Episodes
-
Episode Notes
In this special episode, Samantha and Aaron take a look back at the first year of Great Lakes Lore. What were their favorite episodes? What have they learned? What would they change? Then, they’re joined by Adam Sayne and Serfiel Stevenson of the Conspirinormal podcast for a preview of the upcoming Strange Realities Conference. The conference takes place October 14-16 in Nashville, Tennessee with an online streaming option and features Samatha and Aaron presenting on Friday evening. Get more information and secure tickets at strangerealitiesconference.com!
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
What caused a series of Norwegians to move to a small town in Indiana, never to be seen again? In this episode, Samantha and Aaron explore the murders of Belle Gunness in La Porte, Indiana and the mystery surrounding her own death. Often referred to as a female Bluebeard (which Samantha takes issue with), the pair dive into the tale of this famous serial killer and discuss a variety of issues dealing with memory, gender dynamics, and mental health.
Intro- 0:21Who was Belle?- 2:24Her First Husband- 5:50A Second Marriage- 10:05Mail Order Men- 16:00The Farm is On Fire- 31:32But Whose Body Is It?- 36:34Identity Crisis- 43:33Picnic at the Crime Scene- 47:25Ghosts on the Farm- 50:07Female Serial Killers- 51:49Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Episode Notes
This week, Samantha and Aaron begin their exploration of the bigfoot phenomenon! After laying a solid framework, featuring discussions on the nature of bigfoot and a history of bigfoot in the 20th/21st centuries, they look at Bigfoot sightings in Michigan. They share audio clips, discuss video sightings, and talk about stick formations left in the woods. Join Samantha and Aaron for this first (yes there will be more) adventure with everyone’s favorite cryptid.
ABBA- 0:32Meeting Bigfoot- 4:46Flesh and Blood Creature- 9:51Wide Open Spaces- 13:13Supernatural Bigfoot- 19:26Patterson Gimlin Film- 25:35BFRO- 30:44Finding Bigfoot- 35:35Midway Break- 38:17Vocalizations- 41:19Sightings- 53:43Rock Throwing and A Bit of Woo- 58:50Stick Formations- 1:05:07Criticisms and Pranks- 1:08:00Wrap-Up- 1:14:51Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Screams could be heard throughout the town of Earling, Iowa in 1928. It was there, in a Franciscan Convent, that Father Theophilus Riesinger conducted a series of exorcisms on Anna Ecklund…or what is Emma Schmidt? Samantha and Aaron dive into the mysterious and troubling world of demonic possession with the story of Wisconsin natives Anna Ecklund and Father Riesinger. With a topic this complex, Samantha and Aaron make sure to provide a lot of background information on the practice and history of exorcisms, as well as a look at the practice in pop culture. Although Aaron didn’t approve of Samantha’s working title, Fun with Satan, they hope you enjoy this trek into the demonic dark side.
Intro: Am I an Adult?- 1:02\The History of Exorcisms- 5:30\Rituale Romanum- 12:22\Introducing the Case- 17:33\The Exorcism Gets Going (And Gross)- 22:01\Midway Break- 33:05\Visions and Prophecy-37:49\Exorcisms Today- 44:00 \Pop Culture and Wrap-Up- 51:38
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
In the 1890s, James Scotford discovered a series of ancient artifacts in Michigan’s Montcalm County that could cause a reevaluation of the way human history was understood…if they were authentic. Join Aaron and Samantha as they share the saga of the Michigan relics. From the Hopewell Indians to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this episode brings together archaeology, fraud, museums, and a touch of Indiana Jones (minus the Nazis).
Check out our website post on this episode for pictures and further reading!
Big Themes- 3:04The Initial Discovery- 12:50Early Debate- 13:40Daniel Soper- 19:03Tools and Tempered Copper- 23:14Midway Break- 26:29Confirming the Book of Mormon- 32:46James Tallmadge- 36:33Finding the Answers- 41:02Why Should We Care?- 48:16
Like the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeGreat Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Is there a group of small humanoids with bulbous heads living in the woods near Saugatuck, Michigan…and Cleveland, Ohio…and Newtown, Connecticut? Aaron and Samantha have a theory, so join our hosts as they investigate doctors without first names, buildings that may or may not have existed, and speak to the evils of turning those with medical conditions into monsters. Aaron and Sam get a bit angry this time.
