For Sale: Saving Bluff Creek Bigfoot History
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 23rd, 2009
Photo courtesy of Tom Yamarone.
Steven Streufert (shown above), the owner of Bigfoot Books on 40600 Highway 299, Willow Creek, California, is leading the efforts up in Willow Creek and Bluff Creek to preserve important pieces of local Bigfoot history.
Writing recently, Streufert noted that a location that might be in most immediate danger is the “Bluff Creek Company store, where [Roger] Patterson and [Bob] Gimlin bought supplies in 1967. According to owner, Phil Smith Sr., the old store building and adjacent Bluff Creek Resort with mountain and river acres are going up for sale. Someone in the Bigfoot community should buy this place before the decrepit yet historical Bluff Creek Company Store is demolished! He warns the building is slated for destruction soon. Back behind the store Mr. Smith showed this writer the slab where The Greasy Spoon Restaurant once stood.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Yamarone.
Today, Streufert (above, with Scott McLean) updates the matter for me:
“I spoke with the owner, Phil Smith, Sr., on my way up to the Yakima Round-Up. He told me then that the building was not usable, and that it would have to be torn down eventually. He’s planning to sell the place, and to put it up on the market soon. I think he’d thought that it would be a selling point to the property if he ‘cleaned it up’ a bit. I tried to convince him of the value of the building, its historical significance (which he agreed with), and that the building would be an asset for that reason. I told him I’d spread the word around the Bigfooting community.
“The asking price would be around $300,000 he tells me, including the going concern of trailer park/campground, riverfront access, and something like 19 acres of nice mountain land. It would make a great Bigfoot museum or expeditionary supply store, I think. It SHOULD be preserved by someone in our field. We can still save it. Phil is getting pretty up in years, and tired of the upkeep.
“The last time I was up in Bluff Creek I noticed there were some bulldozers in the lot right next to the old Company Store building. It put the fear into me that it might be torn down right then.
“BUT no! I called the Orleans Community Services District today, and spoke with Shirley Reynolds, who runs the office there. She says the thing is still standing, and that she hasn’t heard of any plans to destroy it yet….Orleans, she says, is the HEART of the Bigfoot Territory (and Willow Creek is only the ‘Gateway’ to Bigfoot Country).”
Bigfoot Books carries all the finest literature, mostly used, about the big hairy guys and gals.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, your assistance is also important in supporting and saving the museum.
Please…
Thank You.
Various photos of the Bigfoot Books location are courtesy of Tom Yamarone, thanks to permission of the store owner.
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Loren Coleman no longer writes for Cryptomundo. His archived posts remain here at Cryptomundo.
Dang, that’s too bad. maybe we should take up a collection or something? I am on a limited income myself, but could probably come up with a little bit(like $50, =/) to pitch in. Maybe if we get enough people from the bigfoot/cryptid community we can save it?
Possibly a bargain price for that much mountain land.I would have no idea. If I owned the ‘Surgeon’s’ camera I suppose it would still be rather valuable .
oh my. This would be a tragic loss. If I could jsut win the lottery I would purchase it myself. Then I would leave a standing invitation for Loren, and several others to stay at their leisure. Not because they are famous, but because I enjoy stimulating conversation and research. But enough of my fantasy.
Someone seriously needs to step in here if they have the means.