The Navidad isn't really much of a river, as rivers go - it's not very famous and can't be compared to the stunning Guadalupe or majestic Colorado, when it comes to beauty. But the little old Navidad just might have a claim to fame that the others can't equal. You see, the Navidad has a past of mysterious and wild creatures, of the two-legged variety, living along its winding path.

In the early days of Texas, settlers living near the banks of the Navidad, southeast of Hallettsville, were subjected to visits by beings of unknown origin - several hairy and stealth-like individuals roamed through the brushy bottoms of the river - witnesses indicating that there was a male and female.

Many folks back then were convinced that the male half of the duo had died and only the female remained. She became known as the "Wild Woman of the Navidad."

In his book Tales of Old-Time Texas, well-known author J.Frank Dobie hints that there might have even been three of the creatures running together. But many of the old timers agreed that there had been only two from the beginning. There were many who speculated on the origin of the "never-seen" beings. Some thought they were run-away slaves. But as Dobie writes, "To settlers living against the deep woods and dense brush along the Navidad River no explanation was conclusive."

From about 1836 through 1845, folks were still unsure if the surviving creature was male or female. One settler, Samuel Rogers, saw three sets of tracks in the spring of 1845. Indicating that instead of one person, as previously thought, there might have been three individuals of suspicious origin.

So now there was a group of "wild people." Rogers had a hired man by the name of Hall who also had misadventures with the creatures. Hall claimed that they had taken one of his trace chains. Shortly after this incident, only one set of tracks were seen in the area and again folks began to speculate that two of the wild people had died. From the size of the remaining tracks, they decided that the living subject was a male.

The wild man would take what he needed from the farms in the area. He would slip into the fields and steal potatoes. In his journal Rogers wrote, "When the corn was in roasting ear he would come nearly every night to get a supply." Rogers along with some of his neighbors came close to catching the wild creature once and during the chase he dropped a basket containing various items. Rogers added this entry in his journal, "This [basket] contained a shirt of mine, a novel, a Bible, and many other articles taken from the house. The shirt had been torn and then the rent sewed up as skillfully as any woman could have sewed it."

After the near capture of the wild man, the settlers decided to get serious about hunting him down. Eight of them searched along the junction of the Navidad and Sandies Creek. They didn't find him but they did find places where he had been hiding out. "One of them was a live oak that forked about 30 feet above the ground. This fork formed kind of a flat place on which he could lie down and sleep," said Rogers...For the full article, click here.

ARTICLES

Bigfoot in Texas? Believers, Skeptics Sound Off at Institute
National Geographic News | May 12, 2006

Texas and neighboring states have a long history of sightings. Local Native American lore is replete with legends of giant, shaggy men. Sightings by white settlers date back to the "Wild Woman of the Navidad," a Bigfoot-like creature reportedly observed in 1837 along the Navidad River near the present-day town of Victoria, Texas...For the full article, click here.

Wild Man of the Navidad: Truth or Tall Tale?
Victoria Advocate | July 23, 2002

SUBLIME, Texas -- The strange footprints began to appear during the steamy summer of 1834 along the banks of the Navidad River at Beaty Point in Jackson County. At the same time, sweet potatoes and corn began to disappear from area fields...For the full article, click here.

Bigfoot in Texas?
texasbigfoot.com

There has been a long history of sightings in the state of Texas. One of the first in the history books is the strange case of the "The Wild Woman Of The Navidad". This is a story that was recounted in the Legends of Texas published by the Texas Folklore Society in 1924. The creature was described as covered in short brown hair and was very fast...For the full article, click here.

Sublime, Texas
Handbook of Texas Online

The area was covered by dense thickets of yaupon, wild grape, oak, and pecan and was known at the time as the territory of the "wild man of the Navidad." Most of the flood-prone area was used only as unimproved range for cattle...For the full article, click here.

Wild Navidad
TexasEscapes.com

The Navidad River is only 74 miles long but it is as tangled in history and folklore as the vines and trees along its banks. The tales range from a belief by some that Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna ordered a cash of gold buried near the river to the story of the Wild Man of the Navidad...For the full article, click here.

The Wild Woman of the Navidad
BigfootEncounters.com

By this time a general resolution had grown up that this riddle must be solved. A more systematic and cautious plan was adopted. A number of hunters formed extended lines and drove through the woods with leashed hounds, while others, well mounted and provided with lassos, took stands...For the full article, click here.

OTHER RESOURCES

TexasBigfoot.com

If you think these mysterious bipeds are limited to the Pacific Northwest, think again. Visit the Texas Bigfoot Research Center.

CryptoMundo.com

The most popular site on the Internet devoted to Cryptozoology.

Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization

Yet another great site which focuses on Sasquatch - the southern variety.

SasquatchOnline.com

The Sasquatch Research Initiative's site contains loads of Bigfoot-related data including articles, forums and even a sightings database.