Momo the Missouri Monster

Overview

Momo (the Missouri Monster) is a Bigfoot-type cryptid reportedly seen near Louisiana, Missouri in the early 1970s, most famously during a brief 'monster flap' in July 1972.

Details

Origin:

Highly localised to the area around Louisiana, Missouri, in Pike County, Missouri, along the Mississippi River.

Regions:

Missouri, Pike County, Louisiana, Missouri

First Reported:

1945

Full Account

Momo, an abbreviation of Missouri Monster, is a regional Bigfoot-type cryptid associated with the area around Louisiana, Missouri, in northeastern Missouri (Pike County) along the Mississippi River. Witnesses described a large, hair-covered, bipedal creature roughly seven feet tall, with a 'pumpkin-shaped' head, glowing orange eyes, and a strong putrid smell. The most widely publicised sightings occurred in July 1972, including a 11 July 1972 incident in which two young brothers playing in their backyard and their older sister, who saw the creature from the kitchen window, reported a hairy creature carrying a dead dog. Local fire chief and city council member Richard Allan Murray was among other witnesses. A roughly 20-person posse searched the area but found no specimen. The active sighting period was brief and Momo became a fixture of regional folklore and 1970s American 'monster flap' culture, including a Six Flags theme-park ride (1973-1994) and a 2019 docudrama film.

Also Known As

• Momo (Louisiana, Missouri, USA)
• Missouri Monster (Missouri, USA)

Etymology

Origin:

American journalistic shorthand: 'Mo.' for Missouri + 'Mo.' for Monster, contracted to 'Momo'.

Meaning:

Missouri Monster.

First Use:

1972, in U.S. press coverage of the Louisiana, Missouri sightings.

Timeline

• 1945 — Earliest sighting referenced in regional accounts of the Louisiana, Missouri area (Pre-flap baseline (per Wikipedia))
• 1972-07-11 — Sighting at the home of a Louisiana, Missouri family: an older sister sees the creature from the kitchen window while her two young brothers play in the backyard; the creature is reported to be carrying a dead dog (Best-known incident of the Momo flap)
• 1972-07 — Local fire department chief and city council member Richard Allan Murray reports a sighting near a creek bed (Notable secondary witness during the flap)
• 1972-07 — An approximately 20-person posse organises to search for the creature; no specimen recovered (Community response to the flap)
• 1973 — Six Flags St. Louis opens a Momo-themed ride (Pop-culture canonisation of the local cryptid)
• 2019 — Docudrama film 'Momo: The Missouri Monster' released (Modern revival of the Momo legend)

Sightings & Evidence

Cultural Significance

Momo is broadly treated in popular culture as a regional Bigfoot variant; locally it functions both as folk creature and as town mascot.

Related Phenomena

• Bigfoot — Continental Bigfoot tradition of which Momo is a regional variant
• Skunk Ape — Southeastern US Bigfoot variant noted for foul odor
• Fouke Monster — Arkansas Bigfoot-type creature of comparable era
• Grafton Monster — West Virginia hominid sighting cluster

Tags

Sources

• Momo the Monster — Wikipedia