Indiana

1Beast of Busco On the record

Water monster · Fulk Lake, Churubusco, Whitley County · first reported 1898 (claimed); famous 1949 · also called Oscar, Oscar the Turtle

Churubusco calls itself Turtle Town, USA, thanks to a giant snapping turtle that may or may not live in a small farm lake. A farmer named Oscar Fulk is said to have first seen it around 1898, so it became known as Oscar. In 1948 fishermen reported it again, and in spring 1949 farm owner Gale Harris said it was as big as a dining table. Harris spent months trying to catch it, with traps, a rented diving suit and attempts to drain the lake, while thousands of curious visitors crowded the farm. He came up empty and reportedly lost the farm over the costs. The town turned the story into its Turtle Days festival.

• 1948On the record Fishermen Ora Blue and Charley Wilson reported a huge turtle in Fulk Lake, reviving the old story. Source: folkbestiary.com
• Spring 1949On the record Gale Harris reported the turtle and launched a long capture effort. Illness stopped one draining attempt and his diving helmet leaked on another. News coverage drew huge crowds, and nothing was caught. Source: blogs.libraries.indiana.edu

Visiting: Turtle Days festival in Churubusco each June; the lake is on private land.

2Meshekenabek On the record

Water monster · Lake Manitou, Rochester, Fulton County · first reported 1838 in print; older Potawatomi tradition · also called Lake Manitou Monster

Lake Manitou near Rochester was formed in 1827 when a mill dam joined several ponds, under the terms of a treaty with the Potawatomi. Potawatomi tradition held that a powerful being lived in the water, and the lake's name comes from their word for spirit. In July 1838, the same year most Potawatomi were forcibly removed from Indiana, the Logansport Telegraph printed a report of a creature about sixty feet long that looked like a huge snake. Artist George Winter, known for painting the Potawatomi, sketched it. Large fish caught later, including a giant buffalo carp in 1849 and a 116-pound spoonbill in 1888, are often offered as the real explanation.

• July 21, 1838On the record The Logansport Telegraph reported two witnesses who saw a snake-like animal about sixty feet long in the lake. Source: fultoncountyindiana.com
• 1888On the record Four men caught a 116-pound spoonbill fish in the lake and showed it at the Rochester courthouse for ten cents a look. Source: fultoncountyindiana.com

Visiting: Lake Manitou has public boat access near Rochester; locals still blame the monster for booming winter ice.

3Crosley Monster On the record

Ape-like · Harsin Pond, Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area, Jennings County · first reported July 2006 (local tales older)

Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area is a state property of woods and ponds near North Vernon. In July 2006, four teenage boys fishing at Harsin Pond around 11 p.m. said they saw a hairy figure about seven feet tall with glowing yellow-orange eyes, and that it chased them across a cornfield. One of them later said he met a black-furred animal that ran on all fours and circled him in the woods. A local paper covered the story that October. A wildlife educator said he found the boys sincere, while a conservation officer said he had seen no evidence in sixteen years. The paper also mentioned a hoax confession tied to the area from the late 1950s.

• July 2006, about 11 p.m.On the record Corey Mullikin, Terry Snyder, Clint Maschino and Robbie Evans reported a seven-foot hairy figure with glowing eyes that chased them from Harsin Pond. Source: cryptomundo.com
• Weeks later, 2006On the record Mullikin said that while squirrel hunting he saw a black-furred animal running on all fours that circled him as he backed away through the woods. Source: cryptomundo.com

Visiting: Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area is open to the public for hiking, fishing and hunting.

4Pukwudgies of Mounds State Park Told story

Humanoid · Mounds State Park, Anderson, Madison County · first reported Lenape tradition; modern report 1927 · also called Pa-i-sa-ki, Puk-Wud-Jies

Pukwudgies are small forest beings from the traditions of several Eastern Native peoples, and in Indiana they are tied to the Lenape (Delaware) who lived along the White River. They are described as two to three feet tall, mischievous or dangerous, and able to change into animals. Modern Indiana lore centers on Mounds State Park in Anderson, home to ancient earthworks. Author Paul Startzman said that in 1927, at age ten, he saw a little man with helmet-like blond hair and big ears there, and he later collected others' stories in a book. Other visitors describe high-pitched voices in the woods. The Indiana Historical Society treats it as beloved local folklore.

