The Lake Worth Monster is a legendary beast that is said to inhabit Lake Worth, a reservoir on the West Fork of the Trinity River near Fort Worth. The creature is often described as a part-man, part-goat, with fur and scales, and has been known to throw tires and break tree limbs.
History of the Lake Worth Monster
The first reported sighting of the Lake Worth Monster occurred in July 1969, when a group of people at a drive-in theater near the lake saw something strange on a nearby cliff. They claimed that a seven-foot tall creature with white fur and scales jumped down from the cliff and landed on a man’s car, denting it. The creature then ran away into the woods.
The next day, another group of people at the lake witnessed the monster throwing a tire at them from across the water. They also heard it make a loud screech that sounded like a woman’s scream. The local newspapers picked up the story and dubbed the creature the “Lake Worth Monster”. The news attracted many curious people who wanted to catch a glimpse of the monster or even hunt it down.
One of them was Allen Plaster, a 24-year-old photographer who managed to snap a picture of the monster on July 10, 1969. Plaster was driving past the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge when he saw something white and furry rise from the grass. He quickly took out his camera and snapped a shot before the creature disappeared. The photo showed a blurry image of what looked like a man-sized white furball with dark eyes.
Plaster’s photo was published in the newspapers and became one of the most famous pieces of evidence for the existence of the Lake Worth Monster. However, Plaster later admitted that he thought the sighting was a prank, saying that “whatever it was, it wanted to be seen”.
The sightings continued throughout the summer of 1969, but stopped when school resumed in September. Many people suspected that the whole thing was a hoax perpetrated by some high school students who wanted to have some fun. In fact, in 2005, an anonymous letter was sent to a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram claiming to be from one of three classmates who decided to go out to Lake Worth and scare people using a tinfoil mask.
In 2009, another man came forward and confessed that he was involved in the tire-throwing incident. He said that he and his friends were bored and decided to dress up in costumes and throw things at people from across the lake. He said that they never expected their prank to cause such a sensation.
However, not everyone believes that the Lake Worth Monster was a hoax. Some cryptozoologists, who study unknown animals, think that the creature could be an undiscovered primate species that walks on two legs. They point out that there have been other reports of similar creatures in Texas and other parts of the world.
The Lake Worth Monster has become a part of Texas folklore and culture. Since 2009, the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge has held an annual Lake Worth Monster Bash every October to celebrate the legend. The event features live music, food trucks, games, crafts, and educational activities about wildlife and conservation.
References
Here are some sources that you can consult if you want to learn more about the Lake Worth Monster: