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It tells a story of one village in rural medieval Japan, following one boy Isaku, as his family struggles to get food essential for their survival. As long as I have those things working for me, Ill probably continue to do it.. Fee will invest in luck. Stozicki said she contacted the Liberts after a patron left her a program from the Charlevoix Public Library, where Steve Libert spoke in November. #1. The ship lays upside down in 80 feet of water and rises 25 feet from the bottom. But then again, what if? I doubt the Poverty Treasure has been found. The plausibletheory is that during the Civil War, a shipment of gold from NapoleonBonapartewas being transported thru the great lakes down the Mississippi to fund the Confederate army. Today, Richard Bennett feels confident that he will succeed where others have failed. Ive heard this story many times. Beacons in the Night, Michigan Lighthouse Chronology, Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. The plausible theory is that during the Civil War, a shipment of gold from Napoleon Bonaparte was being transported thru the great lakes down the Mississippi to fund the Confederate army. The most popular origin for the story of Poverty Island's lost treasure begins in 1863, during the American Civil War. Aug 13, 2007. "I'm an independent historian, and I thought our patrons would be interested," said Stozicki, who is president of the Rochester-Avon Historical Society. On November 2, 1933, Behrens filed a "Record of Casualties to Vessel." Later, a lighthouse keeper's son, Carly Jessen, watched men on a salvage boat searching for something in the water offof Poverty Island, and the young man bet that it had something to do with the gold. Some, maybe more than some, might admit they didnt believe it. The only way to really find this treasure is to have human beings on the sled visually looking at the bottom. Nevertheless, Bennett is quite confident that he is very close to the treasure. Door County is also known for are shipwrecks, Deaths Doorand legends. Despite the lack of a paper trail, the legend of the secret shipment has persisted. In the end, America learned about the legend of Poverty Island, yet nothing except the excitement of celebrity really changed. If your research has been exhaustive then you know that it does exist. Door County is also known for are shipwrecks, Death's Door and legends Did they, the people from "Unsolved Mysteries," believe it to be true? Door County has long been a magnet for famous people who have sought itsnatural beauty and long, lovely coastline. Behrens and his crew of four escaped and took refuge on Poverty Island. Although a lighthouse was eventually built on Poverty Island and put into operation in 1885, for a long time ships were forced to travel during the days and brave treacherous rocks and shoals. The ship was built in Ireland and was considered to be "unsinkable.". Legend says the Island is the final resting place of four chests of gold once sent by the French to the Confederate Army during the Civil War. We just had a basketball celebrity here in Milwaukee return to his childhood part of the inner city and consul youngsters in following their dreams. imagine a case of whitworth rifles, ahhhh. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Another skeptic is Corey Adkins, communications content director for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Download our app for the latest ]. The director, Michael Palazzolo, arrived and scouted out the county for filming locations. SSI Platinum 5000 Diving Award 1993, 518 Water Street Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085, Second Saturdays - Journeys Into Local History, The Sunken Treasure of Poverty Island with Richard Bennett. Richard Bennett, a professional diver and author, has spent more than 20 years and $100,000 of his own money searching for the sunken fortune: Any story that survives 100 years has to have some validity to it. Are 5 chests of gold under Lake Michigan? Theyve vowed to take nothing atthe dive site that is, nothing butunderwater photos and video. Is there a fortune worth of gold lying out there just waiting to be found? Best wishes to Mr. Bennett and crew. It's a win-win. 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. Yetnone has accompanied Steve on his dives, the couple saidin an interview last week at theirwaterfront condominium in Charlevoix. You can unsubscribe at any time. "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. The crew members chained the chests together and threw them overboard rather than risk the chance of being caught. The Griffon had seven cannons, according to old French records, Kathie said. Archaeologists have discovered a new communal grave tied to an infamous and bloody 1629 mutiny of Murder Island. Did the salvage team really find the treasure? Without dreams life would be pretty boring. Im a commercial fishermen and own many boats that could be very useful in the search. I wrote a screenplay about a scuba accident and it was the thing sleepless nights are made of. Until that day, Lake Michigan will keep its grip on the five wooden