Reports by French explorers and missionaries said Native Americans told them they saw the ship go down with all hands. Stozicki said she contacted the Liberts after a patron left her a program from the Charlevoix Public Library, where Steve Libert spoke in November. Despite the lack of a paper trail, the legend of the secret shipment has persisted. Today, Richard Bennett feels confident that he will succeed where others have failed. There are several theories of where the chests came from, one of them being, Jesse Strang the King of Beaver Island and the leader of a Mormoncolony on Beaver Island with the gold was collected from his followers. Also reported ashore on Twin River Point . It wasthe first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. What about that guy from escanba, that looked for it, and then retired in Florida. The best part are the flow charts, five pages with arrows pointing to what may have happened next. poverty island shipwreck. . He had dreams of becoming a basketball star on the very street he just visited. That sounds a little like maybe he found it and just sort of slipped away. Poverty Island Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com In 1863 she grounded on Middle Island, near Thunder Bay, MI and was declared a total loss, but later recovered. How To Visit Shipwreck Beach (Navagio) In Zakynthos, Greece Father Louis Hennepin said it was lost in a violent storm. Its an individual achievement. If you have finances why not do your own search. The database currently has a location of 14,672 ships. When aUnion ship began attacking, the captain had the crew throw the treasure chests overboard in the waters off poverty island, so the gold could not be used by the Union Army, with the intention of retrieving it later. In the end, America learned about the legend of Poverty Island, yet nothing except the excitement of celebrity really changed. Beat of luck be safe and careful. As a result, Libert has been diving intermittently in the Poverty Island vicinity since 1983. Is there a fortune worth of gold lying out there just waiting to be found? One could hardly walk into a bank with hundreds of pounds of gold and cash it in. Mr Libert said: There are numerous theories as to what happened to The Griffin. The Sunken Treasure of Poverty Island with Richard Bennett Sailors and divers have had odd experiences near this wreck. It is near tiny Poverty Island in northwestern Lake Michigan and about 50 feet below the water's surface. In 1994, when countyresidents heard that a television crew was on its way to document a mystery, it seemed like the best of these worlds were coming together within the county. May he rest in peace. However, Richard believes that there would be no record because the treasure was brought during a clandestine operation. The PADI DIVING Excellence Award 1994 One day, Karl would claim that he had seen a salvage ship out in the water, allegedly excitedly working on dredging something up from the depths, after which the crews could be heard loudly rejoicing, but a storm would come in and sink the ship to send them and whatever they had found back to the bottom. Michigan Brothers Unearth 220-Year-Old Treasure Hidden In Oak Island The wreck was found near Poverty Island on Lake Michigan, almost 350 years after it vanished. Poverty Island is currently owned by the federal government. The Poverty Island Treasure story has been arranged and rearranged with the same slim two sentences or at most a few paragraphs. Charlevoix diver Steve Libert says he's 99.99% sure he has found the wreckage of a French ship that sank in 1679 in Lake Michigan. La Salle was certain that the captain and his men committed mutiny, sank the ship and absconded with all the furs.. I have been fascinated by treasure hunting all my life whether on land or sea its addictive. The Griffon had seven cannons, according to old French records, Kathie said. Location: near Poverty Island, . 'Holy grail' shipwreck haunted by doomed crew finally discovered 350 Steve and Kathie Libert, a husband and wife team, determined that a wreck found in 2018 near the Poverty Island in Lake Michigan, was likely that of the mysterious Griffin. They discovered the trunks while pulling up anchor, but before they could get it aboard, the anchor chain snapped and treasure and anchor were lost in the water. Some say that the native Indians boarded the ship and killed the crew. Poverty Island - Wikipedia According to the legend, Napoleon Bonaparte was desperate to assist the South during the Civil War. The namehonoredCount Frontenac, the governor of all French territoriesin North America, whose coat of arms featured the symbol. Data on another 4,981 ships were . Watch Beyond Oak Island Season 3 Episode 6 | HISTORY Channel At the time, Union forces were beginning to