“They described it as black, about 35 feet long, and with a snakelike head. On September 28, 1990, The Daily Kent Stater reported another sighting of Bessie at East Harbor State Park in Marblehead.Ī man named Harold Bricker stated that he and his family saw “a large creature moving in the water about 1,000 feet from their boat,” wrote reporter Mitch Weiss. Originally, the winning name was “South Bay Besse” after Davis-Besse, which later just became “Bessie.” 1990: 35-Foot-Long Sea Serpent Spotted Near Marblehead Lake Erie’s lake monster wasn’t officially named until the 1980s, when the Port Clinton Beacon ran a contest to name the local sea serpent. 1980s: Lake Monster is Named “Bessie” After Davis-Besse Less than 10 years later, workers at the Union Salt Company reported seeing a snakelike creature appear above the water for a moment before diving back down and swimming towards Euclid Beach in Cleveland. 1909: Ohio Salt Company Sees “Wriggly Dragon, Grayish-Green and of Playful Disposition” The eggs later hatched in his kitchen, revealing snakes that were between 2 1/2 to five feet long. Is there just one lake monster after all? Or is Bessie just one of many?Īccording to another Cleveland Plain Dealer article from 1898, a hunter discovered four large eggs that he brought home. Its color was black, mottled with brown spots….” 1898: Lake Monster Eggs Hatch Above five feet from its head there appeared to be several large fins or slippers. On May 21, 1892, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article entitled “Lake Erie Sea Serpent: Said to Have Been Seen by Fishermen Near Oak Harbor.”Īccording to journalist James Renner, the report stated: “ was described to be about twenty-five feet long and about one and one-half feet in diameter through the largest part.

One of the oldest reported sightings of Lake Erie’s lake monster occurred right here in Ottawa County. 1892: Fishermen Spot Sea Serpent Near Oak Harbor In fact, there are reports of lake monsters throughout all the United States – including our very own sea serpent named Bessie. We’re all familiar with the legend of the Loch Ness monster (also known as “Nessie”), the dinosaur-like monster that inhabits Loch Ness in Scotland.īut according to legend, Loch Ness isn’t the only lake in the world to have a water serpent swimming in its depths. Not Just Loch Ness: Ohio Has a Sea Serpent, Too And speaking of monsters… did you know that for hundreds of years, there have been reports of a monster lurking right on the shores of Lake Erie?

The season of ghosts, hauntings, witches, and monsters is finally here.

Here there be monster