Portlock // Part Two - podcast episode cover

Portlock // Part Two

Jul 18, 202330 minSeason 4Ep. 2
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Episode description

Located on the southern edge of the Kenai Peninsula the ghost town of Portlock Alaska. Once boasting a very modest population of 31 residents the small cannery town was home to various shops, businesses and even a post office.

In a story of disappearances, unexplained deaths and a town abandoned; this is PART TWO of the case of the Portlock Bigfoot.

Follow Woody G. Watts on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/woodygwatts

Transcript

Bigfoot Classified contains content that is graphic in nature, and listener discretion is advised. Bigfoot Classified relies largely on news documents, eyewitness accounts, press conferences, and interviews. Every episode is produced with respect the victims, families, and communities involved. Some of the interviews, quotes, and broadcasts have been recreated.

Numerous hours of research have been done regarding these stories, and if you have a theory question or feel that we've missed something, we encourage you to visit Bigfoot classified dot com. This is Bigfoot Classified. Located on the southern edge of the Keeneie Peninsula, the ghost town of Portlock, Alaska. Once boasting a very modest population of thirty one residents, the small cannary town was

home to various shops, businesses, and even a post office. In a story of disappearances, unexplained deaths, and a town abandoned, this is part two of the case of the port Lock Bigfoot. In nineteen oh five, indigenous Alloute fishermen working during salmon season started reporting harassment by a large animal. They referred to this creature as the hairy Man and believed it to be the

ninety Knock, an evil sasquatch like being from their folklore. The fishermen claimed that the ninety Knock wanted them to leave the settlement as retribution for the human destruction of its habitat. The reports of the ninety Knock persisted for months, leading to disruptions in the canneries operations. The Alliute workers even quit their jobs, attributing it to the interference. Eventually, supervisors negotiate a better pay with

the indigenous workers and they returned the following season. However, the whispers and fears of the mysterious Natanok remained among the community. In nineteen twenty, a group of bow hunters made a gruesome discovery along the banks of the Yukon River. They stumbled upon a drifting houseboat covered in what appeared to be blood. Inside the boat, they found Albert Petka, the owner, gravely injured and near death. Albert managed to recount his encounter with the creature to the bow

hunters before succumbing to his injuries. He described a terrifying creature standing at seven feet tall, covered in fur, and capable of attacking with incredible speed and strength. His injuries were so severe that they couldn't be attributed to any known animal or human. Following Albert's death, the incidents of deaths linked to the Natio continued to escalate. Miners and hunters went missing and their body were found

in creeks or scattered in the woods. With authorities unable to determine the cause of the casualties, the locals firmly believed that they were being targeted by the eventual ninety nine. In one chilling incident, a miner named Thomas Weene Larsen confronted the creature as it destroyed fish wheels on the beach. Larsen prepared to defend himself, but suddenly felt an overwhelming force compelling him not to harm the

creature. Helpless against this interference, he walked away, haunted by his decision for the rest of his life. As the attacks and disappearances persisted, the community felt like they were being picked off one by one. Cannery workers ventured out in groups but never returned, only to have their mutilated bodies discovered months later. Hunters discovered footprints resembling those of humans, but much larger, measuring

eighteen inches in length. They attempted to track the creature into the dense forests, but were unsuccessful. Deaths continued. The search party eventually found the disfigured corpse of a missing hunter in a creek, with injuries that didn't resemble typical bear attacks. The frequency of deaths and eerie discoveries deeply unsettled the community, prompting fear and causing many to retreat indoors. By the late nineteen forties,

the fear and casualties had driven a mass exodus from Portlock. Settlers and indigenous inhabitants fled to neighboring towns in search of safety. Homes and structures were abandoned, leaving behind a desolate ghost town. By the nineteen fifties, the town had become a forsaken place, and only remnants of civilization remaining. For the next fifty years, Portlock stood abandoned and was eventually erased from the maps entirely.

