The Bigfoot Cavern Bar and Grill
was owned by Doc Bashford and Sharon Satmar; it was in a building originally
built by Ralph "Shorty" Phillips.
"Shorty" used a special
method of building he had learned in Pennsylvania before moving to the Illinois
Valley in 1920. Coincidentally, Doc
Bashford hails from "Shorty's" neighboring state of Ohio. Doc said he is a genuine "Buckeye."
The stone facade on the Bigfoot
Cavern Bar and Grill is created from rocks directly out of the
Illinois River. Ralph "Shorty"
Phillips started work on this building in the evenings after spending his days
helping to build the Redwood Highway.
Unique with its double fireplace,
the building has a special place in the history of Josephine County.
Long being "the place to
gather," this tavern was the "watering hole" for the Illinois Valley.
"Shorty" opened it as
"The Ritz" and later it became "Stoney Front Tavern."
Double doors in the back were where
the loggers from the valley would enter, and use the building's showers to
clean up before entering the tavern.
They changed clothes, but still wore
their "hob nail" boots, and when you visit, take note of the floor --
Doc said they thought of refinishing the floor, but instead decided to leave
the history where it was made! They were
right in doing so, because the thousands of indentations on the floor really
give it a unique character.
It is a great looking floor, and
what a fantastic record of the history of our county.
So why Bigfoot Cavern?
Well, Doc Bashford has degrees in
Zoology and Biology, and told us he prefers to be called a cryptozoologist --
one who tracks uncatalogued species, but of which enough evidence exists to
support the possibility that they really exist.
That brings us to Doc's specialty --
Sasquatch! He has documented five actual
sightings and has traveled all over the country in search of the creature,
which eventually led him to Kerby. Bigfoot
Cavern Bar and Grill is in the heart of Oregon's Bigfoot sightings. This shot an indication of some of the
articles and memorabilia that is displayed on some of the walls in the
Cavern.
Inside the front entrance of the Bigfoot
Cavern, you run right into the Big Guy himself.
The nine foot tall Sasquatch was
created by woodcarver Terry Tessmer, and weighs almost 3000 pounds. His
name is "Baby." This is Doc Bashford posing with his mascot.
Doc will be displaying lots of
Sasquatch memorabilia on the walls of Bigfoot Cavern Bar and Grill,
and will have actual plaster casts of the creatures’ feet that were taken from
one of the sightings.
Doc said he had "Baby"
carved to the dimensions that most sightings have indicated him to be,
including his own experiences.
"Baby" took 10 men, two
hoists, a crane, and four hours to get him from the front door to his
guard post just inside.
Doc Bashford has been hunting for
the elusive Sasquatch for 25 years now, and said people are constantly
reporting sightings in the Illinois Valley's massive mountain regions.
The map indicated Bigfoot sightings,
but Doc said he could add about 500 more to it before it would be up to date.
The Bigfoot Cavern Bar and
Grill was rapidly turning out to be the Sasquatch headquarters for all
of the out of state Bigfoot hunters and enthusiasts who are continually
visiting our beautiful state.
Combine the mystery of something I
think everyone wants to believe in, with a place to share stories with other
believers and not be laughed at, and you have Bigfoot Cavern Bar and Grill.