Intro- 2:50\Michigan Melon Heads Overview- 4:22\The Felt Mansion and Junction Insane Asylum- 8:31\A Few More Issues- 12:15\Midway Break- 16:45\Melon Heads in Ohio- 30:40\And Now Connecticut…Really?- 43:25\Closing Thoughts and Lots of Concerns- 49:44
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
This time on Great Lakes Lore, Samantha and Aaron tackle their first modern UFO case. They’ll introduce the broader topic of UFO sightings and the government response to them in the 1950s and 1960s and then dive into looking at the 1966 wave of sightings in southeast Michigan that garnered national attention and led, eventually, to huge changes in how the US military dealt with UFOs.
Read J. Allen Hynek’s final Blue Book Report on the sighting here!
A UFO Primer- 3:45Sightings and Reporting- 9:51NICAP and the Robertson Panel- 13:05Project Blue Book and J. Allen Hynek- 15:22The Dexter and Hillsdale Sightings- 22:09Midway Break- 34:38The Investigation- 39:17The Findings- 45:26The Reaction- 49:30The Consequences- 52:43Questions and Wrapping Up- 55:57
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Club? Professional networking opportunity? Secret society? In Gilded-Age Chicago, the Whitechapel Club was a little bit of all of these. Join Samantha and Aaron as they explore the origins, activities, and membership of this macabre circle of journalists. Along the way, enjoy a story from a belly dancer, phrenology, and a ritualistic funeral pyre on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Introduction: Secret Societies- 1:11Club Life in the Gilded Age- 6:40Establishing the Whitechapel Club- 11:00Club Activities- 14:14Mid-way Break- 25:07The End of the Whitechapel Club- 31:56Who was a Member?- 34:18The Funeral Pyre- 37:52Professionalization, Phrenology, the Morbid, and the Occult- 42:42Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode NotesWhat happens when a bloody torso is found in a small Michigan church in 1909? With no immediate identification of the body, no apparent motive for the crime, and mysterious rumors in town, investigators threw out numerous hypotheses and put out BOLOs in surrounding states and Canada. And, while this crime does end with a confession, the reasons for it are still a mystery. Check out this week’s episode to hear Samantha and Aaron share the story of the Rattle Run Murder and come up with a few hypotheses of their own!
Time Stamps:A Body in the Church!- 2:38Suspicions Arise- 7:17A Blood Sacrifice- 14:43But Where’s the Reverend?- 18:14Midway Break- 21:46A Letter from John Elder- 27:14Newspaper Reactions- 32:55Possible Motives- 35:37Sam and Aaron Hot Takes- 41:58
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Haunted histories can be fun and they can allow people to explore actual history along with deeper metaphysical questions. But where is the line between haunted history and haunted attraction? In this episode Samanth and Aaron dive into the stories of two haunted locations in St. Paul, Minnesota that have connections to Prohibition and, perhaps, gangster ghosts. Perhaps? Maybe?
Timestamps:\Intro- 2:14\What’s the deal with Prohibition?- 3:34\The Wabasha Street Caves- 12:30\Mid-way Break- 35:32\The Schmidt Brewery- 43:17\Why do Gangsters Intrigue us?- 52:11\Ghost Tourism, History Tourism, Dark Tourism- 54:45\The boundaries between history and legend- 55:57
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Can the shipwrecks that plague to eastern end of Lake Ontario be attributed to normal dangers on a lake of that size, or do they speak to something more mysterious? Samantha tackles the maritime history and Aaron the…stranger explanations in this episode on the Lake Ontario Triangle. You might just find that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
Time stampsIntro- 1:06The Allure of Maritime Mysteries- 2:07So Many Triangles- 5:13The Marysburgh Vortex- 8:29The Quinlan’s Strange Attractions- 13:33The Bavaria- 18:21The Picton- 28:43Midway Break- 36:46Vanishing Aircraft are More Boring than Vanishing Ships- 39:32Everything from Lost Cities to Cattle Mutilations- 43:24UFOs- 46:42Sam Encounters Commander X for the First Time- 48:00Explanations (rational and otherwise)- 52:26Concluding Questions- 59:56
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Does a small red demon roam the streets of Detroit, Michigan? Probably not! In this episode, Samantha and Aaron dive into the story of the Nain Rouge. The creature first appeared in an 1880s tale on the history of Detroit as the foil to Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, and today the creature is taunted and chased out of the city in an annual parade called La Marche du Nain Rouge. Was the story of the Nain Rouge fact? Should we chase the “red devil” out of Detroit? Listen to this episode and find out!