Locals spoke in a hushed tone about the angered ninety knock who terrorized this town, but only a few brave hunters would dare to take a stroll to the fold. Milania Helen Kell, the oldest living resident who once lived in Portlock, now lives in nan Wallack, Alaska. She recalls various aspects of the past, such as traditional medicines used for healing and techniques for preserving sea

lion meet in barrels during the winter. Additionally, she is one of the few remaining individuals who can recount the ghostly tale of the deserted village of Port Chatham and why was abandoned and avoided by its former inhabitants. She was born on January twenty fifth, nineteen thirty four, in Port Chatham, a small village. In its early days, the village provided shelter for numerous people,

including Captain Nathaniel Portlock's ship during his seventeen eighty six Alaska expedition. However, when she was a baby, her family abruptly left Chatham, leaving behind their house in every trace of its existence. The reason behind John and Helen Romanov's decision to flee nan Wallick with their children was a series of frightening incidents had occurred over an extended period. According to the reports, a ninety knock,

a large and hairy creature terrorized the villagers. Kill also mentioned the presence of a spirit, a woman dressed in a flowing black garment who would emerge from the cliffs. This spirit had an extraordinary long dress and a pale face, disappearing back into the cliffs. Encountering these spirits caused great fear among the villagers, but the extent of terror escalated when Kill's godfather was fatally struck on the head with a wench while working on a boat in nineteen thirty one. Kill

is not the only one with tales of strange occurrences in Port Chatham. An elder from Port Graham shared his recollection of a gold miner who was seriously disappeared, with ninety knock being blamed. Another account involved a sawmill owner named Tom Larson who encountered the cree you're on the beach, but chose not to fire his gun after a brief exchange of gazes. In an article from April fifteenth, nineteen seventy three, published in the Anchorage Daily News, the story of

the abandoned cannery town of Port Lock near Port Chatham was recounted. Rumors spread during the early years of World War Two that something was amiss in Port Lock. Men who ventured into the hills for hunting never returned, and stories circulated about mutilated bodies found in the lagoon. Displaying signs of dismemberment that couldn't be attributed to bears. The article described villagers tracking moose and discovering large manlike footprints.

Closing in on the moose tracks, they would find evidence of a struggle, flattened grass, and then only the tracks of the manlike creature, retreating toward the fall covered mountains. Eventually, the town's residents decided to collectively move away, leading to the closure of the US post office in nineteen fifty. While Sasquatch has gained popularity in the nineteen sixties and seventies in the lower forty eight States, the ninety Knock has long been a part of their culture.

According to the culture, the ninety Knock may be a different kind of creature, a tragic figure that was once fully human transformed into a half man, half beast. Older Nick Tanapey acknowledges the validity of the ninety Nick stories, although he has never personally encountered one. Kill mentioned that after her family moved to Naiwalak, the ninety Knicks stayed far away, granting them peace. It

did not follow them, and they were grateful for that. Kill grew up raised thirteen children and remains one of the few individuals in Niwalack who can pass down the old traditions. In twenty twenty one, Alaska big Footkiller was released, a forty day expedition that follows Keith Saville, a resident of nearby nan Wallick and descendant of Portlock's residents, and his team. The group of five men aimed to track down the mysterious creature while searching the town for its hidden

history. Growing up, Seville heard stories from his ancestors and elders about the eerie happenings in Portlock, the town from which his family had fled. Although he initially didn't consider himself a believer, his involvement in the show opened his eyes to the unsettling nature of Portlock. In the TV show Alaska Killer Bigfoot, Keith Saville and his team embark on a captivating expiration of the mysterious town

of Portlock. As they delve deeper into their investigation, they encounter a series of unsettling discoveries and experiences that add to the suspense and intrigue surrounding a legendary creature known as ninety nine. Here are the key aspects they encountered during their exploration. The team begins by delving into the haunting stories and testimonies shared by

local history orients, elders, and community members. These accounts paint a chilling picture of Portlock's past and the presence of ninety nine, instilling a sense of fear and intrigue within the team in setting the stage for their exploration. As the team ventures further into Portlock, the experience unexplained and supernatural phenomena. They hear eerie noises, catch glimpses of shadowy figures, and since a palpable presence

lurking among the abandoned buildings and dense forest. These encounters heightened the suspense and raised questions about the true nature of ninety Nock. While investigating the connections between Portlock and the nearby community of na Wallick, the team learns that the unsettling incidents have also occurred in Nanwalack. This suggests that Naughty Knock's influence may extend beyond the boundaries of Portlock, leading the team to confront the possibility that the

legendary creature has followed the residence to their new homes. Throughout their exploration, the team discovers mysterious artifacts, cryptic symbols, and intrigue markings scattered throughout port Lock. These findings offer glimpses into the talent's hidden history and potentially hold clues about the true nature of ninety Knock and its connection to port Lock. As the team witnesses the impact of their investigations on the local community, their initial

