Tales of vampires are most typically associated with Europe – the legend of Dracula was born in Romania, after all. We would certainly never expect vampires to inhabit our home in the middle of America, but one story from the late 19th century suggests that at least one vampire felt at home on the range.

According to the Nebraska State Historical Society, Dawes County was reportedly the site of multiple "vampire" attacks in 1895.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
A Nebraska newspaper, the Custer County Chief, reported in January 1896 that the previous month had brought terror to the western Nebraska locale. Residents complained of their cattle being viciously attacked and killed - not by coyotes or other predators, but by a man.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn

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The mysterious beastly man also preyed on local wildlife, ripping them apart with nothing but his bare hands. He was spotted in the act several times, and witnesses said that he even lapped up the blood of his victims "the way a dog laps water."
flickr/Ben Schmitt
One cowboy, Jack Lewis, reported a personal encounter with the Dawes County vampire. As he and a few companions wandered the range, he separated from the group briefly. Suddenly, a man-like beast set upon him, mouth frothing and hands clawing at Lewis' throat.
flickr/Giles Cook
Lewis fired his gun several times, which drew his companions to him and frightened off the attacker. The cowboys gave chase, but the assailant escaped into the night. Lewis survived but suffered injuries to his face and neck, caused by his attacker's teeth.
flickr/Justin

Many speculated that the assailant was not a vampire or a man-like beast (perhaps Bigfoot?), but a madman. Despite the numerous sightings in December 1895, the “vampire” was never captured. It seems that the reports stopped after that and the story faded into Nebraska history. Nebraska State Historical Society Assistant Curator Dale Bacon recounted the story on the NSHS’s blog – read it here.

What do you think of this strange monster story? Could the attacks really have been by a vampire, or were they the work of a regular man gone mad? Or was the story perhaps the product of a newsman’s active imagination?

For another baffling monster story from Nebraska’s history, read about the Walgren Lake Monster here.

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