The Griffon was built by La Salle near Niagara Falls and was the first ship to sail on the upper Great Lakes. They discovered a 15-inch slab of blackened wood that might have been a human-fashioned cultural artifact. Over the years there have been 22 claims of the discovery of the Griffon. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon. Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. Their mission was to begin selecting a site for the construction of Le Griffon and to erect necessary structures for shelter, storage, and defense. A ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries. Great Lakes Exploration Group is not connected to this story or Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe. A history teacher inspired Libert in school. It was crafted by French explorer Robert de La Salle. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. Here are 26 other famous shipwrecks around the world. Wherever the Griffon is, if its in deep water somewhere, there are cannons near it, she says. Some time later, Hennepin would use this little vessel to sail to Fort Frontenac and again back to Niagara. Mr Libert said: 'Our extensive research and deciphering of historic documents led us precisely to the resting place of an undiscovered colonial-age ship.'. 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. The Griffin - or Le Griffon - was a sailing ship built on the Niagara River in the 1670s French explorer Robert de La Salle hoped to use it to find the Northwest Passage to China and Japan It. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Suffering from cold and low on supplies, the men were close to mutiny. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. Josh Gates tackles an enduring maritime mystery, the first ship to be lost in the Great Lakes, the Griffon. Maritime historians best guess, she says, is that it sank between Beaver Island and the southern coast of the Upper Peninsula, possibly within sight of shore between what are now Manistique and Naubinway. Kingsford says it was either contrary wind or they were becalmed. Here's how to watch. The ship was righted and brought back to the port in Milwaukee and returned to service. La Belle was the ship of French explorer La Salle, lost at Matagorda Bay in 1686. It would no longer exist. the griffon shipwreck facts. It vanished while loaded with furs and other trade goods gathered in Lake Michigan after the captain ordered it return towards Niagara. About 30 adventurers have claimed to have found the Griffin, usually by happenstance, Baillod said. Negotiations with the Senecas were only moderately successful, so when they left the village they still wondered if the natives would permit them to finish their project. Now after more than 40 years of searching, Charlevoix diver Steve Libert says hes 99.99% sure he found the answer, and he tells how in a new book. La Salle's prime focus in 1678 was building Le Griffon. Ive seen dozens and dozens of 100- to 150-year-old ships, and that is not a 350-year-old ship. In the Spring of 2021, veteran shipwreck hunters Joe Van Wagnen and Mark Gammage located the remains of the passenger/freight Propeller Challenge in northern Lake Huron. The Liberts' book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, is available via Amazon for 24.69. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. [1] The French flag flew above the cabin placed on top of the main deck that was elevated above the hull. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan -- Steven J. Libert had been looking for the ship, Le Griffon, for 42 years. 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 Ruppell's griffon vulture is Critically Endangered. Le Griffon is considered by some to be the "holy grail of Great Lakes Shipwrecks" largely because it was the first sailing ship to cruise the Great Lakes. A griffin (or gryphon) is a chimeric creature, part eagle and part lion. [1][4] The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known. [15] On 19 June 2013, teams of scientists determined the wood pole discovered was not attached to a ship, after it came loose and was placed on the lake bed during an excavation. [4] They entered Lake St. Clair on 12 August, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named the lake after her. The mythical griffin is a creature of ferocity and nobility. "Can we call this the Griffin? Test yourself with this Cockney Rhyming Slang quiz. No villain can mess with the griffin! Countless shipwrecks sit beneath the ocean and stranded on land around the world. "It's a mystery ship that got in our way," Dykstra said, "and now, we're going for the gold.". 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. 'If any of the latter was true the ship would rest in deeper water instead of shallow waters.'. General Ubilla's New Spain Fleet was composed of: 1 - The Capitana, Nuestra Seora de Regla, San Dimas y San Francisco Javier (Presumably a galleon). The Great Lakes hold the secrets of about 8,000 shipwrecks. Alpena County reference. But other experts aren't convinced that the wreck is the Griffin. fremont hospital deaths; what happened to tropical tidbits; chris herren speaking fee; boracay braids cultural appropriation; the griffon shipwreck facts. "The [American] Indians told the captain not to sail out, to wait the storm out, but he wouldn't listen to them," Baillod said. The Native Americans told La Salle the crew planned to sail toward the Straits of Mackinac in stormy weather. The sails were merely supplemental for traveling down wind. Lake Erie covers 2,000 of them, among the highest concentration of wrecks in the world. 