Was 1895 Winsted, NY Bigfoot Sighting A Wild Tale?
[Original headline: Wildman craze of 1895 made things a little hairy] WINSTED – Remember the Bigfoot craze of the 1970s and 80s? You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about a new Bigfoot sighting or seeing a television documentary about the legend of the large, apelike man that lived in the wilderness. The Six Million Dollar Man,’ portrayed by actor Lee Majors in the 1970s television series, had a run-in or two with the big fellow. Then, in 1987, Bigfoot made his big-screen debut in Harry and the Hendersons.’ But, long before the hairy, 9-foot tall enigmatic beast ever hit the television screens and long before its image appeared on little boys’ tin lunchboxes, a Bigfoot-esque creature was actually spotted right here in Winsted. “They called him the Winsted Wildman,” said Joseph Cadrain, a local historian and writer who has recounted the tale of the local Bigfoot several times. “He was seen in 1895 and the sighting caused quite a stir at the time.” A stir, to say the least. The init
