DALTON, Mass. — The library's "Bigfoot! In The Northeast" event last week was a success, attracting more than 60 people from all over the county. 

 

The Vogel brothers, Eric and Tim, presented and answered questions about their almost 20 years of experience and investigations into bigfoot, or sasquatch, a hairy folklore creature said to inhabit dense forested areas. 

 

"The Dalton library is simply located in a great area, the environment, the Appalachian Mountain ecosystems, productive farmland, streams, rivers, and wilderness areas," Tim Vogel said. 

 

"Locally, it checks all the boxes and has enormous potential for providing what a bigfoot's needs are, for something that large."

 

People filled the main floor and looked down on the discussion from balcony on the mezzanine. The audience was respectful and attentive, and many of them were believers and had many questions, Tim Vogel said. 

 

"It was pleasantly surprising to have that many people interested in the topic enough to drive to Dalton, traveling from out of town to listen and possibly participate in a subject not typically talked about, openly, anyway," he said. 

 

The Vogels retired from outdoor education and now do research and investigations of Bigfoot as the Cobble Mountain Critter Project in Russell, which raises funds for outdoor programs for youth.

 

The event exceeded its scheduled time as participants from various regions, including Vermont, spilled into the library's parking lot and continued the discussion on bigfoot in their communities, Vogel said. 

 

Library Director Janet Forest said when she looked out into the audience, she saw many new faces, which is not a common occurrence. 

 

"Anytime you get new people to come into the library, it is a win," she said.

 

The audience was diverse, welcoming, and fun, full of believers and skeptics, Forest said. 

 

"The atmosphere was light, it was fun. People were engaged with the topic of Bigfoot. We had many people discussing and sharing their own stories before the talk even started," Vogel said. 

 

"They were eager to hear our story, they were there to get information, and we provided as much as we could through our almost two decades of experience. We believe it was well received, and at the end of the night, everybody enjoyed their time."