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. The photos were taken in 1997 from the roof of the cofferdam that surrounded the ship and kept it in a semi-dry environment. 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. Joe Porter, publisher for Wreck Diving Magazine, has penned articles on famous ship wrecks including the Titanic, but saidthe Griffon is the most fascinating. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on the ship during its maiden voyage on August 7am , 1969 along with a crew of 32. [4] La Salle had instructed Hennepin and La Motte to go 75 miles (120km) into wilderness in knee-deep snow on an embassy to the great village of the Seneca tribe, bringing gifts and promises in order to obtain their good will to build "the big canoe" (Le Griffon), but many tribal members did not approve. According to legend, natives even cursed the ship. Heres the backstory as Libert tells it: LaSalle built the Griffon as his flagship upriver from Niagara Falls, probably on what is now the Canadian side of the Niagara River. Keen to get away from the neighbours? It was built with the intention of finding a route across the Great Lakes of North America to reach China and Japan. The ship was constructed and launched on Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River as a seven-cannon, 45-ton barque. "When we had it looked at, they [the archaeologists] could tell that the nail was very old," Dykstra said. [citation needed], La Salle arrived on 20 January 1679 from Fort Frontenac with the full rigging, anchors, chains, cordage, and cannon that were transported by barge, then salvaged and dragged 30 miles (48km) overland to the construction site. He and his wife set out their case for having discovered the ship in a new book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery. [notes 6][pageneeded], After La Salle's departure, Tonti refloated the little brigantine, and attempted to use it for more salvage work at the wreck, but the winter weather prevented success. [6][8][11][pageneeded] There the keel was laid on 26 January 1679. According to historical sources, the vessel left England carrying packs of clothing and private trade on its way to Canton, China where it was loaded with cargo composed mostly of tea. Unexpectedly, a nail attached itself to the magnet, and the treasure hunters only discovered it later, once they were above water. Content is produced by MSU students under the guidance of journalism faculty. They dragged the materials to the mouth of the Niagara, rested and warmed up a few days in an Indian village, then carried the materials single file through the snow to their settlement above the falls. Prince Harry shares struggles to be his 'authentic true self' growing up, saying he felt pressures to 'come As Prince Harry says he felt like the film 'the boy in the bubble' before having therapy, who was What will the next pandemic be? Menu viscount royal caravan. In this article, the word "ship" is used in its broader sense, not in the technical sense of referring to a vessel with three or more masts rigged with square sails. About 1,500 shipwreckshave been found on the bottom of Lake Michigan, Anderson said, and it's unclear whether this one is the Griffin. (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). At noon the waves ran so high, and the lake became so rough, as to compel them to stand in for land. Le Griffon (French pronunciation:[l if], The Griffin) was a sailing vessel built by Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. That is simply not true.. Libert said some theories are supposed to explain what happened to the vessel. This ship was 471 tons. But Dykstra and Monroe said they'll wait until they hear the final word. Updated. UNESCO estimates that worldwide over 3 million shipwrecks. Loaded with furs in what's now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunk somewhere in northern Lake Michigan in 1679. He noted that the wreck is near the western Michigan coast, not near Beaver Island, the area mentioned in La Salle's journal. It is now believed to be the famous ship, 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. There are three acceptable English spellings of the word: griffin, griffon and gryphon. La Salle decided to visit the Senecas at Tagarondies himself. 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. Griffin is an English East India Company ship which sank in Sulu Sea near Basilan Island in 1761. Pictured: Some of the wreckage. They made their way north and west to Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron where they were becalmed until noon of 25 August. Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was, in fact, a tugboat due to its 90-foot (27m) length and presence of a steam boiler. However, Dykstra said they've been advised to not disclose where they found the wreck in order tohelp preserve what's left of the ship. In the meantime, the duo plans to continue their hunt for the gold bullion. [10] The vessel carried anchors, chain, guns, cordage, and cable for Le Griffon, as well as supplies and provisions for the anticipated journey. Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. French historical documents and shipbuilding techniques, colonial-era maps, contemporary reports, what he says is a bowsprit retrieved from the wreckage, carbon-4 dating and underwater photographs of submerged parts of a vessel. All Rights Reserved. "They're looking for something else, they find an old ship and they've heard of the Griffin, so they pronounce it the Griffin," Baillod said. "[5] He also says that at Fort Frontenac in 1676, La Salle "laid the keels of the vessels which he depended on to frighten the English. Maritime historians best guess, she says, is that it sank between Beaver Island and the southern coast of the Upper Peninsula, possibly within sight of shore between what are now Manistique and Naubinway. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Green and Ken Vrana, the principal of Maritime Heritage Consulting, advocate an independent assessment by professionals. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. Some sources confuse the two vessels. Griffin was the name of a 17th-century ship known to have sailed between England and English settlements along Massachusetts Bay in British America. [13] Originally discovered in 2001 near Poverty Island, Michigan sonar has shown an object approximately 40 by 18 feet (12.2 by 5.5m) (similar to the dimensions of Le Griffon) located under several feet of sediment. La Salle was convinced that the pilot and crew treacherously sank her and made off with the goods. The wreck lies in Lake Michigan. [4] She had the figure of a griffin mounted on her jib-boom and an eagle flying above. [1], Le Griffon's pattern closely followed the prevailing type used by explorers to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. JRN@MSU Code of Ethics Beckwith's conclusion was that he chose one of his existing vessels, one of about ten tons burden, for sending the first group of men to Niagara. The bowsprit is seen here sticking out of the bed of Lake Michigan, The Liberts are prevented by the State of Michigan from conducting an in-depth excavation of the wreck site, Mr Libert said: 'It is just a matter of time before we achieve our goal. LANSING Historical mysteries may take decades, even centuries, to solve if ever. [12] A number of sunken old sailing ships have been suggested to be Le Griffon but, except for the ones proven to be other ships, there has been no positive identification. 2023 www.lenconnect.com. ', Shipwreck hunters Steve and Kathie Libertset out their case for having discovered the ship in a new book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, A scan of the wreck taken by the Great Lakes Exploration Group. They added that a bowsprit was found close by in 2001, assuming it is another part that broke off from the ship. ", 'Fifty-one years later, I am still intrigued by this story.'. The ship was lost in the depths of northern Lake Michigan over 300 years ago. Other experts insist Liberts absolutely wrong. "The Great Lakes are a time capsule, the fresh water preserves the ship wreck," Porter said. [notes 1], Before 1673, the most common vessel on the lakes was the canoe. "We like to turn the sonar on and just go to places that we haven't been before, and just try and see what we can find down there," Dykstra said. The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. MICHIGAN -- Le Griffon, a well known shipthat sunk inLake Michigan during the 17th century, has been hiding at the depths of the lake for more than 300 years. [citation needed]. No cannons have been found near the site Libert identified. Now after more than 40 years of searching, Charlevoix diver Steve Libert says hes 99.99% sure he found the answer, and he tells how in a new book. But even now, the Liberts are prevented by the State of Michigan from conducting an in-depth excavation. 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. It was a calm night and they believed the vessel was securely moored. [1][4] 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. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. The Griffin - a ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen - has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries.. (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/2022/03/charlevoix-couple-offers-theory-on-mysterious-1679-shipwreck/). La Salle never saw Le Griffon again. A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. 'Michel was spot on when he said the main body of the wreck would be within four miles of the bowsprit. All of those people have been wrong including Libert she says. We apologize to Great Lakes Exploration Group for any confusion this may have caused. The other wreckage has been approximately dated to between 1632 and 1682. Comment why voting matters to you at the end of this story. The Griffin - a ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen - has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries. They then set the ship on fire. La Salle offered Hennepin the honor of driving the first spike, but Hennepin deferred to his leader. Alternatively, another . Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Now, treasure hunters who. By 26 August the violence of the gale caused them to "haul down their topmasts, to lash their yards to the deck, and drift at the mercy of storm. Possibly a cannon, hopefully with the date stamped on it.' Most of the ship remnants were in shallow, not deep water makes the other claims inaccurate. More than 5,000 ship wrecks are scattered throughout the Great Lakes, and Porter said the Le Griffon is the most precious one. Wood can break up. It would be awesome if true, she says, a story shed love the museum to be able to tell visitors, with the aura of amateur treasure-hunting and Indiana Jones. The accounts agree that this little vessel played a part in the building of Le Griffon. Spartan Newsroom Only about 375 of Lake Erie's wrecks have been found. The entire 29-member crew went down with it in what has become the greatest Great Lakes Shipping Tragedy of all time. But, the Liberts say her final resting place is near the Huron Islands in Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay. Ive seen dozens and dozens of 100- to 150-year-old ships, and that is not a 350-year-old ship. WHITEFISH POINT, MICH.