While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. He also teaches public affairs reporting, international journalism, feature writing and media law and serves as director of the schools Capital News Service. [1][4] All rights reserved (About Us). Griffin (ship) - Wikipedia Kingsford's text says Thirty-nine Mile Point, but modern charts do not show that name. The figurehead likely isn't the remains of a griffin, he said, but a "big encrustation of zebra mussels," on burned wood. 5 Michigan Locations Associated with Creepy Urban Legends At the time, no other wreckage was found, but scientists noted other wreckage may not be far away.[16][17]. Griffin | Facts, Pictures & Characteristics | Mythical Creatures Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. La Salle never saw the Griffin again. [citation needed]. 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 exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. Libert became instantly fascinated by the Griffon mystery as a 14-year-old student in Dayton, Ohio, where he first heard from a teacher about the missing ship with its figurehead of a griffon, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. Divers think they found elusive 'Le Griffon' shipwreck - USA TODAY That is simply not true.. I thought, I gotta find this ship. The story my history teacher proceeded to tell immediately caught my full attention and like most young men, stirred the imagination of early exploration in an unknown country. That evidence? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. One of the most intriguing is that the wreckage of the Griffon may have been found nearly 100 years ago but went unrecognized. "They lost the ship from sight," Baillod said, "and that's the last anybody has ever seen the Griffin.". Griffin Shipwreck - National Museum "[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. They sailed across the open water of Lake Erie whose shores were forested and "unbroken by the faintest signs of civilization". When they arrived there La Motte and Hennepin had not yet returned. 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. The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. Steve Libert diving on the ship in 2018. This book relates the fascinating story of the Griffon, its background, and information about the 22 claims of discovery made in the past 200 years. "There was no rudder on the boat," Dykstra said. Marine researcher, shipwreck historian says Manitoulin has solid claim 'Le Griffon': Muskegon Divers Claim To Have Found The 'Holy Grail' Of [4] La Salle dressed in a scarlet cloak bordered with lace and a highly plumed cap, laid aside his arms in charge of a sentinel and attended mass with his crew in the chapel of the Ottawas and then made a visit of ceremony with the chiefs. It was built with the intention of finding a route across the Great Lakes of North America to reach China and Japan. In July 2010 the Great Lakes Exploration Group issued a press release stating that they, the state of Michigan and France had reached agreement to co-operate in the next phase of an archaeological site assessment for identifying the shipwreck. After Le Griffon was launched, she was rigged with sails and provisioned with seven cannon of which two were brass. Characteristics Physical Description 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.. But the latest finding, made popular again by Wreck Diving Magazine in its latest issue, holds a number of clues about the ship's past. For Mr Libert, it's the realisation of a childhood dream, sparked by a history teacher who told him about the ship. [8], La Salle's men first had to build their lodging and then guard against the Iroquois who were hostile to this invasion of their ancient homeland. The Ruppell's griffon vulture is Critically Endangered. Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. Over the years there have been 22 claims of the discovery of the Griffon. That is simply not true.. Marie. They discovered a 15-inch slab of blackened wood that might have been a human-fashioned cultural artifact. A bit of history: The Griffon was built in 1679 and launched that year, believed to be the largest ship on the Great Lakes. 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. They made their way around Long Point, Ontario, constantly sounding as they went through the first moonless, fog-laden night to the sound of breaking waves and guided only by La Salle's knowledge of Galine's crude, 10-year-old chart. The wreck lies in Lake Michigan. 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. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. June 3, 2022 . He arrived there nearly starved only to find that his detractors had succeeded in stirring up doubt and opposition with his creditors. The Griffin, a large ship built by Frenchman Rene Robert Cavalli, disappeared on its maiden voyage some 343 years ago. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. The wreck's discoverers agree that more evidence is needed. The Griffon has not been found, Wayne Lusardi, the state archaeologist in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, says bluntly. 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. "Can we call this the Griffin? once I broke the surface. They added that a bowsprit was found close by in 2001, assuming it is another part that broke off from the ship. Here are 26 other famous shipwrecks around the world. Related Article:Adolf Hitler's Lost German U-Boat Allegedly Has Dead Nazis Aboard Along With Gold, Treasure, Get HNGN's Top Stories Newsletter Everyweek. It would no longer exist. Thirty Mile Point is an established location and fits better with the rest of the narrative. