Historic Cryptid Headline: April 26, 1842 - A Lake Monster
The Southport Telegraph
April 26, 1842
“A Lake Monster.’”
A few days ago as two boys named McConnel were playing on the lake shore near Gull Point, they discovered from behind a thicket a huge serpent which they described to be about the thickness of a man’s body, and with a head proportionably large and very glossy, the eyes about the size of a horse’s and very bright. They ran home and told their father what they had seen, who having no gun, sent for Mr. John Church with his rifle, and they were conducted by the boys to the spot. There they discovered him basking in the sun, his head almost four feet out of the water. They judged him to be about 30 or 40 feet long, a dark brown color and a broad ring about his neck varying in hue from the rest of his body.
Mr. Church alarmed him in endeavoring to get a favorable position for a shot, and he put out into deep water, but soon returned, and they followed him from Gull Point to the light house, a distance of two miles, where he finally disappeared.
We have the truth of this from undoubted sources, and we further learn that such a monster has been frequently seen by the people along the lake shore.
Prince Edward Gazette.
“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800s-1900s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.
-The Pine Barrens Institute
The Minneapolis Journal
August 7, 1906
“Lake Ada Has A ‘Sarpint.’”
Mysterious Creature Seen on the Water by Pine River Men.
The Salt Lake Herald
March 25, 1899
“SEA SERPENT STORY.”
Two-Headed Hairy Monster That Weighed Seventy Tons.
The Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat
November 1, 1919
“SEA SERPENT IN LAKE KEOKUK.”
Fort Madison Citizens Insist That They Have Watched Monster Swimming Around and That It Is a Hard Looker.
The Evening World
September 18, 1922
“60-FT. MONSTERS RAID FISHERIES.”
Fishermen Scared Away After Narrow Escapes.
ST. JOHN’S, N.F., Sept. 18.
The Midland Journal
March 11, 1887
“The Wild Man Of Ohio.”
A Curious Creature Seen Among The Hills of Holmes County.
Wauwatosa News
September 17, 1909
“Fish With GooGoo Eyes.”
Same Being About the Size of Locomotive Headlights.
Iowa County Democrat
June 6, 1879
“The Lake Champlain Serpent.”
A Resident of Maquam Sees and Describes Him Minutely.
The Eagle
August 21, 1895
“VIRGINIA’S SWELLING TOAD.”
A Queer Batrachian That Strongly Resembles a Fish.
The Essex County Herald
August 22, 1879
“The Sea-Serpent’s Rival.”
A Reptile Thirty Feet Long and Probably Fifty Years Old - A Story Western Newspaper Readers are Asked to Believe.
Mineral Point Tribune
June 21, 1883
“Ohio Monster.”
A Beast or Reptile Which Startles the Good people of Ohio.
The Superior Times
August 11, 1906
“Snake Milked The Old Brindle Cow.”
Farmer Finally Discovers Mysterious Thief.
First Laid To Witchcraft.
But Finally Bossy and the Reptile Were Found Meeting by Appointment and Now the Latter Is No More.
Northern Wisconsin Advertiser
July 12, 1900
“Monster With Many Horns. Tall Story from Wisconsin”
The Logan Republican
September 18, 1907
“Bear Lake Monster Appears.”
Leviathan Comes from Lake and Devours Horse While Men Shoot At It.
The Saint Paul Daily Globe
September 30, 1890
“Bitten By A Vinegar Rone.”
Deadly Effect of a Sting of an Almost Unknown Creature.
The High Point Review
January 8, 1914
“Unknown To Science”
Strange Animals Believed To Exist In Africa.
Particulars Have Not Been Made Public, But Professors Of Natural History Are Inclined To Credit The Report.
The Washington Times
September 7, 1920
“Bather Fights Octopus With Knife As Weapon!”
Delaware Life Guard, Enveloped By Score Of Tentacles, Cuts His Way To Freedom.
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tags / historical headlines, lake monster, gull point, canada, wisconsin, ontario
Richmond Indiana Palladium
August 11, 1838
“The Devil’s Lake.”