Jim Smith
This was reprinted from “The Randolp Leader” of Roanoke, Alabama and is a tribute to the late Jim Smith of the Alabama Bigfoot Society. His encounter took place in 1971 and he was approximately 15 years old. As he and his website are both gone, I thought it would be good to post his encounter as it was the legacy behind the man we know as “Sasquatch Jim”. RIP Jim.
Alabama, 1971
The first time Smith saw Bigfoot is what got him interested. “It walked by my house. Back then you brought stray dogs home and they barked. Some other people said they saw a monkey, and we started watching for it,” he said.
Some nights they would sit on the porch and the dogs were in the woods. There would be howling, then other dogs would start barking. He tried to calm them down and couldn’t do anything with them. They took off running like they were going to eat something up. That is when he saw a really tall thing on two legs with long arms swinging come by.
“We thought it was a giant maybe, from the circus. He walked by a window. A few weeks later–I was in the 11th grade–someone came in hollering, ‘I’ve seen a giant monkey.’ It was also by my house. We jumped in a friend’s truck and drove to where he said he had seen it. It had snowed, and giant tracks were left. My friend put his foot in and I put my foot in, and the track was about as long as both of our feet,” he said.
As time went on Jim founded the “Alabama Bigfoot Society” and even later started a YouTube channel which is still going today at Jim’s request, thanks to a lady by the name of Mary Katherine Cunningham Scruggs, who also has a “no kill” approach to researching Sasquatch.
In time they will be organizing a new site on FB and for ABS, to usher in the new change. They also have a sister group on Facebook Bigfooting in Alabama. In addition to Mary Katherine, we need to mention Dorothy Sullivan. Jim’s vision was very poor and he worked very close with Dorothy for many years. She did all of his video editing.
The main purpose of the Alabama Bigfoot Society was to provide an outlet to those that feared ridicule when talking about their encounter. Mary Katherine told told me since they’ve started the ABS up running again they’ve been blessed with new Team Members like Ashley Jacobs, Jeff Williams, Trigger Happy Joyce, Amazon Woman and a few that don’t want their names revealed. They also plan to be going on investigation just as soon the virus dies down and allows them to safely do so.
The most important thing that Mary Katherine wants every to know; “Jim’s legacy and devotion was huge . It was his calling here on earth. I am going to have a hard time filling Mr Jim’s Shoes. Don’t think I’ll ever will and it would be very hard for anyone to do . Great man. RIP Bro.Jim Smith.”
Be sure to look Jim up on my Lost But Not Forgotten page. (coming soon)