TLDR;
This video explores the rich history of Sasquatch sightings and legends in the Agassiz-Harrison Valley of British Columbia, known as the Sasquatch Capital of Canada. It details early native legends, historic reports collected by J.W. Burns, and various encounters reported by both natives and settlers. The summary covers specific incidents, locations like Harrison River and Morris Creek, and the cultural significance of Sasquatch in the region, including the annual Sasquatch Days festival.
- Explores the history and legends of Sasquatch in the Agassiz-Harrison Valley.
- Details encounters reported by natives and settlers.
- Highlights the cultural significance of Sasquatch in the region.
Harrison Hot Springs: The Sasquatch Capital of Canada [0:01]
The Agassiz-Harrison Valley in British Columbia, leading to Harrison Lake, is identified as the Sasquatch capital of Canada, with various Sasquatch-themed establishments and symbols throughout the area. The wildman stories from this region, while not the oldest, popularized the term "Sasquatch" and the idea of hairy giants roaming the Pacific Northwest mountains. Unlike other regions, the area's native legends and historic reports are closely intertwined, with early 20th-century accounts collected directly from native witnesses. J.W. Burns, an Irish-born schoolteacher and Indian agent, played a crucial role in documenting these stories from the Chehalis Reserve in the 1930s.
A Chehalis Horror Story [1:11]
Canadian anthropologist Wilson Duff recorded old legends from August Jim, an elder of Hope Tait and Vancouver Musqueam descent, who told stories of giants seen in the Chehalis-Harrison Mills area. These encounters typically involved people running from the giants, who seemed more curious than malicious, sometimes raiding gardens or storehouses. However, one horror story from Jim described a Sasquatch attack on the villagers of Agassiz, where a large, hairy man killed six women and their children, removing the heart of one of the women.
Sasquatch Shot on the Harrison River [4:27]
August Jim shared another tale about a Chehalis man hunting bears on the Harrison River who encountered a large man making loud crackling noises. The hunter shot the big man, who fell, and the following fall, the hunter and a friend found large bones at the same location, confirming it was the creature he had shot. This story is one of the few Canadian accounts referencing the discovery of Sasquatch bones.
War of the Sasquatch [5:23]
Writer Francis Dickie referenced an old Chehalis tale about two large bands of Sasquatch who fought until both were nearly exterminated in the mountains overlooking the northwestern end of the Agassiz-Harrison Valley. J.W. Burns elaborated on this tradition, stating that the Sasquatch tribes fought hand-to-hand with stone clubs on the steep slopes.
The Oldest Modern Sighting [6:02]
The second-oldest regional Sasquatch story, and the only datable report predating J.W. Burns' work, was related to Sasquatch researcher John Willison Green by an elderly gentleman from Prince George, British Columbia. C.H. Olds Sr. reported that around the turn of the 20th century, he and his brothers found very large, barefoot human-like tracks on a sandbar on a creek above a falls behind their home in Morris Valley, a tributary of the Harrison River.
Introducing BC’s Hairy Giants [6:50]
In 1925, J.W. Burns began working as a teacher at the Chehalis Reserve and befriended Frank Dan, a Chehalis medicine man. The Chehalis shared their knowledge of hairy giants called Sasq’ets inhabiting the surrounding mountains. In 1929, Burns published an article in Maclean’s magazine titled “Introducing B.C.’s Hairy Giants,” coining the word ‘Sasquatch’ from the Halkomelem word Sasq’ets. Burns noted that reports of hairy giants had been vague until he gathered more definite information from natives who claimed to have had actual contact with these creatures.
Peter Williams’ Encounter [9:14]
J.W. Burns recounted the experience of Peter Williams, a Chehalis man, who encountered a giant in May 1909 near Mount Morris. Williams initially mistook the creature for a bear but realized it was a six-and-a-half-foot tall, hairy man. The giant chased Williams, who narrowly escaped by boat. The giant then approached Williams' cabin, rocking it back and forth before leaving. Williams found 22-inch long tracks outside the cabin, and the family was forced to abandon it due to the damage.
Peter Williams’ Second Encounter [11:52]
Later that season, Peter Williams encountered the same hairy giant while duck hunting on the north side of the Harrison River. The giant chased him again but eventually stopped. Peter’s brother, Paul, also encountered the creature that afternoon while fishing for salmon, and the giant chased him as well before walking back into the bush. Paul collapsed from fear and exhaustion and had to be carried home.