• 1927Told story Paul Startzman, then about ten, said he saw a small man half his height with dull blond hair and protruding ears near the park area. Source: indianahistory.org
• UndatedTold story A woman identified as Eloise H. described small beings at the park speaking in high voices in a language she did not know. Source: indianahistory.org

Visiting: Mounds State Park, with Adena-Hopewell earthworks, trails and a nature center.

5Green-Clawed Beast of the Ohio River On the record

Water monster · Ohio River, Dogtown area of Evansville, Vanderburgh County · first reported Aug 14, 1955 · also called Ohio River Monster

In August 1955 a woman swimming in the Ohio River near the Dogtown area of Evansville said something grabbed her knee from below and pulled her under, twice. She broke free and reached safety when a friend's inner tube seemed to scare the thing off. She said she was left with deep scratches, bruises and a green-stained handprint on her leg. Local papers printed the story. Family members later claimed an Air Force officer told them to keep quiet, which has fed conspiracy versions of the tale. Skeptics suggest a snag, a large fish or turtle, river debris, or a story shaped by the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon.

• Aug 14, 1955On the record Naomi Johnson, swimming with Mrs. Chris Lamble, reported being seized by the knee and pulled under twice. She showed scratches and a green mark shaped like a hand. Source: jahernandez.com

6Crawfordsville Monster On the record

Winged · Crawfordsville, Montgomery County · first reported Sept 4, 1891

At about 2 a.m. on September 4, 1891, two icemen in Crawfordsville reported a headless flying thing about 18 feet long and 8 feet wide drifting a few hundred feet above town. The Indianapolis Journal said it moved with fin-like flaps, circled a house and gave off a wheezing, moaning sound. A Methodist minister said he saw it from his window. The next night, crowds reportedly gathered to watch it return. It never came back after that. The case is a favorite of sky-monster fans, and it is also cited as an early example of a newspaper story that may have grown in the telling.

• Sept 4, 1891, about 2 a.m.On the record Two icemen reported a headless, finned shape hovering over the town. A local pastor later said he saw it too. Source: futilitycloset.com
• Sept 5, 1891On the record Newspapers said hundreds of residents watched the thing flap and hover overhead the following evening. Source: folkbestiary.com

7Mill Race Monster Proven hoax

Ape-like · Mill Race Park, Columbus, Bartholomew County · first reported Nov 2, 1974

For about a week in November 1974, Columbus was gripped by reports of a green, hairy creature about six feet tall with long claws in Mill Race Park along the river. Two women gave the first report, two young men said they chased it off, and another group said it jumped on their car hood and left scratches. Dozens of people poured into the park to hunt it, many with guns, and police closed the park on November 9 for safety. According to the local paper, a city employee later identified the monster as a person in green blankets and a mask, and the sightings stopped. The tale remains a favorite Halloween story in Columbus.

• Nov 2, 1974On the record Two women described a green, hairy creature about six feet tall with long claws. Source: therepublic.com
• Nov 7, 1974On the record Women reported the creature leaped on their car's hood and left scratches. Source: therepublic.com
• Nov 9, 1974On the record Police closed the park after crowds of armed searchers showed up. Parks director Robert Gilligan had described dozens of cars and people combing the park the night before. Source: therepublic.com

Visiting: Mill Race Park in downtown Columbus, with its covered bridge, is a public city park.

8Wabash River Giant Catfish Told story

Water monster · Wabash River at Terre Haute, Vigo County · first reported after 1900

Terre Haute has a fish story with a dark backstory. In 1900 a Big Four railroad bridge over the Wabash collapsed, and local legend says wreckage from the train still lies on the riverbed. Fishermen have long swapped tales of giant catfish living in that wreckage, with some tellings claiming about 150 pounds. Big flathead and blue catfish do grow very large in Midwestern rivers, so this is more of a fish tale than a monster. It is a good example of how a real disaster and a real animal can blend into lasting river folklore.

Visiting: Public riverfront in Terre Haute along the Wabash.

9Bigfoot in Indiana Told story

Ape-like · Southern and central Indiana · first reported 1839 (claimed) · also called Hoosier wild men

Indiana's hairy-giant lore reaches back to 19th-century wild-man stories, including a claimed 1839 report near Michigan City and livestock killings blamed on a man-like beast in Elkhart County in the 1840s. Modern cases include the Crosley Monster. See the main Bigfoot dossier for the wider picture.

Full story: Bigfoot →