Sightings of a bigfoot alleged recently at Sutton Lake in central West Virginia may have a historic precedent.

Old news clippings that refer to a wildman, and more recent stories of an ape-like creature, at least imply that the region is a fertile ground for such tales.

The county at the very center of West Virginia is coincidentally home of the legendary Flatwoods Monster, also known as the Braxton County Green Monster, the legend of which attracts many tourists to the region.

According to Andrew Smith, executive director of the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, rumors of a bigfoot have been circulating in recent months and have even inspired one bigfoot researcher to post video of a lakeside hunt online.

“We’ve heard of an uptick in reports near the lake,” says Smith, who attributes the county’s wealth of monstrous encounters in part to its dark skies and deep forests.

“I’d actually say the reason for so many strange sightings is multi-fold. Braxton County is a pretty large geographic area, but only a small portion is populated and developed, so there’s a lot of empty space, and there’s a lot of area that hasn’t been seen by humans lately, apart from hunters, and, then, not all the time.”

Update: Bigfoot rumors boosting travel at central West Virginia lake