skepticism begins to waver. They undergo personal transformations as their first hand experiences and the compelling stories they uncover challenge their beliefs. Their encounters with the unknown leave them with questioning the existence and true nature of ninety Knock, blurring the lines between myth and reality. Reception to the show was harsh. Viewers pointed out

how a lot of the scenes seemed like a setup. Critics also complained about how when danger seemed close, the team ran away instead of confronting the being, which was the whole premise of the show, and the show wasn't the only cause for concern for skeptics and vince sitters. In recent years, a super piac woman of Russian Alute descent, Sally Ash, has been speaking out against the falsehoods that have come out of the Portlock mystery. Sally has deep

roots in nan Wally and speaks her native language. Her ancestral connection stretches to various places in Alaska, including Port Lock, where her mother was born. Sally describes her people as nomadic, following the seasons and moving from one place to the other, including Port Chatham, Dark Fish Bay, Sedovia, Homer, and even Kodiak. In the context of Portlock, Sally introduces the local

legend of Nainti Nock, a form of Sasquatch known in their community. Unlike the traditional depiction of Sasquatch as a brute, ninty Knock is regarded as a supernatural being. Sally believes that ninty Knock was once part human and chose to separate from human society, treating to the forest. Over time, he transformed, growing hair and resembling a bigfoot. Sally's relatives, including her uncles and grandfathers, have shared stories about ninety nine, emphasizing that he lives far away

from people and does not interact with them. Sally recounts a chilling incident involving her brother at a lake. While tying off his skiff, her brother detected a foul odor emanating from the bushes As he investigated further, he discovered a hairy and intimidating figure. Sally's brother and their cousin fled the scene in fear, uncertain whether it was a bigfoot, but disturbed by the strong smell. When asked about ninety nine, Sally suggests that he is a solitary being who

has lived for a long time. He has described as old, tall, strong, and covered in hair. Ninety Knock resides in the woods and people can sense his proximity through the distinct odor he emits. Sally's mother spoke about ninety nine and shared stories about encounters, particularly in the dog Fish area. Sally explains that her family was aware of ninety Nick's presence but maintained a respectful distance, treating him with kindness but avoiding close interaction. Ninti Nick was agile

and quick, often moving to different locations. Sally served as a translator for her cousin Milannie, killed during an interview in two thousand and nine. They gained attention in the world of bigfoot enthusiast Milania claimed that the entire town of Port Chatham had evacuated in nineteen forty nine due to a murders Naughty nine. However, Sally clarifies that Melanie A fabricated this story to address persistent inquiries and

that the account was not true. Sally's family and community were aware of the invented story, but chose not to confront her due to the cultural values that discouraged challenging elders. According to Sally, the decision to leave Port Chatham and relocate to Sadovia and now Walack was primarily driven by practical factors such as the economy, access to schools, and the presence of a church. Additionally, the construction of the Alaska Highway Route one to Kenai and Homer redirected traffic away

from Port Lock. Sally suggests that Milanie's fabricated stories may have stemmed from a desire to protect the area and preserve its significance. Port Chatham holds cultural importance for the Suppiak people as a place where their ancestors lived and were buried. While there have been reports and investigations concerning Natiock, Sally advises against actively searching for him. She states that Nato Nack is elusive and can transform into different

animals, making it difficult to track him down. Sally warrants against shooting at him, as is believe that he can not be killed. Sally and her community approached the topic with caution, respecting Nati knock space and avoiding disturbances in the areas where he may reside. Although Nantinok is no longer seen in Nawalick, Sally affirms that they no longer counter him there. She states that ninety Knock and others like him have moved far away from human settlements seeking solitude.

Sally's account highlights the difference between the stories of ninety Knock causing harm and the reality experienced by her community. There is no substantiated evidence of the dozens of reported murders and disappearances attributed to ninety n import Chatham. The only documented death

in the town was an accident involving a logger and logging equipment. Sally's perspective emphasizes that while the legend of nineteen Knock has always been known among the sup Biac people, the notion of a bloodthirsty creature causing mayhem is a misrepresentation.

