The Mysterious Shipwreck of the Griffon

Badgerland Journal

The first large shipping vessel to sail the Great Lakes disappeared in 1679 and was never heard or seen from again. The Griffon was built by explorer Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in order to help expand the fur trade in North America. Its maiden voyage was from New York to what is modern-day Wisconsin. After waiting out a storm, it departed from either Washington or Rock Island off the Door Peninsula, never to be seen again. Theories of what happened to the Griffon have appeared over the past three centuries. While none have been confirmed, there have been numerous claims regarding the final resting place of the Griffon, tune in to learn about the Griffon and the search its disappearance has inspired.

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Sources:

Freedman, Eric. “Charlevoix Couple Offers Theory on Mysterious 1679 Shipwreck.” The Daily Telegram, March 9, 2022. https://www.lenconnect.com/story/news/state/2022/03/09/charlevoix-couple-theory-1679-shipwreck-le-griffon/9425022002/.

Kohl, Cris, and Joan Forsberg. The Wreck of the Griffon: The Greatest Mystery of the Great Lakes. West Chicago, IL: Seawolf Communications, Inc., 2014.

Kramer, Sarah, Bryce Gray, Lizz Giordano, and Anne Arntson. “The White Whale for Great Lakes Shipwreck Hunters.” Atlas Obscura, June 10, 2021. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/great-lakes-shipwreck-griffon.

Laitner, Bill. “Doubters Abound as Charlevoix Couple Think They Found Great Lakes’ Oldest Shipwreck.” Detroit Free Press, May 11, 2022. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/05/11/great-lakes-shipwreck-griffon-lake-michigan/9665058002/.

“Le Griffon (The Griffin).” Washington Island, 2009. https://washingtonisland.com/le-griffon-the-griffin/.

Miller, Nick. “What Happened to the Lost Ship Le Griffon and Was It Ever Found?” Discovery UK, January 9, 2023. https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/what-happened-to-the-lost-ship-le-griffon-and-was-it-ever-found/.