gain the upper hand in the war, and the cash-strapped Confederates were frantically trying to raise money for their war effort. It is called Poverty Island, an apt name, especially when treacherous storms sweep in across the lake without warning. The Liberts arewell-known in northern Michigan for their decades-long campaign to find the Griffon, but this week's talk is Steve's first appearance in metro Detroit. Now, the program was on its way toDoor County. Case File: Poverty Island Treasure He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America. An update on the Poverty Island Treasure legend. By early 1864 the Union blockade was so strong only one in three blockade runners made it though. Sailors in the 20s almost had the chests. In an email, a DNR spokesman said the wreckage the Liberts have targeted can't be the Griffon: "Our archeologists review of recently published media images reveals the remains of a shipwreck that features typical late 19th-century Great Lakes shipbuilding materials and methodologies, and scantlings that are entirely too large to be a French colonial vessel. Beyond Oak Island: $4 MILLION DOLLARS in Lost Shipwreck Treasure He mentioned this ship. According to the legend, the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte III, secretly dispatched a shipment of gold across the Atlantic to Canada. Sitting out in Lake Michigan, south of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and located between St. Martin Island and Summer Island is a windswept, storm-kissed slash of rock called Poverty Island. Investigations: None Over the course of decades, he has sunk over $100,000 of his own money in his endless quest, as well as around $30,000 from donations, all the while constantly scouring old news archives for stories, leads, and clues about the treasure. Despite that belief, there is a story that a group of sailors might have accidentally snagged one of the trunks in 1929. Today, Richard Bennett feels confident that he will succeed where others have failed. When a Union ship began attacking, the captain had the crew throw the treasure chests overboard in the waters off poverty island, so the gold could not be . More: Travel the Great Lakes on a floating mansion with new Viking cruise ships, More: Report: Recycling in Michigan reaches 19.3%, up 35.4% in 3 years. The story was convincing enough that several treasure hunters had tried and failed to find the reputed five or more chests of gold supposedly located somewhere on the islands coastline. It is difficult to tell how many people actually dived near Poverty Island over the years. Courtesy Steve Libert "Probably 99 percent of that . "That's when I learned about his attachment to the Griffon, and really to the Great Lakes and all shipwrecks," she said. At 3 a.m. on September 19, 1933, a sudden wind blew the vessel onto the rocky shore of Lake Michigan's Poverty Island. It is available here. Rick I live in the area of interested and have always wanted to dedicate time to something with allure. Steve Harrington, a maritime historian, is convinced the treasure is still located off the coast of Poverty Island: I think thats one of the most intriguing things about this legend is that its consistent in that the loss is always at Poverty Island. News", Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poverty_Island&oldid=1140233398, Upper Peninsula, Michigan geography stubs, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 03:07. Sailing from Door County Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan What say you, Mate. Mr Libert explained the discovery had been long in the making, sparked by a history teacher when he was still at school. An estimated 500 to 1,000 vessels fell victim to its whims, mostly in the 18th and 19th Centuries. I've been itching to get into wreck diving and searching, and up here in Minnesota, I was hoping to start soon. In most versions of the tale, the chests, usually said to be five of them, were chained together, making it likely that if one is to find one, they will find all of them. French archeologists who visited the site at the Liberts' invitation have said they believe the couple is on to something; they even staked a claim for France for whatever wreckage turns up, Steve and Kathie Libert say in their 2021 book, "Le Griffon and the Huron Islands," published by Traverse City's Mission Point Press (about $26in softcover and$35in newly released hardcover). 