Shipwrecks, Monsters, and Mysteries of the Great Lakes

by Ed Butts

In 1679, a French ship called the Griffon left Green Bay on Lake Michigan, bound for Niagara with a cargo of furs. Neither the Griffon nor the five-man crew was ever seen again. Though the Griffon’s fate remains a mystery, its disappearance was probably the result of the first shipwreck on a Great Lake.Since then, more than six thousand vessels, large and small, have met tragic ends on the Great Lakes. For many years, saltwater mariners scoffed at the freshwater sailors of the Great Lakes, “puddles” compared to the vast oceans. But those who actually worked on the Great Lakes ships knew differently.Shoals and reefs, uncharted rocks, and sandbars could snare a ship or rip open a hull. Unpredictable winds could capsize a vessel at any moment. A ship caught in a storm had much less room to maneuver than did one at sea. The wreckage of ships and the bones of the people who sail them litter the bottoms of the five Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Ed Butts has gathered stories and lake lore in this fascinating, frightening volume. For anyone living on the shores of the Great Lakes, these tales will inspire a new interest and respect for their storied past.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Maritime, Mystery, Historical, Canada

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2011

About the author

Tundra author Ed Butts is a writer and editor with a special interest in Canadian history. He lived for several years in the Dominican Republic, where he taught English and social studies and wrote regularly for local magazines. He has published several books of fiction and non-fiction and has written for numerous publications in Canada and the United States. Ed Butts lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Reviews

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short, well-written, well-researched, and interesting book about mysterious happenings on the Great Lakes. Quotes from observors also add to the credibility. The writer states that sailors are generally supersitious and like to tell tales, so others are quoted too.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly entertaining little book about some of the mysteries and shipwrecks on the Great Lakes located between Canada and the United States. These lakes are the scene of many deadly storms and many ships have been lost in these treacherous waters. Mr. Butts has 8 or 10 little vignettes about some of these losses from as early as 1804 to the puzzling loss of the big Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. Some of these ships just seemed to disappear and no flotsam was ever found. I found the book extremely entertaining to read and enjoyed it very much. I love books about the aquatic mysteries, and this little book is full of them.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

AZ saw "monsters" in the title and had to check it out, but it's above her level. I'm thoroughly enjoying it though. Quick chapters and very creepy! I preferred the human stories - the Loch Ness-esque stories were kinda boring.

One huge flaw-no map?!! Come ON, dude!

[Julie Feher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would reccomend 10+ for this one. Lots of carnage.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit juvenile for me; I want more detail than this. My littler brothers might like it.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for anyone who loves reading about real-life mysteries, monsters, and superstitions.

[Michael Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight but interesting stories of shipwrecks and perils on the Great Lakes. One forgets that before railroads and highways, the lakes and rivers were the major means of transporting goods as well as people. The Great Lakes are far more treacherous than most people realize, and sudden squalls and unmarked terrain caused many a ship to go down. These are some of the better known, like the Edmund Fitzgerald (cue Gordon Lightfoot). Plus who knew we have our own sea monsters, like Bessie of Lake Erie? This book could have benefited from some maps and some copy editing.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It is fascinating and well written.
My husband and I spent time on, and around, Lake Huron (Ontario side) last weekend. Enjoying the stunning natural beauty and historic lighthouses of the area, piqued my interest in the Great Lakes' history and so much more. We also had the opportunity to see glimpses of two very old shipwrecks.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little surprised that neither the Niagara Scow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara...) or the Grande Hermine replica (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/g...) were included, especially since both can actually be seen from land…

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed this really quickly for a challenge that ended in September that I had forgotten to find a book for. Didn't really realize that half of the book consisted of stories of sightings of lake monsters. LOL meh

[Aurel Mihai · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun read, but the stories could be more fleshed out and the part with the lake monsters is just a laundry list of sightings.

[Wendy Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not long

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good compilation of all the reports from historical journals. Puts them all in one place to read.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining & interesting read! I've lived near Lake Erie most of my life & hadn't known about Bessie til recently. Very engaging storyteller.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but very good.

[Erika Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but interesting read.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little compilation of different shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, plus some light supernatural/cryptid type stuff. The sections about lake monsters makes me laugh because like, none of the sightings are consistent, but the author was like, "I mean, it could be a huge water serpent that has left no biological traces in all the years people have claimed to have seen it."
I would loved more detail in some of the shipwreck cases, but seeing as it's an 88 page book, I'm not surprised it's so brief.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:

✱ Door County Tales: Shipwrecks, Cherries and Goats on the Roof

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a change of pace I enjoy books of short stories or bits of history. This is such a book.
the title speaks for itself.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, with very well-chosen, well-told stories, but far too short and not nearly enough lake monsters.

[Theophilus (Theo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely interesting. Growing up on the shore of Lake Michigan I never knew there were so many legends associated with the Great Lakes.

[Bookwoman67 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of amateurish. Good subjects though (except the "lake monsters" part).