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. "[7] None of these sources ascribe a name to any of these vessels. Only then did the Liberts and the Great Lakes Exploration Group discover that the bowsprit was separate from the remainder of the vessel. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. Its exact size and construction isn't known, but it was armed with seven cannons and at the time was the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes. MICHIGAN -- Le Griffon, a well known ship that sunk in Lake Michigan during the 17th century, has been hiding at the depths of the lake for more than 300 years. So, if the Griffons final resting place isnt where Libert believes it to be, where is it? The Liberts have since published their book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery.. By Michael Havis and Harry Howard For Mailonline, Published: 12:24 GMT, 16 June 2021 | Updated: 13:02 GMT, 16 June 2021. 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. I left school at 16 with six GCSEs - and became a self-made millionaire. The Wreck of the Griffon - Shipwreck World Since its disappearance in 1679, the Griffon has taken on a mythic air. Mr Libert believes the Griffin was caught in a four-day storm and the bowsprit, which was held in place only by wooden wedges, broke off before the rest of the ship sank. [14] After years of legal squabbles the Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued a permit, and on 16 June 2013, an underwater pit was dug allowing US and French archeologists to examine the object for the first time. Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. Suffering from cold and low on supplies, the men were close to mutiny. Alternatively, another . WHITEFISH POINT, MICH.- The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) is proud to announce the discovery of the 292-foot Whaleback vessel, Barge 129. We apologize to Great Lakes Exploration Group for any confusion this may have caused. 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. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at the "big wood canoe". The photographer was an archaeologist working on the project. Wherever the Griffon is, if its in deep water somewhere, there are cannons near it, she says. The 1633 journey left at Downs, England and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on September 3. . 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 . It would no longer exist. Barge 129 was found in Lake Superior, 35 miles off Vermilion Point in 650 feet of water. Some are thousands of years old. CNS correspondents cover all aspects of Michigan state government. It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. On 23 June 2014, Steve Libert told the Associated Press he believed he found Le Griffon in Lake Michigan after extensive searching, in a debris field near where a wood slab was found the previous year. A teacher from Ottawa named Roy Fleming, in the 1930s through the 1950s, expanded the investigation of this wreck that he firmly believed was the Griffon. A party from the Iroquois tribe who witnessed the launching were so impressed by the "large floating fort" that they named the French builders Ot-kon, meaning "penetrating minds", which corresponds to the Seneca word Ot-goh, meaning supernatural beings or spirits. Talia Lakritz. The couples book shares details of how they believed the ship sank near the Huron Islands, a group of small, rocky islands northeast of Green Bay. No cannons have been found near the site Libert identified. If it exists in the physical world, we think it will be there in deep water, she says. Francis Parkman says that by 1677, "four vessels of 25 to 40 tons had been built for the lake Ontario and the river St. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare Royally hard work! Spartan Newsroom While the journals of Tonti, Hennepin, and LeClercq (participants with La Salle) do mention a little vessel of 10 tons, none of them apply a name to it. Police raid online sensation shop Wakey Wines looking for drugs as owner famous for his Prime Not so shipshape! Other experts insist Liberts absolutely wrong. Then they also talk with real people the individual citizens and businesses in communities to get their reactions to whats happening in Lansing. Possibly a cannon, hopefully with the date stamped on it.'. The bowsprit is thespar running out from the bow (front) of a ship), He said: 'My interest began the day my teacher reached over and touched my shoulder, and said out loud in class, "maybe one day, someone in this class will find it. Rene-Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle was a French explorer in 1679 and he wanted his ship, Le Griffon , to sail the Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan in order to . Her adventure is set be featured on national television as part of an hour . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery - Detroit Free Press $19.95 plus $3 S&H. The Le Griffon was discovered in Sept. 2018 after going missing in 1679.Steven Libert. 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. 'Father Louis Hennepin said it was lost in a violent storm. Pictured: Some of the wreckage. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The ancient origins of the legendary griffin | Ancient Origins [notes 1], Before 1673, the most common vessel on the lakes was the canoe. But the wreckage suggests that The Griffin was lost in a storm. Until there is an expedition (to the site) with politically unaligned professionals, I will not weigh in one way or another, said Vrana, whose nonprofit group has consulted with Libert. While frozen rivers made traveling easy, finding food was not. The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. 