Ninety Knock is regarded as a reclusive being, preferring to keep his distance from humans rather than engage in violence, Sally costs against the intrusive pursuit of ninety knock and emphasizes the importance of respect and understanding their ancestral ties to the land

and as far as the legend of Portlock. We, like many other podcasts covering this topic, used an article written in two thousand and nine by Naomi Cluta and the information she gleaned from speaking to residents in and closed by the town as the main source. Her primary source was in nineteen seventy three article from the Anchorage Daily News. Unfortunately, only an expert of the article remains, which was included in John Green's book Sasquatch, the Apes among Us.

This provided basic stories about bigfoot attacks in Port Chatham, but lack specific details. The article claimed that the people left the area solely due to these big foot attacks in nineteen forty nine and refused to return. Clutah's second source involved interviews with two elderly Alaska Natives who grew up in Portlock and we're living in

Port Graham at the time of the interview. One of the interviewees, Milania Helen Kell, was born in Portlock in nineteen thirty four, and added additional details to the story, Kel share the names of the men who were either killed or went missing. She stated that her parents left Portlock because they could no longer tolerate the concert attacks by the ninety nine. To verify the claims

made by these sources, researchers needed to seek corroborating evidence. They turned to the Alaska Digital Newspaper Program, which provided access to a large collection of scan newspaper pages from the late seventeen hundreds through nineteen sixty three. However, they found no reports of extraordinary killings or dismemberments in the news articles related to Portlock. Most of the articles were focused on commercial fishing, with only a few

deaths reported and mostly due to accidents. Regarding crimes, only one notable incident was reported in nineteen twenty four, the Portlock postmaster, George Henck, was arrested by the Probation Enforcement Bureau for possessing moonshine. There were no records of any murders or dismemberments. As for missing person reports, only one was found, which involved two hunters named Ben Swayze and Bill Weaver from Seaward. They went on a two week trip by dory boat in nineteen seventeen and were never

seen again. The mentioned of Portlock in the story was only because the report came from there about the discovery of a dory that seemed similar to theirs. However, Seaward and Portlock are geographically distant, making it unlikely that bigfoot attacks in Port Chatham are responsible for the disappearance. Regarding the word nati nock associated

with the Portlock creature, it proved challenging to pinpoint the exact origin. Native language preservation groups that were contacted to investigate its existence in different languages, but no record of nat ENaC was found. However, there's a word similar to it, Ninetina in the Denia Alaskan language, refers to a focalore character that

kidnaps children and is used to caution them against wandering into the woods. It is speculated the ninety knock is a version of nineteen na due to the linguistic connections between the languages in the Portlock area. The ultimate reason for the abandonment of Portlock was probably unrelated to bigfoot or any violent creatures. It was primarily due to the completion of Alaska Route one during the nineteen forties, which provided

efficient transportation between Anchorage and the towns along the Kenal Peninsula. This led to the rapid growth of the other towns that could be easily accessed through the highway, while isolated places like Portlock became less viable. The convenience and cost saving factors prompted the relocation of the town's population. The closure of the Portlock post

office in nineteen fifty marked the final chapter in the town's history. Despite the claims of the Bigfoot attacks and the use of the word ninety knock and the Portlock monster story, available evidence might suggest otherwise. The accounts from the Anchorage day of the news article and the interviews do not align with the historical records

of the newspaper articles from the time. The town of port Lock was likely abandoned for noncryptid reasons, but that's not to say a sasquatch isn't lurking in the Alaskan landscape. As recently as two thousand and twenty three, sightings of sasquatch like creatures have been reported around Alaska. Over the last decade, more and more sightings have been reported, with the creatures seemingly less concerned about being spotted. In the summer of two thousand and nine. The following report was

made to the BFRO, which stands for Bigfoot Filled Researchers Organization. It was the month of July two thousand and nine in Fairbanks, Alaska. I was heading south on Abon Drive toward Farmer's Loop, which was about one mile away. It is a wooded area frequented by homes, and in general would be considered a populated area. Houses are in an average of about one hundred to two hundred feet apart, with only the general area around and close to the

homes cleared out. Most of the area by far is wooded, and while the section of the road where it passes by Pearl Creek Elementary School the school can be seen through the woods. Some of the woods in the area are quite thick and in some places can be seen into more than about ten to fifteen feet, but in this area it had apparently been cleaned out quite a

