Wild men or feral men have long been a part of legend. Some even believe they account for some of the Bigfoot sightings throughout history.
John Tornow reached legend status when his desire to be left alone in the wilderness turned murderous. But what really happened? Who was John Tornow and how much of the story reported was twisted by those who were left behind in the end?
Sources:
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Friederich, Steven (Nov. 11, 2014),” New Book on John Tornow, ‘The Wildman of the Wynooche,’ Claims He Was Victim,” The Chronicle (Centralia, WA), retrieved from: https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-book-on-john-tornow-the-wildman-of-the-wynooche-claims-he-was-victim,78904
Hillier, Alfred J. “John Tornow, the Outlawed Hermit.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 3, 1944, pp. 223–32
Lindstrom, Bill (no date). “John Turnow,” JohnTurnowLegend.com, retrieved from: https://johntornowlegend.com/
Weiser-Alexander, Wendy (2019). “John Tornow – The Wild Man of the Wynoochee, Washington,” Legends of America, retrieved from: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/wa-johntornow/
Monk, Matthew (June 17, 2018). “The Wildman of The Navidad: A Legendary Texas Mystery,” TexasHillCountry.com, retrieved from: https://texashillcountry.com/wildman-of-the-navidad/
Guillion, John (June 28, 2022). “Feral Humans in the Smoky Mountains? What Happened to Dennis Martin,” TheSmokies.com, retrieved from: https://www.thesmokies.com/feral-humans-smoky-mountains/
Aberdeen Herald, Aberdeen, Washington • Mon, Jan 22, 1912
Page 1 “Stapp denied rehearing”
Blair, Pam (April 20, 1988). “Questions, rumors abound; Truth will never be known,” JohnTurnowLegend.com, retrieved from: https://johntornowlegend.com/1988-matlock-forum/