The Wild Couple of Harrison River [12:50]
Peter Williams recounted to Burns that he and a companion encountered two of these giants while bear hunting near the same location. They realized the creatures were a man and a woman, with the woman being smaller. Williams and his friend ran home, and were not pursued.
Peter Williams’ Fourth and Final Sighting [13:36]
Several weeks later, Peter Williams and his wife saw the same hairy giant that had destroyed their cabin while fishing in a canoe on the Harrison River. The monster did not notice them, and they escaped without incident.
The Sasquatch Cave at Yale B.C. [13:50]
J.W. Burns included the story of Charley Victor, a member of the Skwah Nation, who encountered a cave near Yale, B.C. Victor and his companions discovered a large opening in the side of a mountain with a massive boulder near the entrance. They explored the cave with pitchwood torches and found a primitive stone house inside. The elders warned them not to go near the cave again, believing it was occupied by a wildman. Disregarding the advice, Victor and his companions returned to find the boulder rolled back over the cave's mouth.
Charley Victor’s First Encounter [16:06]
About twenty years later, Charley Victor and friends were bathing in a lake near Yale when a big hairy man emerged from behind a rock. The creature looked at Victor with kind eyes, and Victor was about to speak to him when it turned and walked into the forest.
The Wild Women of Hatzic, B.C. [17:07]
Around 1914, Charley Victor encountered another wild giant while hunting near Hatzic, B.C. His dog barked at a large cedar tree with a hole in it, and when the dog entered the hole, a muffled cry came from within. Victor shot at something that crawled out, only to find he had wounded a naked, black-haired Caucasian boy. The boy cried out, and a booming voice replied from across the mountain. A wild woman emerged from the forest, her face almost Negro black, and spoke to Victor in the Douglas First Nation language, scolding him for shooting her friend. Another wild woman joined her, and they performed a strange ceremony before disappearing into the woods with the boy.
The Wild Man of Agassiz, B.C. [20:45]
Burns included a story from William Point, who encountered a wildman near Agassiz with Adaline August in 1927. They saw a naked, hairy creature walking along the railroad tracks. The creature was twice as big as the average man, with long arms and a wide nose. Terrified, the teenagers ran to Agassiz and told their story to elders, who explained that the creature was one of the hairy giants living in the mountains.
Frank Dan’s Sighting [22:17]
In March 1934, newspapers publicized the account of Frank Dan, a Chehalis medicine man, who encountered a tall, muscular giant in the moonlight near Harrison Mills in March 1932. The creature was naked and covered in black hair, with a bald patch around the eyes. The giant growled at Dan, who retreated into his cabin. Footprints revealed the wildman had prowled around the cabin for some time.
The Duck Hunter [23:46]
Several articles also included the testimony of an unnamed resident of Harrison Mills who encountered a Sasquatch while returning from a duck hunt. The "monkey-man" snatched the bag of ducks and darted into the woods. The witness described the creature as a nude, hairy man, much taller than any man he had ever seen.
Mrs. Caufield’s Encounter [24:43]
Two months later, Mrs. James Caufield, who lived on a farm near Harrison Mills, encountered a hairy man while washing clothes in the Harrison River. She heard a buzzing noise and saw a big man covered with hair from head to foot. She believed it was a Sasquatch and covered her eyes, as the Indians say that a Sasquatch can hypnotize you if it catches your eye. She fainted, and her husband caught a glimpse of the figure darting into the woods.
Tom Cedar’s Close Call [25:57]
In July, Canadian writer Francis Dickie included several more Sasquatch encounters in an article titled ‘Are They the Last Cave Men.’ Tom Cedar, a middle-aged native, was fishing for trout on Morris Creek when a large rock plunged into the water near his canoe. He saw a huge hairy man above him just as he threw another rock. Cedar paddled rapidly upstream to the settlement.
Emma Paul and Millie Saul’s Encounter [29:29]
Dickie related the account of Emma Paul and Millie Saul, two Chehalis women who spotted a Sasquatch at the edge of the woods near the Reserve. The Sasquatch was later heard prowling around Millie Saul's home and once rubbed his hand over the window pane. Emma Paul recounted that she saw the Sasquatch a few yards from the house, and other family members also saw him. They bolted the door, and the Sasquatch prowled around outside, often rubbing his fingers over the window panes.
Sasquatch Caves Near Morris Creek [30:40]
Francis Dickie referenced a discovery by "Captain Warde," who found several caverns near Morris Creek with crude drawings on the walls. J.W. Burns mentioned receiving a letter from an Ontario lawyer, S.A. Wallace, who claimed that a cave containing skeletons of 40 Sasquatch was discovered, with the mummified remains being thousands of years old.
Frank Dan’s Second Encounter [32:02]
Sasquatch stories continued to appear in the press throughout 1935, with reports of "weird wolf-like howls" and sightings of club-wielding wild men. J.W. Burns continued to receive reports from his native friends, particularly after becoming the local Indian Agent in 1933. In July 1936, Frank Dan had another encounter with a Sasquatch while canoeing on Morris Creek. A huge rock plunged into the water near his canoe, and he saw a hairy creature leaping down the rocks. The Sasquatch hurled a great stone at him, filling the canoe with water. The creature exuded a repugnant odor that made Frank dizzy, causing him to relinquish the mantle of medicine man.
Battle Between a Sasquatch and a Bear [35:47]
One evening in February 1938, three local natives were walking along the Chehalis River when they heard a terrific noise in the forest. They came upon a Sasquatch and a bear engaged in a ferocious fight. The hunters initially thought they were watching two bears, but one of the animals bellowed an almost human sound. One of the friends suggested they take the side of the Sasquatch. After a ten-minute brawl, the Sasquatch strangled the bear and flung its carcass into the river.
The Chilling Tale of Seraphine Long [39:38]
J.W. Burns wrote about Mount Morris, where the Chehalis believed Sasquatch congregated every four years. They told of signal fires flickering atop the mountain. Burns learned a story from Seraphine Long, who had been missing for nearly a year in 1871. Seraphine had been foraging for cedar roots when a hairy hand clamped over her mouth, and she was carried away by a hairy giant. The Sasquatch took her to a cave near the top of Mount Morris, where she lived with a family of Sasquatches for nearly a year. They fed her well, and she learned to communicate with them. After becoming ill, she begged to return to her people, and the young Sasquatch carried her back, leaving her near her home. She gave birth to a child that night, which only survived for a few hours.
The Ruby Creek Incident [45:43]
In October 1941, two sensational Sasquatch encounters occurred. Near Ruby Creek, Jeannie Chapman saw what she initially thought was a bear but realized it was an eight-foot-tall man covered with long brown hair. Fearing for her children, she shielded them and walked backwards towards the Fraser River. Her husband, George, returned to find their home ransacked, with a barrel of dried fish torn open. He found 17-inch-long, humanlike footprints encircling the cabin. The family abandoned their cabin due to the terrifying nocturnal visitations.
The Monster of Port Douglas [50:01]
About a week after the Ruby Creek incident, residents of Harrison Hot Springs were approached by the family of Jimmy Douglas from Port Douglas, who were in shock. An enormous hairy wildman, standing fourteen feet tall, had emerged from the forest and entered Port Douglas. The natives fled into their houses, but the Sasquatch pulled open Jimmy Douglas' door and began to enter. The family fled out the back door and paddled down the lake in three canoes.
Sightings in the 1940s [52:13]
Sasquatch sightings continued in the Agassiz-Harrison Valley throughout the 1940s. In 1944, a Chehalis man was knocked down by a mysterious assailant while entering a derelict cabin, only to see a gigantic hairy wild man. On another occasion, two natives were startled by stones thrown from a cliff above, seeing two Sasquatch leering at them. In 1948, a Chehalis man named Henry Charlie was chased by a Sasquatch while riding his bike down Morris Valley Road.
An Unexpected Encounter [54:16]
By the late 1940s, Sasquatch were occasionally spotted by white loggers. In the fall of 1965, a man spotted a "small dark creature with long hair" near Harrison Mills. In 1970, a Belgian-Canadian immigrant saw a Sasquatch while driving with a timber crew on a logging road between Harrison Hot Springs and Hope. The creature was about seven to eight feet tall, stepped across the railroad track, and looked at them before running into the bush.
The Sighting at Dunbar Camp [57:37]
In August 1975, Wayne Jones, a staff member at Dunbar Camp on Harrison Lake, saw an enormous hair-covered man emerge from the forest. The creature walked slowly toward the fire and watched Jones for three to four minutes before some children came running through the trees, prompting the creature to leave.
Sasquatch Days [59:54]
Today, the Agassiz-Harrison Valley celebrates its Sasquatch history with an annual festival called Sasquatch Days, established by J.W. Burns in 1938. The festival includes canoe races, a traditional salmon barbecue, and a celebration of Chehalis culture. The festival is scheduled in late June, a month before the quadrennial Sasquatch powwow once believed to be held atop Mount Morris.