119: The Cole Hollow Road Monster

Nov 11

Midwest Bigfoot is back, strangers—this time in Central Illinois, with the nickname of CoHoMo (we don’t pick these), a cryptid romp through the wilderness, and a suspicious number of teenagers allowed to investigate and provide tour-guide services to reporters and visitors alike. The 1970s seemed like a good time.

Written and Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Engineered by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

Episode Intel:

In this investigation, we travel to Tazewell County, Illinois, to examine the mid-summer panic of 1972. While Missouri was dealing with its own "Momo" sightings, the residents of East Peoria and Pekin were reporting encounters with a massive, sulfur-smelling entity that became known as Cohomo—the Cole Hollow Monster.

Subjects of Investigation:

The July 1972 Sightings: We trace the initial reports of a large creature swimming in the Illinois River and the subsequent "monster panic" that jammed police switchboards with hundreds of calls.
The UFO Connection: An analysis of the strange vertical lights and vapor trails reported in local parks simultaneously with the creature sightings.
Tazewell County Geography: The role of the abandoned coal mine shafts and the wooded terrain of Cole Hollow Road in the creature's reported movements.
The "Rockford Investigators": A look at the teenage amateur sleuths and the armed citizens who descended on the area with hatchets and search parties.
The 1991 Resurgence: We examine the archival reports of a "hairy beast" returning to the area nearly twenty years later, including a dramatic encounter involving a moving vehicle.
Archival Records: A review of investigative reporting from the Peoria Journal Star, the Register Mail, and the Tazewell Courier.

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

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Works Cited

Nancy Willavize, "Cole Hollow Road. . ." The Journal Star, 1972.

DeWayne Bartels, "DeWayne's World. . . " Peoria Journal Star, 2012.

Associated Press, "IRS wants talk. . ." The Journal Star, 1972.

Associated Press, "Monster Tale Takes . . ." The Journal Star, 1972.

"City youths serious . . . " The Register-Republic, 1972.

"Monster afoot, woman says. . ." The State Journal-Register, 1991.