Rural Monsters, Myths, and Legends

Across rural America — in its forested woods, its remote lakes, and its sprawling fields — there is plenty of room for the wild and weird to take root. Just beyond the gaze of “normal” existence, strange sightings and odd encounters have lingered in the minds and memories of many rural communities.

Contrary to what you might think, these stories are not simply silly or scary. Call them foolish or farfetched if you must, but they offer a valuable window into the unique culture and community life of places often unseen and under-appreciated.

The Daily Yonder invites you to join us in this closer look at the cryptids of rural America. Let your imagination roam, welcome feelings of wonder or dread, and, if only for a moment, ponder the possibilities beyond what’s proven and known.

Words by Liz Carey.

Art by Nhatt Nichols.

Editorial and production support by Jan Pytalski, Adam B. Giorgi, and Caroline Carlson.

Could Kentucky’s Deep Forests Hide a Piece of the ‘Bigfoot Puzzle’

The TV Paranormal team says they found possible Bigfoot DNA in a 75,000-acre area in southeast Kentucky.

The Mothman Festival Is Returning to Point Pleasant, West Virginia

While the festival celebrating the famous monster is coming back after a Covid-forced break, the sightings continue, indifferent to the pandemic.

Lake Pepin Monster Fires up People’s Imaginations and Local Economy

A local businessman offers a $50,000 reward for proof of a sea monster in a Minnesota lake.

Alien Experiment, Violent Crime or Natural Occurrence: Cattle Mutilations in the West Continue

Bizarre cases of the cattle being killed and left with body parts missing have been reported all over the American West since at least the 1970s. Ranchers grow weary of losses, while investigators still have to catch a single suspect.

Visiting with the Van Meter Visitor as the Festival Takes Shape This Fall

Although the mystery of a winged horror terrorizing Iowa’s town of Van Meter remains unsolved, its lore brings in tourists and business over a hundred years later.

Visiting Dunes on a Dare: a Ghost Story of Nature-Loving Recluse Inspires a Challenge in National Park

A story of a woman escaping trappings of modern life over a hundred years ago inspires ghost sightings and an educational walk at the Indiana Dunes National Park.

West Virginia Glass Company Turns Myths and Monsters into Profit

Monsters don’t have to be all bad all the time. Cryptids of different shapes, sizes and provenances helped a famous glass factory stay in business with a promise of a less scary future.

Legend of “Little Green Men” Invading Kelly, Kentucky, Continues

One terrifying night on a farm in Kentucky and sloppy reporting in the local press changed how we talk about aliens forever.

The “Beast of Busco’s” Home for Sale in Rural Indiana

Land for sale includes a rural legend.

Illinois Town Welcomes Its Local Monster on Main Street

The Big Muddy Monster, hailing from Murphysboro, Illinois, used to belong to the less-desirable part of the town’s history. But a TV show and some renewed interest lured it out into the town’s limelight once again.

The truth is out there.

But you might just miss it if you’re not signed up for our newsletter. The Daily Yonder will keep you in the loop with what’s happening across rural America — including any further phenomena that defy belief and demand inquiry.

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