Harmon’s Histories: Wampus cat lopes down Missoula’s North Hills

Jim Harmon

The other day, I found myself reviewing old newspaper clippings in my files, when I came across the following item: “Ferocious Wampus Almost Visits Missoula.”

I had made a slight mention of the report in 2016 as part of a larger article about lighter stories of the era. But I never shared the entire tale. So here we go!

First, we need to explain that the fearsome Wampus cat is a “creature in American folklore, described as a variation of a cougar.”

The American Dialect Society, “a learned society founded in 1889 dedicated to the study of the English language in North America,” described the Wampus cat as "a creature heard whining about camps at night, a spiritual green-eyed cat, having occult powers, or an undefined imaginary animal."

“The Wampus cat,” they said, “was a large feline with dark fur. Notably, some depictions note the cat as having six legs, while some only describe it as having four.”

The website atlasobscura.com portrayed the Wampus as a “cat-like creature in American folklore that varies widely in appearance, ranging from frightful to comical, depending on region. It has its origins in Cherokee mythology and Appalachian legend. It is also known as a ‘gallywampus’ in Missouri, ‘whistling wampus’ in the Ozarks, simply ‘wampus’ in Appalachia.”

Anyway, back to the local account of 1914, published in The Daily Missoulian.

“The animal, a species very rare in these parts, was hard pressed by a couple of hunters as he came over the ridge of a hill directly north of the Missoula. He was half way down the slope when he seemed to realize that he was dashing into the heart of civilization.”

“He then changed his course and made for a slanting trail toward the north and west and disappeared again over the ridge just as the hunters made their appearance.”

Now, the newspaper reporter admitted that “very few people” actually saw the Wampus,” adding that “fewer still recognized it as such.”

But the witnesses, few as they might have been, were very credible members of the local community.

One was H.T. Lindsey, a dispatcher for the Milwaukee Railroad. “He had just arrived for his shift when he saw Mr. Wampus making tremendous leaps down the hill.”

Lindsey initially thought he was seeing a bear.

“He called Chief Dispatcher Jack Phelan and later summoned Ticket Agent Tavenner and “Frog” Clark. The four men stood at the window as the supposed ‘bear’ came nearer and nearer down the hill.”

“Just as he turned broadside, Lindsey recognized the form as a Wampus and then there was real excitement!"

All four men were “dying to get a gun and a horse and make chase,” but they knew they weren’t allowed to leave their posts.

Lindsey became convinced the animal was no bruin, “since bears are soundly asleep in their holes this time of year.” All four men agreed, as they “watched the creature disappear over the hill.”

At that point, the telephone rang down in the ticket office and Clark and Tavenner had to leave quickly. Then the dispatcher’s phone buzzed “and Lindsey had to get busy arranging some important requests.”

The article said “the two hunters who were chasing the animal at one point had not reported in, at a late hour last night.”

Dispatcher Phelan was left standing alone asking, “What the hell is a Wampus, anyway?”