Getting to Know Beaman, Missouri: The Beaman Monster, Part I

Kids, we're working on some projects here on our website.  One of them is a little thing where we get to know the smaller towns in Sedalia's surrounding areas.   I took up the helm for getting to know the town of Beaman.

If you don't know anything about Beaman or haven't heard of it, it's small little area that's around Smithton.  If you drive out on 65 Highway to HH and then turn onto Highway O, you should find it pretty easily.  It's only maybe about ten miles outside of Sedalia.

It's a small town, and really other than the market and the fire station, it's all residential areas.  In fact, the actual town is unincorporated.  But, what many of us know from the area, and what will be the primary focus of what I'm trying to uncover, is the famous Beaman Monster.

I tried to picture the creature myself, but all I could picture was this:

Which, actually, when you think about it,  might be interesting in and of itself.  Do we know where Michael J. Fox was during these sightings?  Might wanna check up on that.

From what I can figure out from local hearsay, the Beaman Monster is not unlike a Bigfoot type of legend.  It was something parents would tell their kids about to scare them into behaving . "You'd better be good, or the Monster will come and get you!"  Some people have claimed to see it, and some people have claimed to smell it - I'll get into more detail about their tales in another entry.

One account I read online was from Unknown Creatures, and it consisted of a Sedalia man named Daemon Smith who says he saw it when he was ten, running along a truck. He described it as a coyote or wolf like creature. There have been local rumors about animals being maimed or eaten, but nothing can be confirmed.

One of our employees here at KIX told me a story about the Monster under the condition of anonymity (why, I'm not sure). This person (we'll call them "Salesy") said they used to work with a young man when they were in their late teens - this would have been approximately in the late sixties/early seventies. This person had a brother who claimed he was the Monster.

They said they would take rotten eggs and solution and create a terrible smell out in a field or along a road, not unlike a skunk spray in strength. Salesy told me that these boys would take bales of hay with flashing lights, cover them up, and watch and wait. But, shortly after Salesy's co-worker's brother  was drafted in to the Army, the Beaman Monster reports mysteriously stopped.

You see what a hearsay story this is, sounding like a bit of he said/she said, but this is often the problem with stories like these.  Many times they're tales told down the years of hearsay, and it's hard to pin one story to one source. Sometimes people want to tell you the story, but they don't want to tell you where they heard it or they don't want you tell where you heard it from.

I'm a stubborn individual.  I will not give up!  I have at least two more leads where I'll be doing some interviews.  One of the Sedalia Experts is none other than Travis McMullen, famous columnist for the Sedalia Democrat (full disclosure, he's my cousin).  I'll have an interview with him soon, which you'll be able to read right here in another exciting update.  I am more than happy to accept any stories you may have heard, any tales you may have told, anything.

Even if you don't think they're true, the story is the important thing, and the tradition is what keeps it viable, I think.  So do let me know if you've got anything at all to add to the discussion, even if it's something minor.  All our stories fill out the tapestry of life, if  you will.

What do you think?  Do you think the Monster is real?  Do you have any insights?

Monstrosily yours,

Behka