Singleton: Many tall tales told of encounters with 'vicious beast' in Monroe County, Alabama

Lower jaw and tusks of boar found in Franklin, Ala.

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Look for a tall tree: Wild boar is a dangerous animal,” was originally published in the May 19, 1977 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind that we have one of the most dangerous animals on the North American continent right here in Monroe County, you can be assured that we do. This animal is known throughout the South and is respected by hunters far and near.

Many a tall tale has been told about this vicious beast and the encounters with it. Many are true; a great number of hunters and woodsmen carry scars on their bodies that will bear witness to the fact that these animals are not to be underestimated.

Many a good hunting dog has been crippled or killed by their savage attacks, and many a hunter has spent the better part of a day or night in a tall tree to stay beyond the reaches of their razor-sharp tusks.

The wild boar ranges along the lowlands that border the rivers and large creeks in this area. He feeds on the small, tender roots and acorns that are to be found in abundance in the low, wet areas or bottoms. He has a very keen sense of hearing and smell.

Contrary to the belief that hogs are noisy creatures, these wild boars can easily slip up on a person without being seen or heard. They will most often attack when they are harassed or when cornered.

Their method of attack is rushing wildly toward their victims, slashing out with the long tusks that protrude from their lower jaws. These tusks can easily take off an arm or leg, or kill or cripple the best hunting dog. Wild boars have been known to kill or cripple whole packs of well-trained dogs when cornered.

On one occasion near my home a few days back, a wild boar injured a horse so severely that the horse had to be destroyed.

The tusks and lower portion of the jaw bone pictured here were found near the Franklin community. This boar was a rather large one and quite old.

The best defense against a wild boar is to stay away from it. Be careful when going into the swamps alone. Remember a wounded boar is most dangerous, and a good, tall tree is a welcome sight when being chased by one.

 (Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, was bitten at least twice by venomous snakes, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)