Biography: Roger Patterson

Roger Clarence Patterson was born in Walls, South Dakota on February 14th, 1933. He and his family eventually moved to Yakima, Washington. Patterson became a rodeo rider and rancher in the Yakima area right around the Tampico Valley. Patterson began his interest in the subject of Bigfoot in late-1959 after reading an article by Ivan T. Sanderson in True Magazine which described the sightings and footprint finds of large, hairy, unknown creatures in Northern California in the Bluff Creek area after a road construction crew found large tracks around their construction site. Patterson was fascinated by this and began to investigate sightings he had heard and read about and he collected many different accounts. On October 20, 1963 (not '64 as has been widely reported) timber cruiser Pat Graves found a series of tracks in the Laird Meadow Road of Bluff Creek and told Roger, already in the area about them. Patterson made casts, and the second-generation left foot cast is now sold in various places. In 1966, Patterson wrote a book called Do Abominable Snowmen of America Really Exist? which featured many newspaper stories, as well as taped interviews Patterson conducted with witnesses, most notably Albert Ostman and Fred Beck. The book sold poorly initially, but after the filming of "Patty" it sold very well. Patterson continued his research, finding tracks and casting them. Patterson also had two lookout towers in the Tampico Valley area to look for Bigfoot, which had apparently been reported in and around the area. In September 1967, Patterson and his friend, Bob Gimlin, were in the Mount Saint Helens area looking for evidence when Mrs. Patricia Patterson, Roger's wife, received a message from Al Hodgson of Willow Creek, California that fresh tracks had been found in the area, and that Patterson would be well-advised to head down there. Patterson and Gimlin headed on down to the Bluff Creek area, the Six Rivers National Forest, looking for tracks. Patterson had a film camera with him shooting a documentary in which he would have included recreations of sightings. After 3 weeks in the area, on October 20, 1967, Patterson and Gimlin came upon a female Bigfoot and Patterson filmed it. At the time, Patterson was battling Hodgkins' Disease but was beating it at the time and was in excellent health. Over the intervening years since the filming, however, Patterson was losing the battle and on January 15, 1972, just one short month shy of his 39th birthday, he passed away, leaving the world with a legacy of a great film which is still debated today. Before his death, however, Patterson was told that a captive Bigfoot was being held somewhere in Thailand and he spent all the rest of his money pretty much on a wild goose-chase. He died broke, but left us this film. We should all be indebted to Patterson for his legacy to us.