(Historic) Jay Rowland
From Loren Coleman
Those in the Bluff Creek area are taking this news hard. Everyone who was alive and there during the historic “first Bigfoot events” at Bluff Creek in 1958, have now died. An entire generation of observers, seekers, and bystanders have passed away. These include Al Hodgson (d. 2018), John Green (d. 2016), Ed Patrick (d. 2009), Bob Titmus (d. 1997), Tom Slick (d. 1962), F. Kirk Johnson Sr. (d. 1963), Kirk Johnson Jr. (d. 1968), and Ray Wallace (d. 2002).
The Ray Wallace hoax revelations in 2002 led to exposés linking various friends & contractors to Wallace’s hoaxing & pranking. One set of Bigfoot tracks were fakes (as claimed by Wallace associates) vs Jerry Crew’s genuine Bigfoot print finds.
Now the last one standing is gone.
Jay Rowland, 86, who worked for the Wallace Construction company, and was on Jerry Crew’s crew in 1958 when the “Bigfoot” incidents occurred, has died.
As his family has written in his formal obituary: “Jay enjoyed sharing his experiences with the Bigfoot legend and had been interviewed many times and mentioned in numerous books. He was asked many times to take Bigfoot researchers into the Bluff Creek and surrounding areas to share his experience of the Bigfoot legend.”
In February of 1967, Sasquatch researcher John Green interviewed Shorty Wallace and Jay Rowland. Shorty’s brother is notorious hoaxer Ray Wallace. Although there may be controversy and varying opinions concerning Shorty’s credibility, Green’s interview nonetheless captures a perhaps pivotal moment in time before the notorious Patterson/Gimlin film of October 20, 1967. Shorty and Jay recount some snippets of sasquatch sightings and track finds (pre-1967) while taking the listener on a journey back in time. A special thank-you to Steven Streufert and Jay Rowland for allowing the use of Jay’s photo in the video. Thanks also to Steven for ‘getting my butt’ in gear to ultimately begin the process of making the John Green interview collection public (as John hoped for). [From and copyrighted by] Todd Prescott
