Dewey Lake Monster
The Dewey Lake Monster, also known as the Sister Lakes Sasquatch,[1] in Michigan folklore, is purported to be an ape-like creature, similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, that was allegedly sighted in the summer of 1964 near Dewey Lake and Sister Lakes in Dowagiac.
Description
[edit]The creature was described as covered in hair, approximately 10 feet (3 m) tall, 500 pounds (230 kilograms), and had glowing eyes.[2]
History
[edit]In June 1964, the story gained national attention after local residents reported seeing a large, hairy creature with glowing eyes. Police searched the area of the alleged sightings and found nothing. Nevertheless, the reports caused curious thrill-seekers and monster-hunters to besiege the community that summer. Local entrepreneurs capitalized on the event by selling "monster getaway gas", "monster burgers" and "monster hunting kits" — with a net, flashlight, squirt gun, a mallet and a stake.[3][4] Newspapers in Chicago dubbed Sister Lakes "Monster Town USA" and played up the backwardness of the small town's residents.[5]
Several zoologists suggested that people may have misidentified a bear or gorilla. Cass County Sheriff Robert Dool and conservation officer William Rowe dismissed speculations of a monster.[4] Within a week, the hysteria diminished, and the South Bend Tribune reported that "nobody seems frightened anymore".[6]
In a 1983 retrospective, the South Bend Tribune suggested that the monster was imagined by intoxicated strawberry pickers.[7] Steve Arseneau of the Dowagiac Area History Museum said, "I view it more as a rural legend. Perhaps some people saw something, and their imaginations got the better of them".[3]
Popular culture
[edit]- In 2016, the annual Dewey Lake Boat Parade celebrated the Dewey Lake Monster legend.[8]
- Local brewery Sister Lakes Brewing named a beer after the Dewey Lake Monster.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "The legend of Dowagiac's Dewey Lake Monster". k1025.com. WKFR-FM. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Robinson, John (18 June 2018). "Michigan Legend: The Dewey Lake Monster". 99wfmk.com. WFMK. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b Kuharic, Joe (23 February 2017). "It came from Dewey Lake". Leader Publications. Doawgiac Daily News. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Dewey Lake 'Monster Is Nonexistent'". The South Bend Tribune. 12 June 1964. p. 21. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "The Sister Lakes Monster Sightings". 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Gard, Ray (14 June 1964). "'Hairy Monster' Scare Lessens". South Bend Tribune. p. 21. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "Action Line". South Bend Tribune. 18 August 1983. p. 2. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "Dewey Lake boat parade celebrates the Dewey Lake Monster". wwmt.com. WWMT TV. 2 July 2016. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "Dewey Lake Monster – Sister Lakes Brewing". Beeradvocate.com. Beer Advocate. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2020.