While all I have been writing about Sasquatch so far was more or less in fun, I should not fail to mention that there was also serious research going on about the subject. It happened here in Harrison Hot Springs and started in the year 1957, which was the year when British Columbia celebrated its 100th birthday. Communities all over the province thought of ideas that could help celebrate the event and the Village of Harrison Hot Springs entered a “Sasquatch Search”. Part of this was, “Story Telling” and perhaps some of these stories were what first caught John Green’s fascination.
John Green, you must know, was a resident of Harrison Hot Springs and always saw possibilities before others did. He must have tried to follow-up some of these stories as, even before, in the year 1958, it was reported that human-like tracks were found in Northern California. When he learned that some of them were as big as 16 inches – or about 40 cm. – nothing could hold him and his wife, June, back from going there to see it for themselves. While there, they met the person who had found the tracks, a taxidermist by the name of Bob Titmus. The meeting was the beginning of a long friendship and when more tracks were found, together they went on a number of exploration trips through British Columbia and California.
It was not until 1968, however, when John Green wrote his first book about the mysterious Sasquatch. Surprisingly, the book not only made Sasquatch famous, it also sold over 100,000 copies. Subsequently he wrote more books about their research and the sale of them eventually enabled John and June Green to retire and do more research and traveling.
Their findings, especially casts of the tracks, are often displayed during the many Sasquatch Days and other festivities here in Harrison Hot Springs, to the fascination of our visitors. However, no permanent place has been found as yet to display these items and books on a permanent basis.
Not long ago, our Council had the great idea to put a life-size carving of Sasquatch at the entrance of our village. Let’s not stop there, let’s find a permanent place for Sasquatch and all his belongings. We owe it to our most famous resident, the Sasquatch, to John Green who has put so much research and work into the mystery and last but not least, to our visitors. They, I am sure, would be delighted to find and visit a place in Harrison Hot Springs where they can learn and find out more about Sasquatch and all the mysteries surrounding him!
Note: You might want to find out more about John Green and his books by reading “Memories” published by the Agassiz-Harrison Museum. There, as well as at the Harrison Village Mall, you might also find John Green’s books!
