"I didn't go down there with the expectation of seeing a shipwreck I can tell you that," Dykstra told Live Science. Despite photos from several underwater dives, it's still unclear whether the wreck is the 1679 French Griffin. Unless the Legislature acts, local taxpayers would then be saddled with those expenses. On September 18, 1679, the bark Griffon was sent back toward Fort Frontenac (a French trading post and military fort at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario). After launching, it sailed the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, onward to Lake Erie, then by way of the St. Clair River to Lake Huron and northward to St. Ignace, the Straits of Mackinac and, finally, Lake Michigan. They made their way north and west to Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron where they were becalmed until noon of 25 August. Libert said some theories are supposed to explain what happened to the vessel. MARIE, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS. Michel L'Hour, a French government archaeologist who's been called 'Indiana Jones in a diving suit', took part in the excavation and theorised that the rest of the ship was nearby.
What's Happening in Northern Michigan: Oryana Cooking Class, Le Griffon Shipwreck explorers Jim Kennard, Roger Pawlowski and A group of maritime history enthusiasts have the announced the discovery of the schooners Peshtigo and St. Andrews, lost in 1878 in northern Lake Michigan. The fate of the Le Griffon offers many intriguing mysteries to those interested in shipwrecks, most notably the fact that the ship's discovery has not been confirmed. In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salles ships. Countless shipwrecks sit beneath the ocean and stranded on land around the world.
Archaeology breakthrough as 'cursed' shipwreck discovered after 350 Majestic, strong, and imbued with magic, the griffin is a common heraldic symbol which joins the lion's valor with the eagle's elegance. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque.
Griffin | Facts, Pictures & Characteristics | Mythical Creatures La Belle was the ship of French explorer La Salle, lost at Matagorda Bay in 1686. In the Spring of 2021, veteran shipwreck hunters Joe Van Wagnen and Mark Gammage located the remains of the passenger/freight Propeller Challenge in northern Lake Huron. CNS correspondents cover all aspects of Michigan state government. She was found by an aircraft belonging to the US Navy on 14th November 1975.
'Cursed' ship found 340 years after vanishing, experts claim as wreck It would be busted up, she said. Baillod said he is "99 percent sure" that the wreck is not that of the Griffon.
Charlevoix couple offers theory on mysterious 1679 shipwreck On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Maritime historians best guess, she says, is that it sank between Beaver Island and the southern coast of the Upper Peninsula, possibly within sight of shore between what are now Manistique and Naubinway. Read Also:Titanic Artifacts Found, New Discovery Mission "Like Opening a Treasure Box". [Shipwrecks Gallery: Secrets of the Deep]. We have been on the hunt for over 40 years systematically ferreting out the locations of this widely scattered wreck, he says, referring to his wife Kathie and himself. On the evening of 10th November 1975, Edmund Fitzgerald sank around 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. Cathy Green, the executive director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, is also skeptical, calling it highly unlikely that its the Griffon and nearly impossible to definitively know because of the centuries of damage to shallow water wrecks from ice, storms and rising and falling lake levels. Mr Libert then spent two years sifting through satellite imagery before he made a breakthrough. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon. There the crew ignored a warning from local Native Americans not to sail into the lake from the safe harbor at Washington Island because of high wind danger from a massive storm. 1. [19][20] Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on 9 June 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity. For the second time, they used a dozen men and ropes to tow Le Griffon over the rapids of the St. Clair River into lower Lake Huron. (Wikipedia) The age could have proved if the plank came. For Mr Libert, it's the realisation of a childhood dream, sparked by a history teacher who told him about the ship. Original article on Live Science. Its true fate remains a mystery, though it's commonly believed that the ship may have foundered in a storm or been scuttled by a mutinous crew. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. WWII German shipwreck found in Black Sea Airborne laser reveals hidden city in Cambodia The ship, commanded by the French explorer La Salle, was never seen again after setting sail in September. New York, Originally searching for lost gold, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe believe to have foundwhat more than 20 explorersclaim to be the first shipwreck ever to sail Lake Michigan. I was mesmerized by what he was saying. One of the most intriguing is that the wreckage of the Griffon may have been found nearly 100 years ago but went unrecognized. [1][2], Hennepin's first account says she was a vessel of about 45 tons; his second says 60 tons. The cargo of furs, estimated at up to $12,000 in value nearly $900,000 (640,000) in today's money likely went to the depths with her. The captain lost control of the ship as strong winds blew it away from shore, southward, toward islands in the distance. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. This was a "great bark" (Hennepin's words) of about 20 tons burden[8] although Tonti's journal says this was a 40-ton vessel. But Libert says, Many people believe I continue to cry wolf and contact the press every time we find a wreck claiming them to be the Griffon. [6] Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. Joe Porter, publisher for Wreck Diving Magazine, has penned articles on famous ship wrecks including the Titanic, but saidthe Griffon is the most fascinating. Negotiations with the Senecas were only moderately successful, so when they left the village they still wondered if the natives would permit them to finish their project. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. The wind did slightly decrease but they drifted slowly all night, unable to find anchorage or shelter. Steve Libert, from the Great Lakes Exploration Group, said he is 99.9% certain . Order from www.seawolfcommunications.com or call them at 630-293-8996. by Anonymous -
He learned to dive, and the quest was on. La Salle decided to stay behind with four canoes to explore the head of Lake Michigan. It would be awesome if true, she says, a story shed love the museum to be able to tell visitors, with the aura of amateur treasure-hunting and Indiana Jones. Father Hennepin wrote that during the fearful crisis of the storm, La Salle vowed that if God would deliver them, the first chapel erected in Louisiana would be dedicated to the memory of Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron of the sailor. ", 'Fifty-one years later, I am still intrigued by this story.'. I'm a vet, and here are five dog breeds most prone to cancer - including Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, Prince Andrew chuckles as he encounters female jogger on way to his weekly Windsor horse-riding trip. The nonprofit was created in 1997 and remains the longest running film festival in Michigan. She says American marine archaeologists concluded that what Libert claims is the bowsprit was beyond a doubt part of a Native American fishing trap. Now shipwreck hunters Steve and Kathie Libert say they have found the infamous vessel, which was the first to sail the Great Lakes beyond Niagara Falls. His conclusion: The remains of the ship Le Griffon in French sank in shallow water in the Huron Islands of northern Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the loss of all the crew members aboard. The traders had collected 12,000 pounds (5,400kg) of furs in anticipation of the arrival of Le Griffon. Newsroom Calendar They were concerned for their safety in as much that they tried to burn the ship during construction. But, the Liberts say her final resting place is near the Huron Islands in Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay.
More than 5,000 ship wrecks are scattered throughout the Great Lakes, and Porter said the Le Griffon is the most precious one. Carbon dating of the bowsprit places suggests an age range within a year of the sinking. La Salle was convinced that the captain and his crew had staged a coup, destroyed the ship, and seized all of the furs on the boat. Decking, permanent masts, and bearing a name are a few of the criteria one might use. [4], Le Griffon may or may not be considered the first ship on the Great Lakes, depending on what factors one deems necessary to qualify a vessel for that designation. Cris Kohl and wife Joan Forsberg have conducted over 20 years of research in order to write their new book The Wreck of the Griffon, the explorer La Salles ship that disappeared in 1679 on its return voyage from Lake Michigan. Pictured: Images of the 2018 dive on a wreck found in 2018 near Poverty Island, Lake Michigan. All rights reserved. THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. The Griffon was the first ship ever to sail the Great Lakes, originally built to haul furs from the Green Bay area to Detroit. Copyright 2023 HNGN. Capital News Services articles may be reprinted exclusively by subscribing media organizations. The Holy Grail of Great Lakes shipwrecks is Le Griffon, the first European-style ship built by explorer Robert De La Salle that is believed to have sank in Lake Michigan in a storm in 1679.. ', He continued: 'Both the Seneca and Iroquois felt threatened by the construction and sight of Le Griffon, and felt that it was a threat to the 'Great Spirit. Its discovery is credited to wreck hunters Stevie and Kathie Libert for the record. $19.95 plus $3 S&H. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to an island (either Washington Island or Rock Island)[1] located at the entrance of Green Bay. She also reports on general science, including archaeology and paleontology. Alternatively, another . The Mysterious Shipwreck of Le Griffon | Expedition Unknown 17,600 views May 8, 2019 The Griffon, a ship built by famed explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sailed out of Lake. "[5] J. C. Mills [4] quotes a letter from La Salle to the Minister of Marine that says, "The fort at Cataraqui (Fort Frontenac) with the aid of a vessel now building, will command Lake Ontario"[4] While no date is given for the letter, the location of Mill's reference to it suggests that it was sent before 1677, perhaps as early as 1675. It is now believed to be the famous ship, The Griffin, which disappeared on its maiden voyage in 1679, has been called the 'holy grail' for shipwreck hunters probing North America's Great Lakes. To skeptics who doubt Liberts identification of the wreckage, he responds, The clues are there., Van Heest says the books account of the expedition from the Niagara River to Lake Michigan has the facts down, but once we get to the story of the supposed bowsprit it all falls apart because its not a bowsprit.