Episode 18: The Lake Ontario Triangle

Can the shipwrecks that plague to eastern end of Lake Ontario be attributed to normal dangers on a lake of that size, or do they speak to something more mysterious? Samantha tackles the maritime history and Aaron the…stranger explanations in this episode on the Lake Ontario Triangle. You might just find that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. 

Time stamps
Intro- 1:06
The Allure of Maritime Mysteries- 2:07
So Many Triangles- 5:13
The Marysburgh Vortex- 8:29
The Quinlan’s Strange Attractions- 13:33
The Bavaria- 18:21
The Picton- 28:43
Midway Break- 36:46
Vanishing Aircraft are More Boring than Vanishing Ships: 39:32
Everything from Lost Cities to Cattle Mutilations- 43:32
UFOs- 46:42
Sam Encounters Commander X for the First Time- 48:00
Explanations (rational and otherwise)- 52:26
Concluding Questions- 59:56

Episode 17: Le Nain Rouge


Does a small red demon roam the streets of Detroit, Michigan? Probably not! In this episode, Samantha and Aaron dive into the story of the Nain Rouge. The creature first appeared in an 1880s tale on the history of Detroit as the foil to Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, and today the creature is taunted and chased out of the city in an annual parade called La Marche du Nain Rouge. Was the story of the Nain Rouge fact? Should we chase the “red devil” out of Detroit? Listen to this episode and find out!

Intro- 00:14
Settling Michigan and the Scoundrel Cadillac- 02:43
The Hamlin Narrative- 07:20
Hamlin’s History- 15:07
Charles Montgomery Skinner- 17:30
Other Appearances- 19:24
Midway Break- 24:04
Lutin- 28:55
Puckwudgies!- 32:00
La Marche du Nain Rouge- 36:00
Stop the Nain Shame!- 38:08
What Do We Do With It All?- 41:25

Further Reading:
Legends of Le Detroit (Overview with link to book)
Detroit Metro Times Article
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
Wayne State University Project
Charles Montgomery Skinner’s Myths and Legends of Our Own Land

Episode 16: The Windigo: From Legend to Pop Culture

The legendary monster of Algonquian lore, the Windigo (or Wendigo), regularly appears in popular culture, but how well is it represented? What is the Windigo? Samantha and Aaron dive into the legend of the Windigo, explore actual Windigo cases, and then put television and comic books to task. Who passes and who fails? What do we lose when the monster is removed from its cultural context? Find out in this week’s episode of Great Lakes Lore!

The Windigo’s MO- 1:39
Cannibalism!- 5:52 
Jack Fiddler the Windigo Hunter- 8:47
The Swift Runner Case- 12:37
The Windigo and Canadian Law- 14:52
L’Espagnol- 17:57
Midway Break- 20:26
Algernon Blackwood- 27:32
Native American Legends in Pop Culture- 29:55
X-Files and the Manitou- 32:56
Hulk Smash Windigo!- 39:02
Charmed- 41:46 
Supernatural- 43:22
Windigo Psychosis- 49:25
Wrap-Up- 53:20

Further Reading

Jack Fiddler

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“Cannibals and Colonizers: An Analysis of the Wendigo in Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine” by Elaine Tousignant from The University of San Francisco

“The Windigo Psychosis: Psychodynamic, Cultural, and Social Factors in Aberrant Behavior” by Thomas H. Hay

“The Windigo in the Material World” by Robert R. Brightman in Ethnohistory 35, no. 4 (1988): 337–79.

Gitchi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade by Timothy Cochrane

Nazare, Joe. “The Horror! The Horror? The Appropriation, and Reclamation, of Native American Mythology.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 11, no. 1 (41) (2000): 24–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43308417.

DeSanti, Brady. Journal of Religion & Popular Culture, Fall 2015, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p186-201

Evans, Catherine L. “Heart of Ice: Indigenous Defendants and Colonial Law in the Canadian North-West.” Law and History Review 36, no. 2 (2018): 199–234. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26564583.

Episode 15: Were There Witches in Whitewater?

America’s “Second Salem,” you say? We’re on it! Aaron and Samantha dive in to explore the legends surrounding the town of Whitewater, Wisconsin. When they got down to the sources did they find evidence of witchcraft, cursed books, murder, and spiritualists? You’ll have to tune in to find out. The pair put their history skillz (yes, with a ‘z’) to the test  in “Were There Witches in Whitewater?”.

