Great Lakes Lore

Episode Notes In this special episode, Samantha and Aaron take a look back at the first year of Great Lakes Lore. What were their favorite episodes? What have they learned? What would they change? Then, they're joined by Adam Sayne and Serfiel Stevenson of the Conspirinormal podcast for a preview of the upcoming Strange Realities Conference. The conference takes place October 14-16 in Nashville, Tennessee with an online streaming option and features Samatha and Aaron presenting on Friday evening. Get more information and secure tickets at strangerealitiesconference.com!  Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes What caused a series of Norwegians to move to a small town in Indiana, never to be seen again? In this episode, Samantha and Aaron explore the murders of Belle Gunness in La Porte, Indiana and the mystery surrounding her own death. Often referred to as a female Bluebeard (which Samantha takes issue with), the pair dive into the tale of this famous serial killer and discuss a variety of issues dealing with memory, gender dynamics, and mental health.  Intro- 0:21 Who was Belle?-  2:24 Her First Husband- 5:50 A Second Marriage- 10:05 Mail Order Men- 16:00 The Farm is On Fire- 31:32 But Whose Body Is It?- 36:34 Identity Crisis- 43:33 Picnic at the Crime Scene- 47:25 Ghosts on the Farm- 50:07 Female Serial Killers- 51:49 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes This week, Samantha and Aaron begin their exploration of the bigfoot phenomenon! After laying a solid framework, featuring discussions on the nature of bigfoot and a history of bigfoot in the 20th/21st centuries, they look at Bigfoot sightings in Michigan. They share audio clips, discuss video sightings, and talk about stick formations left in the woods. Join Samantha and Aaron for this first (yes there will be more) adventure with everyone's favorite cryptid. ABBA- 0:32 Meeting Bigfoot- 4:46 Flesh and Blood Creature- 9:51 Wide Open Spaces- 13:13 Supernatural Bigfoot- 19:26 Patterson Gimlin Film- 25:35 BFRO- 30:44 Finding Bigfoot- 35:35 Midway Break- 38:17 Vocalizations- 41:19 Sightings- 53:43 Rock Throwing and A Bit of Woo- 58:50 Stick Formations- 1:05:07 Criticisms and Pranks- 1:08:00 Wrap-Up- 1:14:51 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Screams could be heard throughout the town of Earling, Iowa in 1928. It was there, in a Franciscan Convent, that Father Theophilus Riesinger conducted a series of exorcisms on Anna Ecklund…or what is Emma Schmidt? Samantha and Aaron dive into the mysterious and troubling world of demonic possession with the story of Wisconsin natives Anna Ecklund and Father Riesinger. With a topic this complex, Samantha and Aaron make sure to provide a lot of background information on the practice and history of exorcisms, as well as a look at the practice in pop culture. Although Aaron didn't approve of Samantha's working title, Fun with Satan, they hope you enjoy this trek into the demonic dark side.  Intro: Am I an Adult?- 1:02 The History of Exorcisms- 5:30 Rituale Romanum- 12:22 Introducing the Case- 17:33 The Exorcism Gets Going (And Gross)- 22:01 Midway Break- 33:05 Visions and Prophecy-37:49 Exorcisms Today- 44:00  Pop Culture and Wrap-Up- 51:38 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes In the 1890s, James Scotford discovered a series of ancient artifacts in Michigan's Montcalm County that could cause a reevaluation of the way human history was understood…if they were authentic. Join Aaron and Samantha as they share the saga of the Michigan relics. From the Hopewell Indians to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this episode brings together archaeology, fraud, museums, and a touch of Indiana Jones (minus the Nazis). Check out our website post on this episode for pictures and further reading! Big Themes- 3:04 The Initial Discovery- 12:50 Early Debate- 13:40 Daniel Soper- 19:03 Tools and Tempered Copper- 23:14 Midway Break- 26:29 Confirming the Book of Mormon- 32:46 James Tallmadge- 36:33 Finding the Answers- 41:02 Why Should We Care?- 48:16 Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Is there a group of small humanoids with bulbous heads living in the woods near Saugatuck, Michigan…and Cleveland, Ohio…and Newtown, Connecticut? Aaron and Samantha have a theory, so join our hosts as they investigate doctors without first names, buildings that may or may not have existed, and speak to the evils of turning those with medical conditions into monsters. Aaron and Sam get a bit angry this time.  Intro- 2:50 Michigan Melon Heads Overview- 4:22 The Felt Mansion and Junction Insane Asylum- 8:31 A Few More Issues- 12:15 Midway Break- 16:45 Melon Heads in Ohio- 30:40 And Now Connecticut…Really?