Intro- 00:14Settling Michigan and the Scoundrel Cadillac- 02:43The Hamlin Narrative- 07:20Hamlin’s History- 15:07Charles Montgomery Skinner- 17:30Other Appearances- 19:24Midway Break- 24:04Lutin- 28:55Puckwudgies!- 32:00La Marche du Nain Rouge- 36:00Stop the Nain Shame!- 38:08What Do We Do With It All?- 41:25
Further Reading:Legends of Le Detroit (Overview with link to book)Detroit Metro Times ArticleAntoine de la Mothe CadillacWayne State University ProjectCharles Montgomery Skinner’s Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
The legendary monster of Algonquian lore, the Windigo (or Wendigo), regularly appears in popular culture, but how well is it represented? What is the Windigo? Samantha and Aaron dive into the legend of the Windigo, explore actual Windigo cases, and then put television and comic books to task. Who passes and who fails? What do we lose when the monster is removed from its cultural context? Find out in this week’s episode of Great Lakes Lore!
The Windigo’s MO- 1:39Cannibalism!- 5:52Jack Fiddler the Windigo Hunter- 8:47The Swift Runner Case- 12:37The Windigo and Canadian Law- 14:52L’Espagnol- 17:57Midway Break- 20:26Algernon Blackwood- 27:32Native American Legends in Pop Culture- 29:55X-Files and the Manitou- 32:56Hulk Smash Windigo!- 39:02Charmed- 41:46Supernatural- 43:22Windigo Psychosis- 49:25Wrap-Up- 53:20
Jack Fiddler
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer"Cannibals and Colonizers: An Analysis of the Wendigo in Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine" by Elaine Tousignant from The University of San Francisco
"The Windigo Psychosis: Psychodynamic, Cultural, and Social Factors in Aberrant Behavior" by Thomas H. Hay
"The Windigo in the Material World" by Robert R. Brightman in Ethnohistory 35, no. 4 (1988): 337–79.
Gitchi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade by Timothy CochraneNazare, Joe. “The Horror! The Horror? The Appropriation, and Reclamation, of Native American Mythology.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 11, no. 1 (41) (2000): 24–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43308417.
DeSanti, Brady. Journal of Religion & Popular Culture, Fall 2015, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p186-201
Evans, Catherine L. “Heart of Ice: Indigenous Defendants and Colonial Law in the Canadian North-West.” Law and History Review 36, no. 2 (2018): 199–234. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26564583.
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
America’s “Second Salem,” you say? We’re on it! Aaron and Samantha dive in to explore the legends surrounding the town of Whitewater, Wisconsin. When they got down to the sources did they find evidence of witchcraft, cursed books, murder, and spiritualists? You’ll have to tune in to find out. The pair put their history skillz (yes, with a ‘z’) to the test in “Were There Witches in Whitewater?”.
Intro- 00:20Whitewater Background- 02:15The Legends- 04:29Morris Pratt- 09:40Pratt’s Spiritualist Temple- 12:27Midway Break- 17:58The Morris Pratt Institute- 23:26Spiritualism 101- 26:21Mary Worth- 38:38Real Murder in Whitewater- 46:13Wrapping It All Up- 52:45
National Spiritualist Association of Churches: https://nsac.org/Swedenborg Foundation: https://swedenborg.com/Whitewater Historical Society: https://www.whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org/Morris Pratt Institute: http://www.morrispratt.org/
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
The mystery of the Circleville, Ohio letters is a tangled web of accusations and threats that Samantha and Aaron attempt to unknot in this week’s episode. They begin by outlining the basic chronology of the strange happenings that began in Circleville in 1972 and then move on to look into the way the story has been shared by news outlets, television shows, and podcasts. Why are we fascinated with true crime? What is it about this mystery, in particular, that has pulled Aaron down a weird dark rabbit hole? Are we all worried someone will find our secrets?