treasure chests hidden far beneath its surface. Nov 01, 2022 | 41m 57s | tv-pg | CC. Rick Lagina and the team set out on a highly anticipated dive operation to find evidence of a shipwreck, in this clip from Season 9, "The Hedden Truth."Tuesd. . I new book will be available in a few weeks, Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Mr Libert hopes to find a cannon, like the above, on the wreck of The Griffin. (1,509 ft 2 in) off Poverty Island, Michigan on 21 April 1984. I wish you good luck in your endeavor. Poverty Island is a small island in the U.S. state of Michigan. of that ship will never leat that trezer leave the merky deps of the water Even better than the equipment is luck Mel Fisher had this and it made him very successful where others failed. Le Griffon. Good luck and if you find a treasure invite me to the party. 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 SS Ira H. Owen was a Great Lakes freighter that sank near Outer Island in the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior, in the Mataafa Storm on 28 November 1905.She was loaded with 116,000 bushels of barley which was considered a "light load". Luck is as important as working capital. Extra Notes: This case originally ran on the November 11, 1994 episode. 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 students of history, of any age, the Liberts' book is a good example of using primary source documents old maps and woodcuts from centuries-old books; records left by Jesuit missionaries, who traveled through the area of the Griffon's last sightings in 1670-1672; and thediaries of expedition leader Robert Cavelier de la Salle and of the exploring party's missionary priest, Father LouisHennepin. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Despite that belief, there is a story that a group of sailors might have accidentally snagged one of the trunks in 1929. . Similarly, in 2014, treasure hunters Kevin Dykstra and Frederick J. Monroe claimed the discovery of the wreck near Frankfort, Michigan. I for one started before we had any formal search devices, side scan, GPS that sort of equipment. Hahahahahaha 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. Fact; The legend first appeared in print in 1907 or 1910. "That's when I learned about his attachment to the Griffon, and really to the Great Lakes and all shipwrecks," she said. An estimated 500 to 1,000 vessels fell victim to its whims, mostly in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Taking a new approach, Rick Lagina and Matty Blake return to Poverty Island in Lake Michigan to search for millions in missing Civil War gold. However, historian Chuck Feltner disagrees. Thanks for the good wishes. 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. Since I began my latest job Ive been interested in it more as we have tech available that can discriminate gold returns from other metals. Covert projects rely on the uncommon. According to Richard Bennett, a young boy named Karly Jesson, whose father was the local lighthouse keeper, was said to have watched the salvage operation for three consecutive summers: One day, he was sitting on the rocks watching this operation, and there was a lot of rejoicing, revelryobviously a real congratulatory party that was going on, on the ship.. Shipwrecks [1982/1996] - . Poverty Island. I think it was cases of rifles, now they would be contraband. The legend and the attempts to discover the treasure caught the ear of the producers of the highly popular, 14-season television series Unsolved Mysteries. The program, which ran from 1988 to 2002, used a documentary format to profile real-life mysteries and featured re-enactments of unsolved crimes, missing persons cases, conspiracy theories and unexplained paranormal phenomena such as alien abductions, ghosts, UFOsand "secret history" theories. Whether the Liberts found the Griffonor merely stumbled on the watery wreckage of some unidentified old ship, their book and the saga of their search open a door to the fascinating earliest days of European exploration inthe Great Lakes, before the founding of Detroit in 1701. | Special to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, Traveling Back: Witnesses watch bridge lift car, police search for driver, Traveling Back: WWI vets honored fellow doughboys to the last man, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Nevertheless, Bennett is quite confident that he is very close to the treasure. I almost came over to your house, to get your papers on the treasure. Ive always wanted to pull my sidescan around there a bit as it has phenomenal definition. Both the Door County Maritime Museum and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum inManitowoc were utilized for historical aspects of the story. The story ends with the bartender living in Hawaii and owning his own construction company. Their hope is to prove that this is the ship that went missing for 343 years. Now, the celebrity part of the story. Professional diver and owner of a diving school and shop in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Bennet became fascinated and obsessed with the legend of the Poverty Island lost treasure back in 1968, and has been looking for it ever since. This particular drone video offers unique insight into the island's rugged natural . "Many of them didn't even know that an island was there," said coastguard Charles Cormier . By Hannah Pennington, Published on Jul 28, 2022. The original story from the 1980s tells of a bartender from Washington Island that dove many times also looking for the five chests. I often wonder if they thought it was round. Contact Bill Laitner: blaitner@freepress.com, Diving couple say they've found Great Lakes' oldest shipwreck, but doubters abound. That sounds a little like maybe he found it and just sort of slipped away. They say that big things come in small packages. We are only talking about adding weeks to delivery time. 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. Le Griffon was the first full-sized European style sailing ship on the upper Great Lakes that was built and commanded by the French explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. (Image: Great Lakes Exploration Group via Pen News). Today, Richard Bennett feels confident that he will succeed where others have failed. That might just be the case for Oak Island, an island off Nova Scotia that's only 140 acres but is home to some incredible findings. [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. The Liberts say the wreck lies near tiny, uninhabited Poverty Island, part of a chain of islands that runs southwest into Lake Michigan from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Steve Libert, a well-known Great Lakes shipwreck hunter and president of Great Lakes Exploration Group LLC, claimed he found the Griffon in 2001 in Northern Lake Michigan near Poverty Island. Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekendon AmazonHERE, It would really mean a lot to me if you Subscribe to Lost In Michigan, Do you want to know when I post something new? Nevertheless, Bennett is quite confident that he is very close to the treasure. Covid microchip developer says there's no stopping roll-out, Covid warning as another new variant with '46 mutations' infects 12. Loaded with furs in what's now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunksomewherein northern Lake Michigan in 1679. The treasure story reaches back to 1863, when the tide of the Civil War was turning in favor of the Union. Suddenly, a storm descended on them, almost as if to deny them the treasure. "We don't really have anything onthe Griffon. Some say that the native Indians boarded the ship and killed the crew. As a result, Libert has been diving intermittently in the Poverty Island vicinity since 1983. Thegroup's search team has discoveredseveral shipwrecks, including that of the 172-foot schooner-barge Atlanta, found just last yearand deemed "still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior" by society Executive Director Bruce Lynn. Never forget, mother Michigan can be an unforgiving, raging b*#ch, and they dont call it Poverty Island for nothing Safe journeys, Captain. The wreck was found near Poverty Island on Lake Michigan, almost 350 years after it vanished. One could hardly walk into a bank with hundreds of pounds of gold and cash it in. The bowsprit is believed to have broken off before the rest of the ship sank. The Owen's sinking took the akes freighter that sank near Outer Island in the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior, in the Mataafa Storm on 28 November 1905. JavaScript is disabled. The other nearby wreckage, meanwhile, had been dated to between 1632 and 1982. 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! Poverty Island is currently owned by the federal government. If they survive 100 years, they probably have an 80, 85% chance of being true. What about that guy from escanba, that looked for it, and then retired in Florida. As we know the story of Poverty Island treasure has been around a long time. Suddenly, a large image appeared on their sonar. Then you and I can conclude that persevering faith in hoping dreams to come true exists, to the non-believers. (The program is free to the public but advance registration is required; search under calendar.rhpl.org, move the cursor to May 12 and click on "Solving the First Great Lakes Maritime Mystery."). Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancers first intellectual loves. People believed the earth was flat for longer than that. 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). A hard-luck ship: 6 lives were lost in a boiler explosion, 1871; sank in Welland Canal, 1872; major fires in 1880, 1892, 1898, 1899 and 1906, sank on Lake Superior [Portage Canal] in 1906. . I think you sent me an e-mail about your Poverty Island screenplay. This San Diego County beach is also locally nicknamed Shipwreck . A 400-year-old silk dress discovered in a shipwreck off the Dutch coast has shed new light on a daring top-secret mission to pawn the crown jewels on the eve of the English civil war. Likewise, they claim a bowsprit discovered a few miles away in 2001 is another part of the vessel. Hello Mr. Bennett Now imagine a few boxes 2X2X3 feet or there about in 60 to 80 feet of water in a square mile area. Poverty Island is a small island in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its cold. The sunken salvage ship Captain Lawrence from 1933 was discovered in 1993 and found not to contain the gold. Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. The Light was permanently deactivated and abandoned in 1995 and the old discarded lantern room laying on the ground was retrieved and used to restore the Sand Point Lighthouse ( you can see my post HERE). But then it becomes clear that this is the book's major flaw. In June 2019, further misfortune befell the 200-acre island, which was struck by on-and-off fires throughout the land. From the pages of the Door County Advocate of years gone by. That in itself is rewarding. The discipline it takes to write a screenplay is daunting at best. The content is about the subject and little else. I have been fascinated by treasure hunting all my life whether on land or sea its addictive. As he walked the room, he said, 'Who knows? The wreckage, however, suggests the storm was the most feasible theory. According to the boy, a storm hit that night, and the salvage ship sank with all the men on board. 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Privacy and the mostly rural setting have attracted a number of actors, politicians and sports figures who have beenspotted enjoying the fruits of the county. The wreck was found near Poverty Island on Lake . There are treasure stories around us 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. . As shipping traffic increased on the Great Lakes it was decidedthat a light was needed to guide ships safely thru the chain of islands at the entranceto Green Bay. It is only a speck of rocky land just east of Wisconsin, surrounded by the chilly waters of Lake Michigan. 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 the Civil War treasure. 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. The Coronado shipwreck is located south of Hotel del Coronado, a historic hotel in San Diego, in front of the El Camino Tower of the Coronado Shores condos. Spending years building long running, fast boats he could outrun the storm in, once getting to the island from Traverse City area. "They weren't locked down. Investigations: None find one that is plausible for you and do the research. In Gytheio, you can find 'Dimitrios', a 67-meter-long ship, sunk and rusty, quite near the shore, easy to explore up close and swim nearby. 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. I have no problem that you are using the underwater shots, but I would like a photo/video by Richard T. Bennett tag. But some believed that, while traveling inland to Chicago, the ship was attacked and sank. If walking toward the condos from the hotel, the El Camino Tower is the furthest oceanfront building south in the complex. Reuters. It looked like a ship sitting upright on the lake bottom. 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. the souls of the sukin ship dont want the trezer found and lotid so the souls In 1883, a retaining wall was built around . This video by Steve and Kathie Libert is from the location where they found the wreckage from the Le Griffon. The leader of our scuba diving club dove many times looking for the gold with no luck. From then on, Steve's obsession grew. May I get to know you sir. There is a reason why this book is accruate if not so well definded. He has said of his search: I am sincere; this is not a hoax. Its cold. Steve and Kathie Libert, of Charlevoix, said they've spent more than 40 years seeking the answer to one of North Americas most enduring mysteries the final resting place of the legendaryGriffon. The database currently has a location of 14,672 ships. Thats the legend. The legend of Poverty Island gold had long been told among those who followed maritime stories and enjoyedtales about lost treasure. He mentioned this ship. Cargo is scattered on the bottom with visibility typically ranging from 5 to 25 feet. . Years later, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Texas and killed in 1687 by mutinous soldiers, according to historians cited by the Liberts. 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. In either event, the chests of gold never arrived. However, Richard believes that there would be no record because the treasure was brought during a clandestine operation. I spent my summers for 57 years snorkeling swimming and fishing in bay de noc. However, as the wooden boxes were brought to the surface, the chests broke free and returned to the watery depths. One crew braved overcast skies and choppy waters to venture out to Poverty Island and film underwater terrain while another film crew worked just north of Cana Island. It was in this era when Poverty Island was notorious for sinking ships that one of its most persistent legends would begin, which says that somewhere in the waters off poverty island are five chests full of an estimated $400 million in gold bullion and coins just sitting around waiting to be found. Mr Libert said: There are numerous theories as to what happened to The Griffin. You must log in or register to reply here. Its littered with the bones, timbers and planks of wrecked vessels. 