bit and siding less into the section of the siding were very open. The school and vegetable garden could be seen off to the right from the road I was on. It was about six pm and I was heading home after a day of working on a deck I was building The weather was clear, with the sun high and the sky. As I was driving, I happened to notice a man standing by the right side of the road about hundred yards ahead. It was more of an unconscious recognition. There is nothing unusual about a

man standing on the side of the road in this area. As I got within about fifty yards, I looked closer. That's no man, I said to myself. I was alone in the car. Shortly after that, one or two seconds he bolted into the woods towards the school. He did it like a wild animal would do if spooked. I didn't slow down until I got to the place where I saw him go into the woods, which is

where I stopped. I could see him running away from the road, and when he was into the woods, about thirty yards or so, he turned left and was now running parallel to the road in the same direction I was heading. I got a good look at him, but not his face. I could I have probably seen his face had I not been so mesmerized and had the presence of mind to look at it. I was busy noticing other things. His fur or hair looked to be about three to four inches all

over the main part of his body. It was a reddish, rusty color. I was mildly struck by how red it was, but it definitely had some rustiness to it. He was about six feet tall and looked a weigh about two hundred pounds. He ran with a strange, hoppy kind of run. It wasn't a limp with one foot he pushed off with was more a normal running move, but the other foot he pushed off with propelled him upward about a foot or less and forward. I watched him until he disappeared into

the woods. There was a road about one hundred yards ahead, and I took off to get to it so I could turn right, and in twenty yards turned right again to the road that led to the school parking lot. So the wooded area he was in was sort of a peninsula, and he seemingly had to be in there somehow somewhere. The woods I was looking into from that angle were quite thick, and I didn't see him and haven't seen

him since. A little farther up on the right was the school garden that had people in it about seven to ten, which I'm now sorry I didn't stop to go talk to them about it. The next day, as I was driving into work on the deck, I naturally slowed down in the area I saw him. I stopped, actually and was surveying the area when a

couple walking their dogs were approaching. I flagged them down and told the story of what happened the evening before, and they told me that about a week before, they were with their dogs and were on the way to the other side of the school property by the soccer field, and three kids came running over to them, saying, did you see the SaaS squatch. He also said that what appeared to be a dad was with them, who didn't seem

too excited about it. My conclusion to whether it was real or not is summed up by saying it was either real or there was a man in a very very convincing costume. I reported it to the Fish and Game office in Fairbanks a couple of days later. The person who was taking the report was sort of rolling his eyes through the whole thing, as he seemed to be writing it down on a piece of scrap paper. I even had to ask

him to take my phone number just in case. The report noted that the weather conditions were clear and sunny, and that there were other witnesses who had possibly seen the creature. Responding to the report bfr A researcher, Charles Lamaca wrote, I was intrigued by this report because I used to live very new the area where the siding occurred. I interviewed the witness telephonically and found his

story to incredible. The interview resulted in the following additional information. First, the entire sighting from first glance to last scene was under thirty seconds in duration. The creature was about one hundred yards away when first seen, but as the sighting progressed, the distance was reduced to about twenty to thirty yards. Second, the witness didn't get a good look at the creature's face or its feet. He described the shape of the head as being a cross between that

of a human and a gorilla. The hair on the body seemed to be fairly uniform in length about three to four inches, and was not met at or scruffy looking. Third, he has no explanation for the unusual gait of the creature and could not speculate as to the possibility of an injury or deformity that might cause it. Fourth, the witness says he is inclined to believe what he saw was a real non human animal, but it was definitely not

a bear. He recognizes that there is a remote chance that someone could have been carrying out a hoax, but he indicated that if it was someone in a costume, it was so convincing that it would have to be a costume of Hollywood professional quality. The mystiqua Bigfoot continues to captivate the hearts and minds of countless individuals in and around Alaska. In Despite the skepticism and the lack of concrete evidence, there remains a compelling case for the existence of this elusive

creature. While the specific accounts and stories discussed may not provide conclusive proof, they serve as a reminder of the rich tapestry of folklore and cultural beliefs that surround Bigfoot. The enduring nature of these legends, passed down through generations,

speaks to a collective human yearning for the unknown in the extraordinary. While this search for Bigfoot may be challenging, it is through open mindedness, expiration, and a willingness to consider alternative perspectives that we can deepen our understanding of the

natural world and the hidden wonders it may hold. In the third part of this season, we dive into the mysteries surrounding the Alaska Triangle and explore the possibility that the Sasquatch is responsible for the high death count the state faces.

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