Class A First-hand BFRO #41916

Memory told of daylight sighting while mushroom hunting along Happy Hollow Road near Gorham

April 1978 2 p.m. Gorham, Jackson County, Illinois 1 witness

Account

While mushroom hunting with a child near a creek, the witness noticed movement behind a tree across the creek and then saw part of a dark hair-covered entity, including knee, shoulder and face. The entity moved behind the tree out of view, and the witness left immediately with the child. She later returned with a firearm and found footprints where the entity had stood.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Sightings

Physical traces

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Height src
six feet tall
Build src
over 350 lbs
Hair colour src
black
Face src
hairy from top to bottom
Eyes src
blinked, white around eye
Arms src
shoulder seen
Legs src
knee seen
Other features src
no flesh tone visible

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
April 1978
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, labelled fields: Year, Month
Time of day
2 p.m.
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Time And Conditions” section
Place
Gorham, Jackson County, Illinois
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point
37.68, -89.49 (± 1000 m)
Stated BFRO map layer · BFRO published map layer · read with 85% confidence
BFRO map layer point for report 41916 (5 decimals, no boundary)
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
1
Derived BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Other Witnesses” section · read with 85% confidence
Figures reported
1
Derived BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
mushroom hunting
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
the actual creature
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class A
Stated BFRO report #41916 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Investigated by
Stan Courtney (BFRO)
Tracks

footprints where the entity had stood on the side of the creek

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

An investigator spoke with the witness by phone and summarized the reported details.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

  1. Published 2013-08-19 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash 2b40ff380120
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
  2. BFRO map layer Reference
    Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash cfb8a3d423b7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization