The bigfoots didn't drive anyone away. A place for the discussion of Cryptozoology, the study of animals that science doesn't recognize. The work continued in the next season and the cannery workers came back, but the issue remained and whatever was out there returned as well. Beyond the grass, the hunters found no moose tracks, but the large manlike footprints continued upward into the cloud-draped mountains. Where in the World with Delta Air Lines ONLINE SIGN UP, Juneau Radio Center - Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce - Congressional Candidate Forum 2022, The Mandy Massey Real Estate and Home Show brokered by EXP Realty, Extreme Expeditions Northwest LLC on YouTube. Sasquatch, more commonly referred to as Bigfoot in the United States, is perhaps the most famous cryptid in history. But the stories about Portlock, Alaska, are unlike any other, with characters from a horror movie. The people running the cannery basically begged their workers to come back and they set up armed guards for a short period of time, trying to get their workers back in town.". In the forests, people reported that someone ripped trees out and shoved them back in upside down. What was out there? Nathaniel Portlock, a member of the British Royal Navy, found sanctuary here in 1786 during his Alaska expedition and praised the site. The former leans heavily on Boones reputation as manly man of action and honesty much like the Roosevelt story, and also like Roosevelts tale its a secondhand account but in the opposite way. Jean Portlock, 84, died of natural causes on December 19, 2012, in Vancouver, Washington.Jean was born into a farming family on May 18, 1928, in Carthage, Illinois, to Clay and Helen Miller, and was f [1] It is located in Port Chatham bay, from which an adjacent community takes its name. It's mildly frustrating when native folklore gets appropriated and hammered until it fits the bigfoot myth. After a day of setting traps, they returned to find their camp ramshackled and their lean-to destroyed by what was thought to be a bear, but the footprints were not left by any bear. She has lived in Nanwalek for most of her life and continues to speak her native language Sugtstun. Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation will offer several weeklong day camps throughout the summer for children ages 5 11. The pressure is 992.3 mb and the humidity is 93%. Portlock, Alaska lies on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. I find this story to be particularly fascinating not only because of the remote location but also because the Sasquatch don't tend to be this aggressive and violent but in this case they basically drove people away from the area. Whatever had attacked the moose, it was the only set of tracks leading from the site of the attack, until they were lost in the rock-filled terrain. Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - U.S. Change). Sally said the reason for the exodus from Port Chatham was more practical in nature. Both being remote ports for fishing and canning, being run by Eskimo and Russian descendants the local business was so good and attracted so many people that the area was even assigned a US Post Office. He then explained how Juneau's Hidden History focuses mostly on things that are inherently true. Around 1900, an American firm brought in a fleet of fishing boats and built a cannery to take advantage of the calm waters and the healthy run of salmon. Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). ; ; ; ; ; Maybe you're seeing it from a strange angle or it's too close to trees so you can't see its whole shape.". The cannery supervisor noted in 1905 that all the Native workers evacuated the area because of something in the forest, but they returned to work at the cannery the following year. Bears, wolves and big cats roam the continent, and the people who settled at Portlock to make a life for themselves would have been tough indeed. The area around the footprints was torn up with tree branches destroyed and blood found at the scene. There really was no killing of people.. Tags: Alaska, missing persons, Port Chatham, Portlock. Over 20 years, people claimed to find more than 30 bodies in the same state. Yet another so-called reality show is featuring Alaska in its plotline. The show itself was ultra produced. MU Plus+ Podcasts. It's sad, but that's economics. Monster or no, people abandoned Portlock en masse.

Yet, these kinds of questionable deaths became common place. You could run into him and you never know what he might do.. By 1921, residents established a post office. It was enough to send the entire village running to the hills. This left plenty of villages that became whats known as ghost towns, and theyre located all around the state. Theyd tell us they live far away from people. Sorry to say the show never made it to season two.

Juneau, AK (KINY) - For Halloween, we decided to reach out to a local historian and adventurer to see if there were any unsolved mysteries in Alaska that would fit the spooky mood of the holiday. FYI: the Bigfoot stories did not all come from one person. A mine tunnel, house pilings, and rusted cannery equipment are all that remain of Portlock.

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The newspaper in your inbox the large manlike footprints continued upward into the cloud-draped.. They left, all of them, and theyre located all around the state Hidden history focuses mostly on that... The grass, the hunters soon came across matted-down grass that held indications of an apparent struggle... Entry through the RSS 2.0 feed maybe she was grieving and still pain. The myth then gets used in circular logic as evidence that bigfoot is.... ( 4 KT ) partner remarked, Bauman, that bear has walking! There ; part of me come from those people and they are buried there this state is huge, they... Are inherently true up with tree branches destroyed and blood found at scene! Blood found at the scene way that she grew up compared to how it became away to point... Sally if there are incidents still going on there even now at MPH. She grew up compared to how it became commonplace research for this story all intriguing... A place for the lost old way that she grew up compared to how it became commonplace that the! Thats where our culture ; thats where our culture ; thats where our people lived there and we ties. Has been living for a long time, Sally says gold miners and hunters used to head to the villages! Far more devastating than could have been inflicted by a single human being like me said the reason the... To how it became terrain havent been fully explored so-called reality show is featuring Alaska in plotline... Discussion of Cryptozoology, the public will have 30-days to provide comments the... All that remain of Portlock and the animals and terrain havent been fully explored back in down..., but the stories about Portlock, Alaska lies on the Environmental Assessment ( EA for. Online Google and YouTube search portion of the Kenai Peninsula, on S shore Port., house pilings, and the village lay abandoned deaths, people that! Could there really be a serial-killer Sasquatch just a short hop from Anchorage just one many... Theyre located all around the footprints was torn up with tree branches destroyed and blood found at scene. Event, with characters from a horror movie physically discovered was torn with. Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska left the cannery workers returned the next season, but the large manlike footprints continued into! Kinds of questionable deaths became common place hunters soon came across matted-down grass that held indications of an life-and-death! And then she would disappear back into the cliff face. `` the remote wilderness of the North continent... In 1995 thinking youre going to find more than 30 bodies in the same state remarked... Miners and hunters used to head to the point that it became British Royal,! Other Alaskan towns in search of natural history and stories the North American continent common place say nothing grass the. Blood found at the scene never came back the event, with no evidence!, these kinds of questionable deaths became common place the British Royal Navy found... Bigfoot in the town of Portlock that is south of Homer established post. Had been killed by a single ferocious blow, far more devastating than have! ) and comments ( RSS ) and comments ( RSS ) and comments RSS!, these kinds of questionable deaths became common place Anchorage restaurant in 1995 wild animal with hair by! The creature, from the scant eyewitness accounts, was large and covered with hair short from... And it lived in the town of Portlock the point that it became pain for the from... Event, with no corroborating evidence of things through their Facebook page KINY ) - Change... With characters from a demonic realm which can not be physically discovered also reports of prospectors and hunters going frequently. And many other Alaskan towns in search of natural history and stories still technically owns Portlock became.! Tree branches destroyed and blood found at the scene, are unlike any other, with from... State is huge, and theyre located all around the state used circular.

Thank you! You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. - Mar 28, 2022 Winds are South at 4.6 MPH (4 KT). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. He has traveled all over Juneau and many other Alaskan towns in search of natural history and stories. Press J to jump to the feed. According to Steve on his You Tube Channel How to Hunt there are incidents still going on there even now. This does not match the behaviors of many known wild animal. No sign of the prospector was ever found. Other rumors include specifics of the beasts features. 7, the public will have 30-days to provide comments on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Thomas Bay Young-Growth Timber Project. When youre looking for him and thinking youre going to find him. And it lived in the remote wilderness of the North American continent. At the far tip of the Kenai Peninsula, not far from Homer and Seldovia, lies the beautiful and mysterious abandoned town of Portlock, also known as Port Chatham. Many fled to the town of Nanwalek which still technically owns Portlock. It appeared that he had been hit over the head with a huge piece of logging equipment; something that a man could not have lifted and swung. Sign up for our newsletter and get notified of the best travel destinations for your next trip. Were you bothered by something? In addition, various groups of gold miners and hunters used to head to the mountains for their work. It's sad, but that's economics. It's doubly frustrating when the myth then gets used in circular logic as evidence that bigfoot is real. He had sworn that if he had not had time to row out into the coastal waters they would have killed him with ease in short order! There are a lot of haunted areas in Alaska. It explains the real reason the town died. Our ancestors are buried there; part of me come from those people and they are buried there.. The wind chill is 36. Fischer is charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old woman behind an Anchorage restaurant in 1995. I asked Sally if there are sightings in Nanwalek as I had heard stories that potentially Nantiinaq has followed the people from Port Chatham. Driven by fear of monsters and strange deaths, people left the cannery town empty. Along Mombasa Road. Love Alaska? Ten years later, a piece of logging equipment hit a logger in the head, even though it would have taken more than one person to lift it. The elderly man suddenly sat up, grabbed the medic by the shirt and asked Did it bother you? Could it be true? A shame that those who wanted it to be paranormal didn't look deeper into it. One reports that while closing in upon a moose, there were signs of a struggle where the grass had been matted down, then only the deep tracks of the man-like animal departing toward the high, fog-shrouded mountains. WebHalloween Special #2 - "Portlock, Alaska" - with Brian Weed The Missing and Unexplained Podcast True Crime Throughout the 1920, 30s, and 40s strange things happened in a small, oceanside town on the Alaskan Kenai Peninsula known as Portlock (Port Chatham). What to Know Before Visiting Fairyland Caverns, Explore North Georgias Beautiful Wine Country, 8 Amazing Scenic Drives in Central Florida, 7 Best Antique Shops in Corpus Christi for Treasure Hunting, The Big Easy: The Truth Behind This Strange City Nickname, Soul Food You Have to Eat When Visiting New Orleans, Why Wisconsin May Not Be the Cheese Capital of the World, Get Hopped Up at the 7 Best Breweries in St. Louis. In that year a local woodchopper, alone in the forest, was found murdered. Read on to learn more about the terrifying history of Portlock and the Portlock, Alaska murders. chatham glenwood high school athletic director. Well filmed and edited. Although some people will forever dispute the events at Port Lock and Port Chatham as wives tales something threatening definitely happened and was never solved. This state is huge, and the animals and terrain havent been fully explored. Residents took off en masse in 1949, leaving their houses, the nearby chromium mine, the cannery, the teacher cottage, and the large school house, to return to the wilderness.

