Into The Archives

A government file labeled “Sasquatch.” A fake law citation. A taped strand of “hair.” In this episode of Into the Archives, the Washington State Archives reveal how a legendary forest being found its way into official state records. Through archivists, historians and Indigenous perspectives, the story moves from Coast Salish traditions to the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film and the rise of American Bigfoot culture. Along the way are hoaxes, laws, festivals and environmental anxieties — all preserved on paper. The episode doesn’t ask whether Sasquatch exists. It asks what happens when mystery collides with government, pop culture and Indigenous knowledge — and what those records say about the people who created them.Sources for this episode:* Oregon Public Broadcasting* Bigfoot Field Research Organization* Salish Sasquatch* Skamania County Sasquatch Protection* The Lore Lodge* Wild Assault This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tvwstories.substack.com

Rachel La Corte's 2013 story about the state archives doubling as a fallout shelterOSOS Legacy Washington's websiteJohn C. Hughes's interview on TVW's Inside Olympia This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tvwstories.substack.com