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. Now, the program was on its way toDoor County. It is believed to be the location of a treasure of five chests filled with gold bullion and coins worth today around $400 million. But Im a dreamer, and Im a gambler. The Poverty Island Treasure story has been arranged and rearranged with the same slim two sentences or at most a few paragraphs. A underwater tow sled is far more efficient. Reports by French explorers and missionaries said Native Americans told them they saw the ship go down with all hands. i beleve the boxis of gold will never be found or brat up for the simpel fakt If 85 th st went though, we wouldnt t have had a back yard. Richard Bennett. It is available here. I believe it is true. Now they're retired in Charlevoix, a four-hour boat ride from the dive site that they hope will someday disprove thenaysayers. Thats the challenge. Dimitrios Shipwreck. It wasthe first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. The island is within Delta County in Lake Michigan and is home to the Poverty Island Light Station, an abandoned lighthouse which is in disrepair. Only time will tell. 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. The namehonoredCount Frontenac, the governor of all French territoriesin North America, whose coat of arms featured the symbol. 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. It's the oldest mystery on the Great Lakes: Whatever happened to the Griffon? Having a museum historian carbon-date it to the same era left them eager for the adventure. Shipwreck hunter Steve Libert believes he has positively identified the broken wreckage at this location to be the missing vessel; however, the wreck remains have not been officially identified. 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. Proof or not, it's certain that a storied chunk of the Great Lakes' mystery, romance and tragedy lies, somewhere, inthe watery grave of Le Griffon. Divers reported that while looking up toward the . Poverty Island Lighthouse, U.S. Coast Guard Archives, PovertyIsland is located in northern lake Michigan and one of several islands marking the entrance to Big Bay De Noc and Green Bay, as in the bay in lake Michigan, not the city. See the problem? But off Poverty Island, a dot of land in northern Lake Michigan near Escanaba, French-Canadian brigands attacked the treasure ship and sank it, the legend says. Remarkable images show the remainder of the ship detached from the bowsprit. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was used in the lantern room to produce a flashing red light at a focal plane of seventy-eight feet above the lake. Funny, as I was just thinking about this wreckI have to get Richard's info this week so I can research it. DON'T MISS:Mountain range disappeared into Yellowstone supervolcano magma chamber[INSIGHT]Scientists stunned at 'perfect' Ice Age discovery: 'Could have died[REVEALED]Mary Rose breakthrough: Ship was 'six minutes from being saved'[QUOTES]. Unfortunately for the crew, the anchor chain snapped to send it all tumbling back down into the murk, after which it evaded being found again. Many theories and speculations arose and while the date is often wrong (some sources state that the event . After two years sifting through satellite imagery, Mr Libert found what he believed was the rest of the wreck, and this was later confirmed in a September 2018 dive. The Griffin, Mr Libert believes, was caught in a four-day storm. You are using an out of date browser. 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. 15 metres (49 ft 3 in) deep, but has been ruled out as the Plymouth and is most likely the Erastus Corning. I'd be more than happy to help. Up it came, just seconds away, a fortune in gold, when suddenly the chains broke. Archive of past shows: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2000 1999 1998 1997 I live on the garden peninsula a few miles north of poverty island and have always been intrigued by the story. Bennett is the author of: 1) Deep Quest The Entry 2) The Sunken Treasure of Poverty Island 3) Island of Bones and the award recipient of: It was late August in 1994 when the crew of "Unsolved Mysteries" arrived, and the county was ready for them. Various seasons available now on Hulu. Or, a Top Secret Human Experiment Gone Wild? Its like being the first man to climb a mountain. Paul Paul Heersink has also been collecting data on sunken ships during World War II for seven years. Decades after the 1933 shipwreck and Behrens's death in 1959, Steven Libert, president of Fairport, learned of the legend of the lost gold. . The team makes an astonishing discovery in the investigation of not just one but two shipwrecks. At the couples condo, they showed the Free Press their underwater metal detectors, a wall of research books, and a sculpture of a Griffon the French coat of arms symbol for which the ill-fated ship was named as they made plans for Steve to dive again this summer. The story says several chests of gold, worth an approximate $400 million, were brought overland through Canada and loaded onto a schooner on Lake Michigan.