10 Great Lakes Shipwrecks - Marine Insight Then you and I can conclude that persevering faith in hoping dreams to come true exists, to the non-believers. Archaeologists have discovered a new communal grave tied to an infamous and bloody 1629 mutiny of Murder Island. The Lagina brothers, Rick and Marty . Some is better than none, and you sleep well at night. You can unsubscribe at any time. M - Great Lakes Shipwreck Files The U.S. Lighthouse Board commissioned a Lighthouse to be built on Poverty island in 1874 using the same design as the Lighthouse on Sturgeon Point near Harrisville on Lake Huron, ( you can read my post HERE) The Light was automated in 1958 and by 1965 the Lantern room at the top of the tower and the lens had been removed and replaced with an exposed electric light. 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Queen's Ghost, Small Lake Monster, Space Caterpillar and More Mysterious News Briefly, A Haunted Book and the Most Haunted Bookshop There Is. The town has been Libert's year-round home since his retirement two years ago, and sits 70 miles across Lake Michigan from Poverty Island. Explorer says Griffin shipwreck may be found - Yahoo! News We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. True or not, the legend lives on for those who believe it and are brave enough to attempt the search in the cold and often stormy weather. Had some really wonderful stories coming back from trips where he stared into the Gates of Hell with water walls on both sides and lightning crashing all around. Subscribe Today! Poverty Island is a small island in the U.S. state of Michigan. said a Chicago man named Frank Pea spent three summers in the late 1930s and early 1940s exploring the depths around Poverty Island with a ship named the St. Lawrence and a diving bell. History: Richard Bennett, a professional diver and author of 'The Poverty Island Sunken Treasure Brief', has spent over forty-five years and $100,000 of his own money searching for a Civil War treasure in Lake Michigan. If 85 th st went though, we wouldnt t have had a back yard. Top 10 Famous Shipwrecks in the World | Ocean Info In either event, the chests of gold never arrived. "We don't really have anything onthe Griffon. Furious winds and lightning-swift currents have spawned a graveyard of sunken ships and over the years, intriguing tales of lost treasure. A bowsprit discovered a few miles away in 2001 is another part of the . Sailing northeast along the Door County archipelago: We hoisted full sail and 110 jib at the dock and sailed from Jackson Harbor , north and west between Washington Island and Rock Island. Nevertheless, Bennett is quite confident that he is very close to the treasure. Shipwreck hunters have been desperately searching for The Griffin since it sank to the murky depths of Lake Michigan while carrying a valuable cargo of furs in 1679. . Maps of shipwrecks - Vivid Maps . By Hannah Pennington, Published on Jul 28, 2022. If they survive 100 years, they probably have an 80, 85% chance of being true. building a cabin on Poverty Island and staying there for some time in the hope of Page 3 Fairport Int'l Exploration v. The Shipwrecked Vessel, et al. If your research has been exhaustive then you know that it does exist. Privacy | Terms | DCMA | FAQ. Asked about the couple's claims, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources was quick to dismiss them. Shipwrecks. Legend has it that natives cursed the ship, after Metiomek, an Iroquois prophet, apparently told La Salle that the ship was cursed and would sink in deep waters. Fairport appeals from the district court's grant of . Over a period variously estimated at 188 to 137 years, it has eluded platoons of treasure-The view from Poverty Island reveals a vast panorama of water . 10. Id love to join Mr Bennett and help , and fund his search. See more in this clip from Season 3, "Return to Poverty Isla. Poverty Island lighthouse. Poverty Island. The original story from the 1980s tells of a bartender from Washington Island that dove many times also looking for the five chests. I have read the above comments and hope to provide you a feature movie someday. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season seven with Robert Stack and in season five with Dennis Farina. A few years later, Karl Jesson, the son of the Poverty Island lighthouse keeper, reported watching a salvage crew that seemed to make an exciting discovery in Lake Michigan just before their ship was sunk by a storm. 