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Some say Le Griffon was named for Count Frontenac whose coat of arms was ornamented with the mythical griffin. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Le Griffon may have been found by the Great Lakes Exploration Group but the potential remains were the subject of lawsuits involving the discoverers, the state of Michigan, the U.S. federal government, and the Government of France. Dan Scoville, Jim Kennard, Craig Hampton, and Roland Stevens located the steamer thirty miles east of Fair Haven, New York - The Canadian schooner Royal Albert has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario near Fair Haven, NY. Marie. While diving in Lake Michigan, two men stumbled upon a shipwreck they think is a 1676 French ship named 'Le Griffon,' or The Griffin. At the time, no other wreckage was found, but scientists noted other wreckage may not be far away.[16][17]. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. On its way back to Niagara from Green Bay, the Griffon disappeared with its entire crew and valuable cargo of furs commencing the centuries-long quest to discover its fate. One candidate is a wreck at the western end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, with another wreck near Escanaba, Michigan, also proposed. Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was, in fact, a tugboat due to its 90-foot (27m) length and presence of a steam boiler. [4] They entered Lake St. Clair on 12 August, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named the lake after her. An explorer claims to have found the long lost French ship Le Griffon at the bottom of Lake Michigan. [9][pageneeded] They wished to secure a reliable truce lest the natives interfere with their projects. Le Griffon, 17th-century sailing ship built by Robert de La Salle may have been found in Lake Michigan 335 years after it disappeared. There the crew ignored a warning from local Native Americans not to sail into the lake from the safe harbor at Washington Island because of high wind danger from a massive storm. They added that a bowsprit was found close by in 2001, assuming it is another part that broke off from the ship. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? [4] While work continued on Le Griffon in the spring of 1679 as soon as the ice began to break up along the shores of Lake Erie, La Salle sent out men from Fort Frontenac in 15 canoes laden with supplies and merchandise to trade with the Illinois for furs at the trading posts of the upper Huron and Michigan Lakes. They were driven northwesterly until the evening of 27 August when under a light southerly breeze they finally rounded Bois Blanc Island and anchored in the calm waters of the natural harbor at East Moran Bay off the settlement of Mission St. Ignace, where there was a settlement of Hurons, Ottawas, and a few Frenchmen. Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Public Service Announcement, do NOT watch these ads! As the eagle was considered the 'king of the birds', and the lion the 'king of the beasts', the griffin was perceived as a powerful and majestic creature. A ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries. These social birds live in vulture colonies. The ship landed on an island in Lake Michigan where the local tribes had gathered with animal pelts to trade with the French. They were open vessels (no deck) made of wood measuring up to about 35 feet (11m) long and capable of carrying three or four tons of cargo. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. myth bird lion hippogriff griffin, also spelled griffon or gryphon, composite mythological creature with a lion's body (winged or wingless) and a bird's head, usually that of an eagle. Shipwrecks are found either beached on land or sunken to the seabed of a body of water. Libert says the evidence hes amassed pinpoints where the wreckage of the 40- to 45-ton ship now rests: in shallow water near Poverty Island and Summer Island. [18] Steve and Kathie Libert have since published a book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands - 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery (Mission Point Press, 2021). Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. 'Some say that the native Indians boarded the ship and killed the crew. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan -- Steven J. Libert had been looking for the ship, Le Griffon, for 42 years. Where to Find the Griffon Vulture. A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. Some say La Salle made multiple trips, especially after the spring thaw. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Griffin sank to the murky depths of. The Liberts' book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, is available via Amazon for 24.69. Join the discussion, Playing Nov. 3-10: East Lansing Film Festivals silver anniversary. It dragged anchor and ran aground near Thirty Mile Point on Lake Ontario, where it broke apart. Local shipwreck explorer Valerie van Heest spent a week on Manitoulin Island in August of 2018 searching for Le Griffon. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [8], Progress on Le Griffon was fraught with problems. La Salle sent Tonti ahead on 22 July 1679 with a few selected men, canoes, and trading goods to secure furs and supplies. Some sources confuse the two vessels.