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. The Liberts' book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, is available via Amazon for 24.69. The ship was lost on the return leg of her maiden voyage due to a violent boiler A rare daggerboard schooner, Three Brothers, has been discovered in deep water off Oswego, New York by a team of shipwreck enthusiasts. An Antarctic explorer's ship has been discovered 106 years after it sank. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to an island (either Washington Island or Rock Island)[1] located at the entrance of Green Bay. Shipwreck Facts for Kids - Kiddle He recounts his hunt and discovery in Le Griffon and the Huron Islands, 1679 (Mission Point Press), written with his wife. 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The state of Michigan has rules stipulating that artifacts found on state land, including the land at the bottom of the Great Lakes, are state property. No villain can mess with the griffin! Like Le Griffon, the steamship Marquette and Bessemer No. NY 10036. Charlevoix couple offers theory on 1679 shipwreck of Le Griffon 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. They are considered to be symbolic of power . 17th Century Shipwreck of Long-Lost Le Griffon Discovered at - IBT 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). He learned to dive, and the quest was on. The widely referenced antique woodcutting of Le Griffon shows her with two masts but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque with a single mast with several square sails and 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2m) long with a 10-to-15-foot (3.0 to 4.6m) beam. The Atlas may be the oldest confirmed commercial schooner discovered in the Great Lakes. It dragged anchor and ran aground near Thirty Mile Point on Lake Ontario, where it broke apart. Le Griffon was the first ship of thousands to disappear in our upper Great Lakes, Libert, president of Great Lakes Exploration Group LLC, told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. UNESCO estimates that worldwide over 3 million shipwrecks. The 1633 journey left from Downs, England and landed at Plymouth in Plymouth Colony on September 3. 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. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. An explorer claims to have found the long lost French ship Le Griffon at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Some say Le Griffon was named for Count Frontenac whose coat of arms was ornamented with the mythical griffin. The Griffin is used as the symbol for Brisbane Waters Secondary College on the Central Coast of New . 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. Some sources confuse the two vessels. She was found by an aircraft belonging to the US Navy on 14th November 1975. Zebra mussels cover what may be a griffin on the bow of the ship. Some say that this vessel was named the Frontenac, while others say the other vessel used on La Salle's expedition was Frontenac. He was planning to map the Great Lakes, initially thinking they might be a connecting gateway to the Orient. A history teacher inspired Libert in school. Griffin Mythology | What is a Griffin? - Video & Lesson Transcript So you want to make a news show? Legions of searchers have tried to track down its. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. Historian J. On its return trip from the island, said to be located in the mouth of the body of water which is now known as Green Bay, it vanished with all six crew members and its load of furs. [1] The tumultuous sound of Le Griffon's cannons so amazed the Native Americans that the Frenchmen were able to sleep at ease for the first time in months when they anchored off shore. At 42.5 inches tall, the "Pisa Griffin" is the largest bronze medieval Islamic sculpture on the planet and was made in the 11th Century CE. [Disasters at Sea: 6 Deadliest Shipwrecks]. On the evening of 10th November 1975, Edmund Fitzgerald sank around 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. La Salle oversaw the laying of Le Griffon's keel and drove her first bolt. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Lake Erie hides secrets of 2,000 shipwrecks - Rock The Lake Bateaux were also common. Forsberg said several of the bolts. Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. "It's the holy grail of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.". 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. But other experts aren't convinced that the wreck is the Griffin. The other wreckage has been approximately dated to between 1632 and 1682. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum | Edmund Fitzgerald | Great Lakes Their mission was to begin selecting a site for the construction of Le Griffon and to erect necessary structures for shelter, storage, and defense. Ships of the 1715 fleet - TreasureNet The Original Treasure Wherever the Griffon is, if its in deep water somewhere, there are cannons near it, she says. As for the pieces of wreckage Libert photographed, they cant be the Griffons because they would have broken to bits long, long ago if theyd been in shallow water battered by storms and ice for more than three centuries, van Heest says. The ship was a work of art, featuring a majestic griffin (half lion, half eagle) figurehead on its front and an eagle on its stern. Fun Wirehaired Griffon Facts For Kids | Kidadl The furs on board would have cost 640,000 in today's value, sinking with the vessel. 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. "If you take the picture of the carving of the griffon and overlay it on what these gentleman have, it's very compelling," Porter said. While some of these were made from a single carved log ("dugout" or "pirogue"), most were bark canoes. After Griffin sank, it was a ghost ship with the souls of the sailors heard chanting by anyone who could see the ship sailing in the moonlight. But the sinking was caused by a storm is the best explanation.