37: Poverty Island", "Feature Detail Report for: Poverty Island", Seeing The Light Poverty Island Lighthouse, Inventory of Historic Light Stations-Michigan-Poverty Island Light, Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery, "Divers begin Lake Michigan search for Griffin ship - Yahoo! Soshe joined his quest,although she is unable to dive with him because she has had a perforated eardrum since childhood. What to Know About the Mysterious Coronado Shipwreck "I've supported the historical part of it," including the accumulation and study of an entire wall of books about French exploration of North America, 17th-century shipbuilding techniques, and just about everything ever written from 1769 on about the Griffon. Background: In 1863, as the tide of the Civil War was turning in favor for the Union, the Confederate States of America appealed to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte III for a secret shipment of gold to bolster their economy. FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our homepage. Until that day, Lake Michigan will keep its grip on the five wooden treasure chests hidden far beneath its surface. St. Lawrence | Michigan Shipwreck Research Association Door County has long been a magnet for famous people who have sought itsnatural beauty and long, lovely coastline. There are many new facts that appear to support the legend. Date: 1863 Poverty Island: Tips and Information - trek.zone Often considered the first ship lost on the Great Lakes, little was known about it until shipwreck hunters Stevie and Kathie Libert set to work. 2023 Copyright. Its cold. More info. La Salle never found out what happened to his ship. When a reporter mentioned that, Adkinssaid, "I think we'll be removingthat today. As he was pulling the chests up, one of the chests opened and the gold spilled to the bottom but he got four chests.When the person who wrote the story in the eighties tried to find the bartender on Washington Island to confirm the story he was long gone. I almost came over to your house, to get your papers on the treasure. Covert projects rely on the uncommon. imagine a case of whitworth rifles, ahhhh. JavaScript is disabled. April 30, 2019. They must have a source where it could be integrated into a normal flow of gold supplies. A coast guard boat carrying bodies arrives in port after the shipwreck. This video by Steve and Kathie Libert is from the location where they found the wreckage from the Le Griffon. The wooden and steel vessels didnt sink, they floated onto the rocks, were smashed to pieces, and distributed by currents and waves all around the bays half under water until they became waterlogged and sunk. The book is in 8 1/2" X 11" manuscript form and follows somewhat of a sequence of events. In the 1930s, there was also the story of a Karl Jesson, who was the son of the Poverty Island lighthouse keeper. It may be difficult to identify the wreckage with 100% certainty, but park service officials said the Savannah is a top contender among Fire Island's known shipwrecks. Maybe somebody will find that ship someday,'and he touched me on the shoulder.". Feltner believes that the legend of the treasure is a good story, but holds no truth: Records of shipwrecks on the great lakes in the year 1863 are extremely good. Griffon, oldest Great Lakes shipwreck, under Lake Michigan somewhere That in itself is rewarding. At the time, Union forces were beginning to gain the upper hand in the war, and the cash-strapped Confederates were frantically trying to raise money for their war effort. Looks like Marty Lagina has gotten wind of the story and is searching for it! "Many of them didn't even know that an island was there," said coastguard Charles Cormier . He met Kathie in high schoolwhen he returned on crutches after a football injury and teachers asked her to carry his books. First, the mystery, which centers on Poverty Island, a speck of rocky land off the eastern coast of Wisconsin in the constantly frigid waters of Lake Michigan. Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery - Detroit Free Press My grandfather spent half of his life after coming home from WWII with a friend in Benzonia, MI. 400-year-old dress found in shipwreck sheds light on plot to pawn crown Suddenly, a large image appeared on their sonar. The PADI 50 year Contributions Award 2016 Nevertheless, Bennett is quite confident that he is very close to the treasure. "Le Griffon" (The Griffin) Above in this page talked about the sea stories he heard as a young man. if you think about it gold and silver were not illegal in the 1860's so why throw them overboard ? [2][3], On June 16, 2013, U.S. and French archeologists began examining an underwater object first discovered in 2001 near Poverty Island that could be the wreck of Le Griffon, although it will take time to determine if it is even a shipwreck. of Michigan intervened under, inter alia, the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 (the ASA), 43 U.S.C. There were considerable changes to the story line for the sake of TV time constraints. The bowsprit is believed to have broken off before the rest of the ship sank. To answer Joe from the 8-30-16 comment: Your right Joe, that was the point, to be odd. I live on the garden peninsula a few miles north of poverty island and have always been intrigued by the story. Often considered the first ship lost on the Great Lakes, little was known about it until shipwreck hunters Stevie and Kathie Libert set to work. Richard, are