In 1978, Weyburn’s economic troubles deepened when the Shelby Lumber Company, led by owner Cornell Shelby, moved its operations to West Virginia following a devastating fire that destroyed the mill. The fire was mysterious, and rumors began circulating that the fire was connected to the town’s worsening financial issues. Mayor Shifflet, desperate to raise revenue and save the town from impending bankruptcy, came up with an unusual plan to attract attention to Weyburn.
Shifflet, along with Sheriff Tyler Pruitt, Town Attorney Lester Williams, and local garage owner Lonnie Hutchens, met in Hutchens’ barn to devise a scheme. The four men planned to create a fake Bigfoot phenomenon by planting fake tracks in local farmers’ fields, staging scenes of bloodied farmhouses, and spreading rumors of Bigfoot sightings. To increase interest, the town offered a $15,000 reward for the capture or death of Bigfoot. They also aired a series of family-friendly commercials promoting Weyburn as the “Bigfoot Capital of the East Coast” in nearby cities like Roanoke and Charlottesville.
By 1979, the town had gained national media attention, with newspapers and television programs covering the supposed Bigfoot sightings. The town’s tourism boom helped temporarily relieve its financial problems, but as the hoax escalated, so did the greed among the four conspirators. Tensions rose, and the men began to turn on each other.
Watch the Weyburn documentary now streaming on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Town-That-Cried-Bigfoot/dp/B0DXDM6RLN
You can watch Weyburn Virginia videos on our official youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@weyburnvirginia
This site is maintained by Historian Scott Sturgis https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-sturgis-a99bb0353/
Weyburn Virginia 
I remember my dad telling us about this back in the 80’s. So sad Weyburn Virginia no longer exists.
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