- The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) is proud to announce the discovery of the 292-foot Whaleback vessel, Barge 129. 'Father Louis Hennepin said it was lost in a violent storm. All rights reserved (About Us). Beneath the cold waves of Lake Michigan rests an aging shipwreck, its wooden planks encrusted with brown-and-gray zebra mussels, that may be the remnants of a 17th-century ship called the Griffin, two Michigan-based treasure hunters say. The griffin was a favourite decorative motif in the ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lands. Lost after 350 years, the cursed ship, The Griffin, went on a voyage that became one of the most legendary disappearances solved in modern times. On its way back to Niagara from Green Bay, the Griffon disappeared with its entire crew and valuable cargo of furs commencing the centuries-long quest to discover its fate. 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. They were open vessels (no deck) made of wood measuring up to about 35 feet (11m) long and capable of carrying three or four tons of cargo. He learned to dive, and the quest was on. Then they also talk with real people the individual citizens and businesses in communities to get their reactions to whats happening in Lansing. That evidence? THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. Images of the severely dilapidated wreckage show it lying on the bed of Lake Michigan, This image shows the ship's keelson - the structure which fastens a ship's floor timbers to its keel. If the state underwater archaeologist were to look at the wreck, he would look for artifacts that could be dated, such as ceramics or glass. A bowsprit discovered a few miles away in 2001 is another part of the vessel, they claim. An Indian prophet called Metiomek of the Iroquois said legend had cursed the ship before it left; he told its owner La Salle it would sink deep water. June 3, 2022 . Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Public Service Announcement, do NOT watch these ads! Valerie van Heest, a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, says, There have been 30 or more discoveries of the Griffon dating back to early 1800s. - News and information from student journalists at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, About the Michigan State University School of Journalism, Michigan Chile Investigative Journalism Program, MSU journalism COVID-related reporting guidelines, Upcoming court ruling could impact trial court funding as deadline approaches, Why does your vote matter? Le Griffon - meaning 'The Griffin' - vanished during its maiden voyage in 1679 in one of the oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries in US history. It takes nine months for the puppies to reach the adult weight and can take up to one and a half years for larger dogs to achieve adult weight. LANSING Historical mysteries may take decades, even centuries, to solve if ever. They may be deliberate or accidental. La Salle decided to stay behind with four canoes to explore the head of Lake Michigan. Heres the backstory as Libert tells it: LaSalle built the Griffon as his flagship upriver from Niagara Falls, probably on what is now the Canadian side of the Niagara River. Their sonar caught a mass below, and Dykstra dove into the water to take video. The ship landed on an island in Lake Michigan where the local tribes had gathered with animal pelts to trade with the French. While they were at times fitted with mast and sails, their primary propulsion was either oars or poles. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. While they recognize that conclusive evidence has not been found, the evidence that has been found there fits with what is known of the history of that time and they postulate that if Le Griffon is found elsewhere, that would deepen the mystery of the find by Cullis.[22]. Ice flowing down the river threatened to damage their little brigantine and after a cable was broken, they hauled the vessel ashore and into a small ravine for protection. MARIE, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery. Certainly not not without a lot more information but these are very compelling. The Griffin is used as the symbol for Brisbane Waters Secondary College on the Central Coast of New . 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. She was the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes up to that time. The 2001 discovery of a bowsprit sticking out the lakebed sparked a 10-year legal battle with the State of Michigan, preventing the explorers from excavating for the rest of the ship until 2013. [18] Steve and Kathie Libert have since published a book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands - 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery (Mission Point Press, 2021). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 175 Year Old Great Lakes Atlas Schooner Located in Lake Ontario, Early 1800s Dagger-board Schooner Three Brothers Discovered in Lake Ontario, 1926 Steamship Nisbet Grammer Discovered in Lake Ontario, 158 year old Canadian Schooner Royal Albert Discovered in Lake Ontario, Mid-Nineteenth Century Canadian Schooner Ocean Wave Discovered by Shipwreck Explorers, Major Shipwreck Discovery in Lake Michigan.