Intro- 00:20
Whitewater Background- 02:15
The Legends- 04:29
Morris Pratt- 09:40
Pratt’s Spiritualist Temple- 12:27
Midway Break- 17:58
The Morris Pratt Institute- 23:26
Spiritualism 101- 26:21
Mary Worth- 38:38
Real Murder in Whitewater- 46:13
Wrapping It All Up- 52:45

Further Reading:

National Spiritualist Association of Churches

Whitewater Historical Society

Swedenborg Foundation

Morris Pratt Institute

Episode 14: The Circleville Letter Writer

The mystery of the Circleville, Ohio letters is a tangled web of accusations and threats that Samantha and Aaron attempt to unknot in this week’s episode. They begin by outlining the basic chronology of the strange happenings that began in Circleville in 1972 and then move on to look into the way the story has been shared by news outlets, television shows, and podcasts. Why are we fascinated with true crime? What is it about this mystery, in particular, that has pulled Aaron down a weird dark rabbit hole? Are we all worried someone will find our secrets? 

Timestamps

Introduction- 0:00:40
The First Letters- 0:04:31
Letters Continue (And Signs!)- 0:10:37
Ron’s Death- 0:13:28
More Letters and a Gun (!)- 0:15:16
Midway Break- 0:18:01
Paul Freshour’s Arrest- 0:22:20
Freshour’s Appeal to the FBI- 0:29:43
The Weird Website- 0:34:00
Martin Yant Article (With More Letters!)- 0:36:25
Unsolved Mysteries- 0:40:50
48 Hours- 0:42:22
Whatever Remains Podcast- 0:47:17
Internet Forums and Why We Like True Crime- 0:56:32
United State Postal Inspection Service- 1:03:03
Final Thoughts (Finally!)- 1:05:51

Sources/Further Reading
48 Hours Episode

Strange Circleville Letters Website

Unsolved Mysteries


Episode 13: The Haunting History of Mackinac Island

Some places accumulate stories more readily than others and Mackinac Island is just that place. With thousands of years of history and deep spiritual connections, this 4.3 square mile island is oozing with stories demanding our attention. In this episode, Samantha and Aaron are joined by Claire Herhold, a public historian who spent six seasons working on the island, to dive into this rich and diverse history. We’re positive you’ll find the true history far more interesting than some of the ghost stories folks have made up over the years. 

You can find Claire on Instagram and TikTok @clairherhold!

As you may have seen around our social media, our Patreon is now live! Cheeso Media, which produces Great Lakes Lore and The Saucer Life has launched a Patreon, which will give subscribers additional material for each show, every month! Two shows for the price of one! You can find it at patreon.com/cheesomedia.

Timestamps
Introductions- 0:01:14
A Brief History- 0:04:34
Forts and War- 0:06:50
Natural Landmarks and Legends- 0:26:23
Break- 0:37:37
Mission House Boarding School- 0:39:21
Tourism- 0:46:52
The Drowning Pool- 1:00:35
Magdalaine LaFramboise- 1:07:17
The Problem with (some) Ghost Stories- 1:11:05
Postscript- 1:26:42

Further Reading
Mackinac State Historic Parks
Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
Grand Hotel History
On Boarding Schools

Episode 12: Mystery Airships

Aaron and Samantha travel back to the nineteenth century to explore the mystery airships that were spotted throughout the country in 1896/97. What started as a trio of lights above Sacramento, California, grew to reported sightings of actual ships that moved from the west coast to the Great Plains and into the Great Lakes States. Samantha and Aaron look at various sightings, possible explanations, and touch on the history of aviation. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s a wild ride.

Time Stamps
The Gilded Age- 1:10
California-8:25
Wisconsin- 12:34
Midway Break- 22:08
Michigan- 29:35
Lanark, Illinois- 39:10
Aurora, Texas- 49:42
The History of Aviation- 53:30
Wrap-Up and Outro- 56:30

Episode 11: Monsters on the Christmas tree

Samantha and Aaron got wrapped up in the bustle of December and showed up to record without any material. Luckily, Aaron recorded the first Great Lakes Lore Holiday Party where the pair shared stories about interesting monster sightings and legends from around the Great Lakes. Tune in and have a happy holiday season!

Intro- 0:00
The Monroe Monster- 6:08
The Ogre of Seney- 14:02
Oscar the Beast of Busco- 20:48
Legend or Lie- 29:13
Michigan Merman- 31:14
Floating Humanoid- 39:35
The Loveland Frogman- 42:44

Further Reading
Michigan Merman
https://pinebarrensinstitute.com/cryptids/2020/11/2/folklore-profile-the-lake-superior-god-of-the-waters-aka-the-great-lakes-merman

Loveland Frogman
http://www.weirdus.com/states/ohio/bizarre_beasts/loveland_frogman/index.php
https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/loveland-community/officer-who-shot-loveland-frogman-in-1972-says-story-is-a-hoax
http://moellercrusader.org/arts-and-entertainment/2020/11/5/the-loveland-frogman-is-back-beware