A TOUR OF LAKE ERIE: Mini Episode 1

The oldest and largest version of the Lake Erie Monster originates in the late 18th century! Three brief, old stories about a serpent of unbelievable size.

TIMELINE

1793: first Lake Erie Monster (LEM) sighted

July 1817: Similar LEM sighted

Post July 1817: Similar LEM sighted, but with a few new details

Late 1817: A new LEM variant is encountered (listen to in mini episode #2: Lake Erie's Silverscale)

⁠Transcript⁠

This episode is sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Constellation Dive Group⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about the Old Saybrook Blockhead, see sources, and transcripts by visiting the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven online encyclopedia⁠⁠⁠⁠. Support the show, buy a ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bessie print⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to listen ad-free? Become a Patreon member.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie#History

https://eriecountyohiohistory.org/about/welcome-erie-county/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloop

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_(unit)#

https://jet-express.com/blog/history-afloat-exploring-lake-eries-past/

https://monstersofohio.com/2021/11/07/meet-the-monsters-the-lake-erie-monster/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/battle-lake-erie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_(sailing)

https://nmgl.org/lake-erie/

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Bessie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_(lake_monster)

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/column-lake-monsters

Lake Erie has a lot of history - and a lot of cryptid activity! From a "plesiosaur" named Bessie to a foot-biting worm, for over 200 years, stories of strange creatures have plagued the lake, from boat captains and fishermen, to tourists and residents. What are these monsters? What are their stories? You'll have to keep up with us for the next few weeks to learn about them all in this summer road trip special!

Transcript

SOURCES
https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Bessie#Recent_Sightings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_(lake_monster)#cite_note-3

https://web.archive.org/web/20200220164724/http://web.ncf.ca/bz050/HomePage.bessie.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-30-mn-2507-story.html

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/land-water/lake-erie-watershed/Geology+of+Lake+Erie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_sturgeon#Conservation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon#Evolution

https://www3.erie.gov/environment/fish-descriptions#Sturgeon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plesiosaur#History_of_discovery

The strange things in Connecticut continue, with 9 more cases of close contact:

Durham, CT 1967: UFO sighting with teleportation/missing time

Avon, CT 1967: robot creature seen on side of the road

Winsted, CT 1967: large UFO accompanied by three alien entities

Winsted, CT 1968: egg-UFO accompanied by a plethora of fish-bowl-headed aliens

Westbrook, CT 1971: UFO spotted with figures inside; reported alongside missing time

Norwalk, CT 1973: woman teleported into UFO, seeing many human-like aliens

Kent, CT 1873: multiple UFO sightings; strange humanoid encounter alongside missing time

Hamden, CT 1976: faceless alien encountered

Hamden, CT 1976: UFO and two aliens spotted

Cheshire, CT 1976: family sees UFO & experiences missing time; claims to be abducted, probed. Continued contact occurs.

Also covered is the 1984 Hudson Valley UFO Sightings (Westchester Boomerang) and the Giant Green Whale of Bantam Lake.

In this adventure, our cryptid guide, Ballyraven, continues to take us throughout Connecticut to learn about more aliens, more UFOs, and what may be causing them...

Transcript

This episode is sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven Patreon⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Constellation Dive Group⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about the Old Saybrook Blockhead, see sources, and transcripts by visiting the ⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven online encyclopedia⁠⁠⁠. Support the show, buy a ⁠⁠⁠OSB print⁠⁠⁠. Want to listen ad-free? Become a Patreon member.

Strange things have flown over the skies of Connecticut. A bizarre alien hovered in front of a teacher's window. And 9 others touched down between 1957 and 1976. In between, and for long after, hundreds of UFOs were spotted in the small state.

In this adventure, our cryptid guide, Ballyraven, will take us to Connecticut to learn about the Old Saybrook Blockhead, cigar-shaped UFOs, and other strange lights seen after dark...

Transcript

This episode is sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven Patreon⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Constellation Dive Group⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about the Old Saybrook Blockhead, see sources, and transcripts by visiting the ⁠⁠⁠Ballyraven online encyclopedia⁠⁠⁠. Support the show, buy a ⁠⁠⁠OSB print⁠⁠⁠. Want to listen ad-free? Become a Patreon member.

It's as big as a human and as angry as the hulk! It will fight anything and bite with two large teeth! It will screech and roar like a train! It's.... a giant beaver? An unlikely fearsome critter, the Mon's Man-Eating Beaver, or "Fangmalia", is a strange, kind of funny cryptid from West Virginia and Pennsylvania that is probably a hoax.

In this adventure, our cryptid guide, Ballyraven, will take us to the Monongahela River, through some research files, and back in time to examine the Pleistocene's extinct giant beavers, Castoroides, as well as its presence in one of Ohio's caves.

Transcript

This episode is sponsored by the ⁠⁠Ballyraven Patreon⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Constellation Dive Group⁠⁠. Learn more about Fangmalia, see sources, and transcripts by visiting the ⁠⁠Ballyraven online encyclopedia⁠⁠. Support the show, buy a ⁠⁠Fangmalia print⁠⁠. Want to listen ad-free? Become a Patreon member.

The Tlanuwa is a mythical bird in Cherokee and Natchez mythology/belief. While it is not a cryptid, its stories and ties to Tennessee have influenced modern cryptozoological tales.

In this episode, our guide, Ballyraven, will explain what a Tlanuwa is and cover three stories about it.

Transcript

This episode is sponsored by the ⁠Ballyraven Patreon⁠ and ⁠Constellation Dive Group⁠. Learn more about the Tlanuwa, see sources, and transcripts by visiting the ⁠Ballyraven online encyclopedia⁠. Support the show, buy a ⁠Tlanuwa print⁠. Want to listen ad-free? Become a Patreon member.