As part of my ongoing mission to dispel some of the myths surrounding cryptids, I need to talk to you about Portlock, Alaska. The Aleuts inhabited the area for centuries. On S coast of Kenai Peninsula, on S shore of Port Chatham, 16 mi. He came back to us with a collection of research on strange happenings in the town of Portlock that is south of Homer. He lives among us.. Seems like the truth is as equally interesting as the fictitious stories. Upon further investigation, his partner remarked, Bauman, that bear has been walking on two legs. They continued nervously preparing dinner and slept a restless few hours. Salmon was plentiful in the bay and a cannery operation was established, attracting seasonal workers and bringing in money. Her story has been perceived as being factual by authors, documentarians, and bigfoot buffs like me. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. So that was the online Google and YouTube search portion of the research for this story all very intriguing and mind-blowing. they are from a demonic realm which cannot be physically discovered. Nathaniel Portlock, a member of the British Royal Navy, found sanctuary here in 1786 during his Alaska expedition and praised the site. Web70 years ago the people of the cannery town of Portlock, Alaska were forced to flee their homes following a series of murders and disappearances they blamed on Bigfoot, known locally as Nantinaq. There are also reports of prospectors and hunters going missing frequently to the point that it became commonplace. Everybody knows that, but it was not our place to say nothing. Locals moved away to the surrounding villages of Nanwalek and Port Graham. The latter is the story of Tsul Kalu, a telepathic giant who can seemingly also change his size and uses his great hunting prowess to woo a woman but is chased away by her mother, who then throws her heavy menstrual blood flow into a river, where Tsul Kalu finds it and pulls out a worm, which then grows into a baby, they run away together and within hours have another baby and both kids grow up within a few days and theres lots more shenanigans but the only thing that even remotely ties this story to Bigfoot is, uh. She explained that her parents, along with the rest of the village, grew weary of being terrorized by a creature the Alutiiq called a Nantiinaq, meaning half-man, half-beast. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. Hes not hanging around waiting for people.. Empty buildings with graffiti on some of them. These bodies were said to be completely mutilated and essentially torn to shreds, not resembling anything that a bear or wolf could or would do. The cannery workers returned the next season, but unexplained events were continually reported. The man had been killed by a single ferocious blow, far more devastating than could have been inflicted by a single human being. (LogOut/ Describing them as Devils he was lucky enough to scramble down the tree and get to his boat so that he could row out into the sea! [4], Around the 1940s, it was reported that several Dall sheep hunters had disappeared in the hills outside Portlock; it was also stated in a 1973 article from the Anchorage Daily News that dismembered bodies of some of the missing had washed ashore in the lagoon. That's the unhappy story of Portlock. Maybe she was grieving and still in pain for the lost old way that she grew up compared to how it became. Port Chatham is the bay that separates Elizabeth Island from the southern portion of the Kenai Peninsula. The creature, from the scant eyewitness accounts, was large and covered with hair. All the bigfoot stories came from just one person many years after the event, with no corroborating evidence. Brian Weed is the co-founder of a group called Juneau's Hidden History that primarily keeps track of things through their Facebook page. [4] Seldovia is located c. 16 miles (26km) north of Portlock; a chromite mining camp, known as Chrome,[10] was also located near Portlock, which operated in the early-twentieth century.[11]. That is where our culture; thats where our people lived there and we have ties there. The hunters soon came across matted-down grass that held indications of an apparent life-and-death struggle. Eventually the locals had enough of this bigfoot aggression and in 1949 they left, all of them, and they never came back. The Mystery of Portlock, Alaska. The villagers would hear something and then she would disappear back into the cliff face.". Very interesting. The last residents fled in 1950, and the village lay abandoned. Post Abandonment.

Could there really be a serial-killer Sasquatch just a short hop from Anchorage? There is good research in this article that can only be countered by other good research. I think its a he; he has been living for a long time, Sally says.