Time StampsIntroduction- 0:00:40The First Letters- 0:04:31Letters Continue (And Signs!)- 0:10:37Ron’s Death- 0:13:28More Letters and a Gun (!)- 0:15:16Midway Break- 0:18:01Paul Freshour’s Arrest- 0:22:20Freshour’s Appeal to the FBI- 0:29:43The Weird Website- 0:34:00Martin Yant Article (With More Letters!)- 0:36:25Unsolved Mysteries- 0:40:5048 Hours- 0:42:22Whatever Remains Podcast- 0:47:17Internet Forums and Why We Like True Crime- 0:56:32United State Postal Inspection Service- 1:03:03Final Thoughts (Finally!)- 1:05:51
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Last week's episode was a long one, so here's the "book club" segment we didn't have time for. Join Sam and Aaron as they discussed, over lunch, the books they're currently reading and veer into a more general conversation about reading habits.
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Some places accumulate stories more readily than others and Mackinac Island is just that place. With thousands of years of history and deep spiritual connections, this 4.3 square mile island is oozing with stories demanding our attention. In this episode, Samantha and Aaron are joined by Claire Herhold, a public historian who spent six seasons working on the island, to dive into this rich and diverse history. We’re positive you’ll find the true history far more interesting than some of the ghost stories folks have made up over the years.
You can find Claire on Instagram and TikTok @clairherhold!
As you may have seen around our social media, our Patreon is now live! Cheeso Media, which produces Great Lakes Lore and The Saucer Life has launched a Patreon, which will give subscribers additional material for each show, every month! Two shows for the price of one! You can find it at patreon.com/cheesomedia.
Introductions- 0:01:14A Brief History- 0:04:34Forts and War- 0:06:50Natural Landmarks and Legends- 0:26:23Break- 0:37:37Mission House Boarding School- 0:39:21Tourism- 0:46:52The Drowning Pool- 1:00:35Magdalaine LaFramboise- 1:07:17The Problem with (some) Ghost Stories- 1:11:05Postscript- 1:26:42
Further ReadingMackinacstatehistoricparks.comMackinacisland.orgGrand Hotel HistoryOn Boarding Schools
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterYoutubeLike the show and want more? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
-
Episode Notes
Aaron and Samantha travel back to the nineteenth century to explore the mystery airships that were spotted throughout the country in 1896/97. What started as a trio of lights above Sacramento, California, grew to reported sightings of actual ships that moved from the west coast to the Great Plains and into the Great Lakes States. Samantha and Aaron look at various sightings, possible explanations, and touch on the history of aviation. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s a wild ride.
Time StampsThe Gilded Age- 1:10California-8:25Wisconsin- 12:34Midway Break- 22:08Michigan- 29:35Lanark, Illinois- 39:10Aurora, Texas- 49:42The History of Aviation- 53:30Wrap-Up and Outro- 56:30
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterGreat Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore
-
Episode Notes
Samantha and Aaron did a livestream last week to preview the next run of Great Lakes Lore episodes. If you missed it, we've got you covered with this audio version.
Great Lakes Lore returns on January 17 with Mystery Airships!
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterGreat Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore
-
Episode Notes
Samantha and Aaron got wrapped up in the bustle of December and showed up to record without any material. Luckily, Aaron recorded the first Great Lakes Lore Holiday Party where the pair shared stories about interesting monster sightings and legends from around the Great Lakes. Tune in and have a happy holiday season!
Intro- 0:00The Monroe Monster- 6:08The Ogre of Seney- 14:02Oscar the Beast of Busco- 20:48Legend or Lie- 29:13Michigan Merman- 31:14Floating Humanoid- 39:35The Loveland Frogman- 42:44
Further ReadingMichigan Mermanhttps://pinebarrensinstitute.com/cryptids/2020/11/2/folklore-profile-the-lake-superior-god-of-the-waters-aka-the-great-lakes-mermanLoveland Frogmanhttp://www.weirdus.com/states/ohio/bizarre_beasts/loveland_frogman/index.phphttps://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/loveland-community/officer-who-shot-loveland-frogman-in-1972-says-story-is-a-hoaxhttp://moellercrusader.org/arts-and-entertainment/2020/11/5/the-loveland-frogman-is-back-beware
Visit our website and follow us on...
InstagramFacebookTwitterGreat Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
Support Great Lakes Lore by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/great-lakes-lore
- Show more