Le Griffon - Wikipedia Addressing his problems long delayed his return to the expedition. The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. Le Griffon mysteriously went missing in 1679 and no one knows what happened between the time it was last seen until it was discovered three years ago, Libert said. 'La Salle was certain that the captain and his men committed mutiny, sank the ship and absconded with all the furs. In this article, the word "ship" is used in its broader sense, not in the technical sense of referring to a vessel with three or more masts rigged with square sails. "They lost the ship from sight," Baillod said, "and that's the last anybody has ever seen the Griffin.". Now, treasure hunters who. [notes 6][pageneeded], After La Salle's departure, Tonti refloated the little brigantine, and attempted to use it for more salvage work at the wreck, but the winter weather prevented success. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Le_Griffon&oldid=1121719205, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2015, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Disappeared on the return trip of her maiden voyage in 1679, This page was last edited on 13 November 2022, at 19:58. University Hospitals receives $10 million donation from Ahuja family to support community health center, reach underserved populations, Rousing The Choir of Man makes it a memorable reopening night at Playhouse Square, RTA receives no workable proposals for new railcars, will start search over, Paddleboards and kayaks suddenly in high demand amid supply chain shortage, Cleveland resident accused of starting fire at REBol during downtown riots May 30. The first full-size cargo ship to sail the inner Great Lakes, Le Griffon was built by explorer Robert de La Salle in 1679. The two men did not bring up the nail on purpose, and they plan to return it to the state, said Dean Anderson, the state archaeologist for Michigan. Le Griffon is considered by some to be the "holy grail of Great Lakes Shipwrecks" largely because it was the first sailing ship to cruise the Great Lakes. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. LOCAL COURT FUNDING: A quarter of local trial court funding is set to expire in 2024 or even earlier if the state Supreme Court says judges cant continue to impose costs on convicted criminal defendants. However, 36 years later in 1911, the Rosabelle was found again overturned and floating with no sign of any . The divers who discovered the wreck believe it to be the Griffin, an exploration ship laden with furs, cannon, muskets and shipyard supplies that went down in a storm in 1679 in Lake Michigan, on . They also found a part of the ship that they said could be a mussel-covered griffin, the mythical beast carved onto the ship's bow. Dykstra said he took photos of old cannons, a sword, and the griffin sculpture, evidence he says reveals the wreck and itsmissing secrets. 3 Griffon Vulture Amazing Facts. Le Griffon (French pronunciation:[l if], The Griffin) was a sailing vessel built by Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. Justin Windsor notes that Count Frontenac by 1 August 1673, "had already ordered the construction of a vessel on Ontario to be used as an auxiliary force to Fort Frontenac. By Jack Timothy Harrison. Le Griffon mysteriously went missing in 1679 and no one knows what happened between the time it was last seen until it was discovered three years ago, Libert said. The book's title, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679 , indicates the importance the couple places on understanding the location of the Huron Islands in their search. Great Lakes Exploration Group is not connected to this story or Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe.
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