you still looking for the treasure? However I believe it to be factual regardless of what the naysayers say. The best part- 1679 shipwreck in Lake Michigan eludes research team It disappeared with a crew of six on its maiden voyage in 1679 after La Salle had disembarked near the mouth of Wisconsin's Green Bay. Aug 13, 2007. The other nearby wreckage, meanwhile, had been dated to between 1632 and 1982. His belief in the treasure has been bolstered by Steve Harrington, a maritime historian, but another historian, Chuck Feltner, debates the veracity of the treasure since there is no record of a ship sinking there despite flawlessly kept records of ships lost on Lake Michigan. Subscribe for new episodes announcements, latest news, featured cases, and more! Fact; The treasure was not been found by the first salvage divers, as has been implied. I new book will be available in a few weeks, Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. At 4.30am on Monday 4 August 1845 in stormy weather, the Cataraqui struck a reef on the west coast of King Island less than 100 metres from shore. 2020 MYSTERIES & HISTORIES. FAIRPORT INTERN. v. Shipwrecked Vessel, 913 F. Supp. 552 (W.D. Mich Any story that survives 100 years has to have some validity to it. While this sounds like just an old sailor's legend, there are some historical accounts that somewhat give the story credence. Sanilac Shores also is the resting spot for the wreck of the Sport, a 57-foot steel-hulled tugboat that sank in a gale in December 1920. The wreckage, however, suggests the storm was the most feasible theory. At any rate it was lost. After the discovery of the bowsprit, a 10-year legal battle with the State of Michigan prevented explorers from excavating the rest of the ship. They say that big things come in small packages. Clues in the Search for a Sunken Ship, Lost in the 1600s The treasure is believed to rest deep beneath the cold waters of Lake Michigan. Ever since, it has remained one of Americas most notorious maritime mysteries. Bennett has devised an ingenious underwater sled to comb the murky depths of Lake Michigan. Nov 01, 2022 | 41m 57s | tv-pg | CC. Shipwreck Beach, known locally as Navagio Beach, is located on the North West corner of Zakynthos Island. He said: My interest began the day my teacher reached over and touched my shoulder, and said out loud in class, Maybe one day, someone in this class will find it., Fifty-one years later, I am still intrigued by this story.. Contact me if your interested Mr Bennett. The Liberts' book also uses interpretative history color photosshot above water and below; Kathie's line drawings that depict the Griffon buffeted by the storm that sank it, as well as showing details of its likely hull design, and numerous contemporary maps of northern Lake Michigan. Maybe because of Povertys inherit dangerous location this may not be for you. Mr Libert hopes to find a cannon, like the above, on the wreck of The Griffin. The story seems consistent, there were witnesses, and maybe it was real, but in the end,it is really just alegend. The advantage today is the sophisticated equipment available for such endeavors its available however not inexpensive. While tug boats draggedthe ship off the rocks, the tug boats' anchors snagged some wooden boxes and the chains that held them together. But Im a dreamer, and Im a gambler. The Society's website, viewed last week, hadthree paragraphs about the Griffon, including the sentence: "In 2001, a famous Great Lakes shipwreck hunter, Steve Libert, claimed her wreck in northern Lake Michigan near Poverty Island." History: Richard Bennett, a professional diver and . That's a lot of our country," Steve Libert said. They allegedly reached out to none other than the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte III to request funds. Its cold. It is believed to be the location of a treasure of five chests filled with gold bullion and coins worth today around $400 million. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Mystery of Poverty Island's Sunken Treasure Chests Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancers first intellectual loves. All in all, the locals were impressed by how friendly the Hollywood people were. The sunken salvage ship Captain Lawrence from 1933 was discovered in 1993 and found not to contain the gold. The director, Michael Palazzolo, arrived and scouted out the county for filming locations. Who knows? I spent my summers for 57 years snorkeling swimming and fishing in bay de noc. Marty and Rick Lagina meet in the War Room with Matty Blake and Gary Drayton to review and discuss the future of the most compelling treasure hunts they've explored so far "Beyond Oak Island." (New) Beyond Oak Island S3 Episode 3 The Riches of Poverty Island, October 11, 2022 8:59 pm - 10:03 pm.