If you want to learn about someplace , you’re able to always pick up a text edition . But if you want to get to know a place , you ’re run to have to dig a little deeper . And what you find there might be a little strange . The Strange States serial will take you on a practical tour of America to unveil the strange hoi polloi , situation , things , and events that make this land such a unique place to call home . Peruse the whole Strange States serieshere .
Today we ’re manoeuver to the birthplace of Wal - Mart , Johnny Cash , and Bill Clinton : the Natural State , Arkansas .
The Legend of Boggy Creek
Conventional cryptozoological wisdom has it that Bigfoot generally sticks to his Pacific Northwest stomping reason . But for yr now , mass around the small town of Fouke , Arkansas , near the borders of Texas and Louisiana , have seen their own interlingual rendition of the fabled apeman lurking among the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree on the banks of Boggy Creek . Although sightings go back as far as the 1930s , the Fouke Monster became a mainstream sensation in 1971 when two syndicate staying in a remote cabin take they were attacked by a 7 - foot marvellous , 300 - Sudanese pound bipedal creature cover in ruby-red - dark-brown fur . They were able to scare the affair off with their hunting rifles , but not before 25 - year - old Bobby Ford was allegedly injure by the beast , beam him to the infirmary with fauna - comparable simoleons on his back . When law investigated the view , they saw pincer marks on the porch and odd , three - toed high priest footprint in the orbit , but no concrete evidence of the creature was found .
Intrigued by the stories of the monster ( and look to cash - in on the media attention ) , local advert salesman Charlie Pierce borrowed $ 100,000 from a local hauling company to make 1972’sThe Legend of Boggy Creek , a feature picture show with interview and footage of authentic Fouke Monster witnesses , as well as reenactments of sighting , let in the Bobby Ford incident . The movie was marketed for driving force - in theaters and Saturday matinees , and attempt to be a big hit , bringing in over $ 20 million in boxful power receipts . ( It has also been credited with inspiringThe Blair Witch Projectthanks to its documentary storytelling structure . )
New sighting of the Fouke Monster around Boggy Creek crop up every few old age , adding new elements to the legend . Some subsequent witnesses say the wight has long , monkey - like arms , others say he ’s 10 pes tall with glowing red eyes , and some accounts mention a horrible smell — like a cross between a skunk and a wet dog — that percolate the tune whenever he ’s spotted . Of course there are those who believe these sighting are little more than a case of mistaken personal identity , with a bear being the most likely culprit . But whether actual or fancied , the legend of Boggy Creek continues to arise , and will undoubtedly do so for years to add up .
Christ of the Ozarks
nest in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas is Eureka Springs , a picturesque prissy small town that draw in tourer year - round to its many arts and euphony fete , car shows , and gay - favorable events . The town is take with unusual sight , like the Guinness Record - holdingWorld ’s Largest Tuned Musical Windchime , the ghost - infestedCrescent Hotel , and at the top of nearby Magnetic Mountain , a monolithic statue of Jesus , known as Christ of the Ozarks .
The funnily - mold material body — many say it looks like a milk carton with a head and limb — is the piece of work of outre sculptor Emmet Sullivan . Sullivan is something of a legend among wayside attraction fancier as the graphic designer of creature and dinosaur statue at a number of composition ballpark in Arkansas and South Dakota . But at a stature of 67 foundation , with an branch yoke 65 ft wide of the mark , and librate in at over two million pound , Christ of the Ozarks is undoubtedly Sullivan ’s most challenging piece .
The $ 1 million monument was commissioned by Gerald L. K. Smith , a controversial fig in American political relation during the thirties and ' 40s , mostly known for his anti - Semitic rhetoric . Christ of the Ozarks became the centerpiece of Smith ’s Sacred Projects , a 167 - acre Christian theme park with spiritual attractions , that opened in 1968 and essentially gave parentage to the holidaymaker diligence of Eureka Springs .
The attractions at Sacred Projects let in full - graduated table cyclorama of localisation in the Holy Land , complete with Jesus ’ grave ( post - resurrection ) , that give visitors a snapshot of life in Jerusalem 2000 years ago . There ’s also the Bible museum with over 6000 Scripture in 625 languages and dialect , include a pageboy from one of only 47 original Gutenberg Bibles in macrocosm . A gallery with over 1000 pieces of spiritual artwork is on the flat coat , as well as a replica of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness , and even a subdivision of the Berlin Wall . But the high spot of the Mungo Park isThe Great Passion Play , a alive functioning star a mold of 150 actors and a menagerie of animate being , that tell the story of Jesus . The free rein is held in a natural amphitheater that seats over 4000 mass on a 550 - infantry stagecoach , with set that reach three account high . Over the years , the play has been assure by over 7 million people , helping it earn the statute title of America ’s # 1 Attended Outdoor Drama .
Although it ’s still an authoritative part of the Eureka Springs economy , the Great Passion Play has digest from low attendance in late years as other local attractions have become more pop . During its blossom in the seventies , it welcome 300,000 annual visitant , but last year ’s attendance was just over 46,500 . In fact , the park was forced to shut down in December 2012 , but was able to reopen a calendar month later on thanks to donations from the populace .
Have the scoop on an unusual soul , place or consequence in your state ? Tell me about it on Twitter ( @spacemonkeyx ) and maybe I ’ll admit it in a future edition of Strange States !
Peruse the whole Strange States serieshere .
