency wants you to be the judge

Sasquatch or "Bigfoot" is a seldom- or possibly never-seen, rather enormous, alleged beast, possibly hominid, that leaves large footprints, according to HistoryLink.org. The name comes from the Salish word for "wild man."

The search for Sasquatch has continued for decades and gained momentum in the 1960s after the Patterson-Gimlin film from Northern California, and after a reported sighting in Stevens County, Washington.

Below are additional details about Sasquatch searches by HistoryLink writer Virginia Story.

There is a long history of Sasquatch sightings in the Pacific Northwest. Native American legends, fur trader David Thompson in 1810, settler Elkanah Walker in 1840, and many others have reported evidence of a large hairy beast inhabiting mountains and forests. Logger Albert Ostman claimed in 1957 that he had been captured by a Sasquatch family in British Columbia in 1924. Other reports from the 1950s placed the Sasquatch near Jasper, Alberta, and in Northern California. One account had “Sassie” (Times) making off with a 750-pound truck tire without taking the trouble to roll it. Roger Patterson filmed a Sasquatch in California in 1967.

Silver and lead mines originally attracted early settlers to Bossburg (pop. 800 in 1892) in Stevens County along the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Canadian border. When the minerals ran out, Bossburg was abandoned and became a ghost town. While disposing of his trash at a community garbage dump on Nov. 24, 1969, Joe Rhodes spotted large footprints at the dump and reported his discovery.

Sasquatch hunters excitedly descended upon the area. Rene Dahinden (1930-2001), a renowned Sasquatch hunter, and others searched the area. They hung fresh meat and fruit lures 6 feet up in trees and scoured the countryside. On Dec. 13, searchers found more tracks close to one of the meat lures. The left footprint measured 17.5 inches long, 6.5 inches across the ball of the foot, and 5.5 inches across the heel. The deformed right foot, slightly smaller, had two lumps on the outer edge and a third toe that was either badly twisted or missing. The little toe stuck out at a sharp angle.