- 43:25 Closing Thoughts and Lots of Concerns- 49:44 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes This time on Great Lakes Lore, Samantha and Aaron tackle their first modern UFO case. They'll introduce the broader topic of UFO sightings and the government response to them in the 1950s and 1960s and then dive into looking at the 1966 wave of sightings in southeast Michigan that garnered national attention and led, eventually, to huge changes in how the US military dealt with UFOs. Read J. Allen Hynek's final Blue Book Report on the sighting here! A UFO Primer- 3:45 Sightings and Reporting- 9:51 NICAP and the Robertson Panel- 13:05 Project Blue Book and J. Allen Hynek- 15:22 The Dexter and Hillsdale Sightings- 22:09 Midway Break- 34:38 The Investigation- 39:17 The Findings- 45:26 The Reaction- 49:30 The Consequences- 52:43 Questions and Wrapping Up- 55:57 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Club? Professional networking opportunity? Secret society? In Gilded-Age Chicago, the Whitechapel Club was a little bit of all of these. Join Samantha and Aaron as they explore the origins, activities, and membership of this macabre circle of journalists. Along the way, enjoy a story from a belly dancer, phrenology, and a ritualistic funeral pyre on the shores of Lake Michigan. Introduction: Secret Societies- 1:11 Club Life in the Gilded Age- 6:40 Establishing the Whitechapel Club- 11:00 Club Activities- 14:14 Mid-way Break- 25:07 The End of the Whitechapel Club- 31:56 Who was a Member?- 34:18 The Funeral Pyre- 37:52 Professionalization, Phrenology, the Morbid, and the Occult- 42:42 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes What happens when a bloody torso is found in a small Michigan church in 1909? With no immediate identification of the body, no apparent motive for the crime, and mysterious rumors in town, investigators threw out numerous hypotheses and put out BOLOs in surrounding states and Canada. And, while this crime does end with a confession, the reasons for it are still a mystery. Check out this week's episode to hear Samantha and Aaron share the story of the Rattle Run Murder and come up with a few hypotheses of their own! Time Stamps: A Body in the Church!- 2:38 Suspicions Arise- 7:17 A Blood Sacrifice- 14:43 But Where's the Reverend?- 18:14 Midway Break- 21:46 A Letter from John Elder- 27:14 Newspaper Reactions- 32:55 Possible Motives- 35:37 Sam and Aaron Hot Takes- 41:58 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Haunted histories can be fun and they can allow people to explore actual history along with deeper metaphysical questions. But where is the line between haunted history and haunted attraction? In this episode Samanth and Aaron dive into the stories of two haunted locations in St. Paul, Minnesota that have connections to Prohibition and, perhaps, gangster ghosts. Perhaps? Maybe?  Timestamps: Intro- 2:14 What's the deal with Prohibition?- 3:34 The Wabasha Street Caves- 12:30 Mid-way Break- 35:32 The Schmidt Brewery- 43:17 Why do Gangsters Intrigue us?- 52:11 Ghost Tourism, History Tourism, Dark Tourism- 54:45 The boundaries between history and legend- 55:57 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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- 43:24 UFOs- 46:42 Sam Encounters Commander X for the First Time- 48:00 Explanations (rational and otherwise)- 52:26 Concluding Questions- 59:56 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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 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. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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 National Spiritualist Association of Churches: https://nsac.org/ Swedenborg Foundation: https://swedenborg.com/ Whitewater Historical Society: https://www.whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org/ Morris Pratt Institute: http://www.morrispratt.org/ Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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?  Time Stamps 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 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Last week's episode was a long one, so here's the "book club" segment we didn't have time for. Join Sam and Aaron as they discussed, over lunch, the books they're currently reading and veer into a more general conversation about reading habits. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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. 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 Mackinacstatehistoricparks.com Mackinacisland.org Grand Hotel History On Boarding Schools Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon! Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes 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 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes Samantha and Aaron did a livestream last week to preview the next run of Great Lakes Lore episodes. If you missed it, we've got you covered with this audio version. Great Lakes Lore returns on January 17 with Mystery Airships! Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes 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 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes Maritime disasters, adolescent fascination with the paranormal, the importance of citations, regional variations in precipitation terms, and more! Join Samantha and Aaron as they respond to listener comments on The Witches' Castle of Utica. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

In this episode, Samantha and Aaron take listeners on a wild ride from the middle ages to the 1990s, trying to get to the bottom of the legend behind the stone ruins along the Ohio River in Utica, Indiana. In the end, Samantha and Aaron come up with their own theory about the Witches' Castle of Utica. Time Stamps History of Utica- 3:06 Witch Legends- 6:40 Sharer Murder- 13:40 Legend or Lie- 24:51 Some Real History- 28:25 Newspaper and Internet Sources- 32:50 Prince Madoc- 44:38 Wrapping It Up- 49:50 Links The Accidental Spook on the Witches' Castle More on the Witch Legends More on Madoc Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook and Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes Sam and Aaron return to address your questions and comments about their two most recent episodes on wolf lore and the Michigan Dogman. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook and Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes In this week's episode Samantha and Aaron dive into the legend and various sightings of Michigan's Dogman. This state's canid creature warrants treatment outside apart from other dog creature sightings, thanks to the song from a local DJ and the Gable film. Tune in as they discuss these things, as well as things the dogman is not and the importance of thorough research methods. Tune in and enjoy the discussion. Time Stamps: Introduction- 00:57 “The Song”- 5:19 What Dogman Isn't- 08:20 Sightings- 16:26 Legend or Lie- 26:58 More Sightings- 31:30 North American Dogman Project- 41:05 The Gable Film- 51:22 Final Thoughts- 57:34 Sources and Links The Michigan Dogman by Linda Godfrey North American Dogman Project Gable Film The Legend Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook and Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes The legends of Dogmen and wolf beings loom large in the worlds of cryptozoology and the paranormal. In this episode, as a prelude to an exploration of the Dogman mythos, Samantha and Aaron dive into the historical lore of wolves, comparing European and Native American perceptions of wolves, manifestations of wolves in popular culture, and discussing why they are a good subject for supernatural tales. Sources Culture, prophecy bind Ojibwe people and wolves (Northern Wilds) When the Beast of Gévaudan Terrorized France (Smithsonian) Of Wolves and Men by Barry Holstun Lopez Vicious: Wolves and Men in America by Jon T. Coleman Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook and Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes Happy Halloween! Samantha and Aaron are celebrating by answering a whole bunch of YOUR questions about Halloween and general spooky stuff! Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and be sure to come back tomorrow for the first part of our exploration of Dogman lore. The Bobby Pickett Monster Mash video Sam refers to is here! Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook and Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore

Episode Notes Today, we address listener questions and comments from our recent episode, The Paranormal is Personal. Next week, it's the beginning of our exploration of the "Dogman" mythos. And be sure to catch our special Halloween Question and Answer session on October 31! Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes In this episode, Samantha and Aaron step back from examining actual pieces of lore in order to share their own personal paranormal experiences. They examine the reasons why eye-witness testimonies of supernatural phenomena need to be handled with care, the ways their own experiences influence the way they interpret those from others, and how their training as historians has prepared them to analyze sources. Time Stamps History of Paranormal Research- 2:20 Analyzing Sources- 13:46 Personal Stories- 15:55 Legend or Lie- 39:47 Interpreting the Paranormal- 44:06 The Desire to Have an Encounter- 54:07 Sources For this episode we relied on a lot of articles to help us explain some of the thoughts we had about why people believe in the paranormal, what can influence that belief, and the power of biases. In case you'd like to look at these, we've divided them into helpful categories. On the Public's Belief in Ghosts Why do People Believe in Ghosts? (The Atlantic) [The Truth about the Paranormal] (BBC)(https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20141030-the-truth-about-the-paranormal) Why do We Like a Scary Story? (Oxford Open Learning) On Dark vs. Supernatural Tourism Dark Tourism, Explained (Washington Post) Dark Tourism: The Most Haunted Destinations in the World (Culture Trip) On Why We Like to Feel Scared Why People will Pay to Feel Scared (The Atlantic) On Cryptids So Why do People Believe in Bigfoot Anyway? (California Magazine) Have Scientists Finally Killed off the Loch Ness Monster? (The Conversation) Why Won't Scientific Evidence Change the Minds of Loch Ness Monster True Believers? (The Conversation) For a complete look at the Fox sisters and some pieces of nineteenth-century spiritualism, this Smithsonian article provides a good overview. Samantha also relied on previous research regarding the idea of a “Good Death” and the Civil War from Drew Gilpin Faust's This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War. Aaron and Samantha visited the Michigan Bigfoot Conference in this episode of The Saucer Life The quotation that begins the second part of the episode is from Aaron's book The Chaos Conundrum. (Amazon affiliate link purchases help support Great Lakes Lore!) Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

Episode Notes Due to listener demand, we're going to be including the Monday Mail Call as a regular episode from now on. In this installment, you'll get listener questions and feed back from our first two episodes--The Dudgeon Swamp Mystery and The Mad Gasser of Mattoon. We'll see you back here in a week for The Paranormal is Personal... Timestamps 0:00- Opening music 0:16- The Dudgeon Swamp Mystery 15:17- The Mad Gasser of Mattoon Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes “He moves through the night as nimbly and secretly as a cat, squirting a sweetish gas through bedroom windows.” -(citation needed) In this episode Samantha and Aaron are exploring the case of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon! In late-August and September of 1944 the citizens of Mattoon, Illinois began reporting cases of sweet smells in the home at night, followed by physical symptoms, such as a burning throat and temporary paralysis. Was there really an “anesthetic prowler” attacking the residents of Mattoon or is there another explanation?  Time Stamps:  Intro- 0:00 Setting the Scene- 3:10 What the Papers Said- 6:52 Legend or Lie?- 44:58 Paranormal Explanations- 49:17 Psychological Explanations- 57:53 An Actual Criminal?- 1:08:51 Note! There are a couple of spots that had some brief, un-fixable audio distortion–only a second or so, here and there. Thank you for understanding. For More Information: On the Gassings in Botetourt County On Spring-Heeled Jack On The Dancing Plague of 1518 Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes In our inaugural episode, the Great Lakes Lore team will be diving into the sources and exploring the deaths of a father and son in rural, 1920s West Michigan. The Dudgeon family moved to White Cloud, Michigan in 1905 and, less than twenty years later three members of the family were convicted of murder. Were they guilty or were the locals out to get the new folks in town?  A special thanks to the folks at The October Project for bringing together many of the primary sources we used in our research. You can find Meda's handwritten account of her husband's death there, as well as more pictures and the history by Harry Spooner that we reference. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes Samantha and Aaron give you a brief introduction to the show, and the importance of looking at weird events through a historian's eyes. Be here in two weeks for the first full episode of Great Lakes Lore: the Dudgeon Swamp Mystery. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media. Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes Coming September, 2021: two historians tackle the legends, lore, and weird history of the Great Lakes region. Visit our website and follow us on... Instagram Facebook Twitter Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.