The Santer (1890)

"...we have great pleasure in presenting herewith an accurate picture of him, drawn by our special artist, who was so fortunate as to get a view of him a few days ago."

-Statesville Landmark article: September 4th, 1890

 

 

This mystery cat once roamed the lands in and around Statesville, North Carolina. What it was or where it came from has never really been established, but for a while it was a (real or imagined) terror that gave people cause for concern.

 

September 11, 1890

"THAT BEAST: There is a good deal of news this week about the strange animal which has lately created such a sensation among us, but it is in the main indefinite. it has been reported, within the past week, in Cool Spring township and at Sharpe's mills, and our Amity Hill correspondent gives some news about it. It seems to be circling out from town. It was reported on the streets Monday that Bill Newland and Wes. Stevenson had captured it Saturday night and had it for dinner Sunday, but this is positively untrue. There is a good deal of indignation against the mayor of the town because he does not call out the Iredell Blues to hunt it. Jo White, who is posted in zoology, is reported to have expressed the opinion that it is one of these Paynters, (Panthers) that jump out of trees on folks, but the community generally has settled down to the belief that it is a Santer."

 

It was reported in June of 1897 that the Santer was killed..

 

“Elkin Times—The strange varmint which has been terrorizing the

people of ‘Big Elkin’ was captured last week under a house on Dr. Tyre York’s

place above Traphill. No one seems to know what it is. It resembled a

large shepard dog. It feasted on cats and dogs while it was in this life and

it is a pity it was killed as it might have rid the county of several worthless

dogs. But rumor says there is another one loose in the same section.”

 

But descriptions of it terrorizing the countryside, and eating cattle, chickens, dogs, and other livestock continue during 1897.

It was last mentioned in 1937 when this article ran in a Mooresville paper:

 

"There is considerable excitement around

here about the ferocious wild animal roaming around Shinnsville and

other places in South Iredell. Most people who lived here about 40 or

more years ago are satisfied that this is none other but an offspring of

that same old Iredell County Santer that terrorised the natives around

Statesville and Amity Hill, devouring chickens, pigs, calves and carrying

off a few colored children that never were found."

 

More information can be found here:

anc.funkybuu.net/folkore.html