Decades ago, a 35-foot-long creature was allegedly seen along the St. Johns River in Astor, sparking rumors of a mysterious beast lurking in the waters nearby.
Boaters who saw the so-called St. Johns River Monster described it as grey, horned, four-legged, and with an appetite for hyacinths. Strangely, witness accounts reported seeing it either in the river or on land.
According to newspaper articles from 1953, witnesses ranging from Lake Monroe up to Lake George reported sightings of the monster. The Orlando Sentinel spoke with Buck Dillard, a longtime Astor resident and river guide who was the first to see the creature while fishing in Lake Dexter.
Rumors of the monster spread to the point where even then-President Homer Wright of the Astor Chamber of Commerce believed in its existence. While some believed it to be a prehistoric creature, biologists suggested it might have been an exaggerated manatee or a simple cow with eelgrass on its head.
Regardless of the various theories, the legend of the St. Johns River Monster drew crowds of tourists to Astor in hopes of catching a glimpse of the alleged beast. Whether it was a prehistoric creature, a manatee, or a cow, the mystery of the monster still lingers in the memory of those who encountered it.
