The US has its share of remote lakes for visitors to enjoy, so it's not strange to see odd hoaxes springing up from time to time. This remote lake spawned a monster that turned out to be among the grandest hoaxes in America, and it fooled many people!
Today, we may laugh that anyone would be taken in by something like that, but in the early 20th century, seeing was believing. A glimpse at the weirdest new animal species of the last ten years shows how little we know about nature.
There are still questions about some extinct animals being alive, so why not a massive monster living at the bottom of a lake? Let us understand the scenario before we can appreciate exactly how outlandish this tale is.
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What's Lake George Famous For?
A 32-Mile Lake in the Adirondacks With a Monstrous Secret
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Lake George is a placid spot in upstate New York. Once upon a time, the shore at Lake George gave up ancient artifacts at Million Dollar Beach. However, according to some eyewitnesses, a monstrosity lurks beneath its waves.
In 1904, rumors flew that a massive sea monster had entered the lake. This was 1904, before the internet and Instagram, so no one had any photographic proof of the monster. Yet dozens of people saw the sea serpent surfacing at odd hours of the day or night, fueling the mystery.
Length
32 miles
Width
Varies between 1 and 3 miles
Islands
More than 170
A Stunning First Sighting Of The Lake George Monster
Enough to make anyone scream in fear
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Colonel William Mann first saw the creature in a boat on Lake George. Mann's description made it seem like a real, living creature. It's possible the colonel didn't expect he was being taken in by one of the grandest hoaxes in America. Mann noted that he only saw the creature briefly before it dived back to the depths.
After Mann, several other people saw the creature on the surface and dive into different parts of the lake, fueling the speculation that a monster was hidden in the lake's depths. After all, if Lake Champlain could have its own sea serpent, why not Lake George?
First Sighting
Hague Bay, Lake George
Approximate Length
Mann estimated the creature to be ten feet long
Type of Creature
Some experts suggested it might have been an ogre
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The Monster Of Lake George Disappears For Decades
Speculation surrounded the creature after it disappeared
In a world where giant, mythical monsters are occasionally confirmed as real, many people still hoped that Georgia was one of those. Unfortunately, after the first slew of sightings, the creature grew shy. Between the speculation of whether it died or left the lake, no one was sure about what happened to the creature locals had taken to calling "Georgie."
Three decades later, in 1934, new sightings of Georgie started, causing people to wonder what happened to the beast in the years in between. The truth about Georgie was about to come to light, leaving people who believed in the creature's existence with a sour taste in their mouths.
Initial Sighting
1904
New Sighting
1934
Time Period
Thirty Years
The Truth Comes Out...And It's All Lies
An artist practices fakery and drives a nationwide sensation
Eventually, an artist named Harry Watrous decided to come clean about the creature, revealing one of the grandest hoaxes in America. He said it was a fabrication that he had made up, but his confession still raised many questions.
Watrous went to great detail to describe the creature's construction out of a ten-foot log, with a rope attached to it to allow him to make the beast "dive." Watrous was a well-known and respected artist, so getting attention by making a fake monster wasn't typical for someone of his standing.
Purpose Built
Watrous built the creature out of logs and rope
What's In a Name?
Watrous referred to the thing as a "hippogriff."
Resurfacing
The reappearance of the creature was meant as Watrous' confession
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Eventually, Watrous came clean about the whole affair, and it all centered on Col. Mann, surprisingly enough. Mann and Watrous had a bet in 1904 about who could catch the larger fish from Lake George.
On presenting a massive specimen to Watrous, the artist conceded to the Colonel, only to find out later that the fish was fake. Watrous built Georgie to pull Col. Mann's leg and just carried the hoax a bit further, making it one of the grandest hoaxes in America.
Surrounding Circumstances
Mann and Watrous had a bet, which Mann cheated to win
Tit for Tat
Watrous estimated that scaring Mann with the creature would be fair payback
Eyewitness Evidence
More and more people saw the creature, leading to the legend of Georgie
A Fake Creature Whose Presence Lingers Today
People still tell stories about "Georgie"
Even though Georgie has been proven to be one of the grandest hoaxes in America, many people still hold onto the idea of the serpent cruising the depths of Lake George.
While Georgie is definitely a hoax, there are many unexplained things out there that no one is sure about. Georgie might not be the last lake serpent we discover, but he'll always be fondly remembered as a part of the lore of the Adirondacks.