Brigham Young, monster hunter...

About.com - Paranormal Focus: Salt Lake City ^ | Stephen Wagner

[Alex Murphy]

Loch Ness in Scotland, home of Nessie, and Lake Champlain in the U.S., home of Champ, may be two of the most well-known residences of alleged lake monsters. But the Salt Lake City area has its own legendary sea serpents.

Bear Lake, located northeast of Salt Lake City on the Utah-Idaho border, is a popular recreation spot for boating, fishing and camping. The stunning turquoise-colored lake, known as the "Caribbean of the Rockies," is also home to large, snake-like monsters that have been spotted for generations. The Shoshoni Indians may have been the first people to see the creature. Describing it as serpentine with short legs, tribe members claimed to have seen the Bear Lake Monster spurt water and to occasionally crawl ashore. It was even seen to snatch unwary swimmers in its jaws and carry them away beneath the surface, according to their stories. The Shoshoni said the monster might have left the lake after the area buffalo disappeared in the 1820s.

Yet, sightings by others persisted:

Reputable pioneer families reputedly saw the creature. In 1860, Marion Thomas and Phineas Cook's two sons were out fishing on the lake when the monster surfaced. They said it swam so close to their boat that "they might have shot it with a rifle." In 1871, Milando Pratt and Thomas Rich actually did shoot at it, but it just swam away. William Budge, a wagon train captain, reported his encounter with the monster to Brigham Young himself in 1874. About 20 yards from shore, the creature poked its head out of the water, Budge said. "Its face and part of its head were distinctly seen, covered with fur, or short hair of a light snuff color." He further described it as flat-faced with "very full large eyes, prominent ears" and a neck of about four to five feet in length.

A more recent sighting was in 1946 when Preston Pond, an executive for the Cache Valley Boy Scout, gave such a highly detailed description of his encounter that it was difficult to dismiss. Hey, scouts don't lie.

Several attempts have been made to capture the monster. After Budge reported his sighting, Brigham Young enlisted Phineas Cook to devise a plan to catch it. He linked a 300-foot length of one-inch-thick rope to a cable at the end of which he fastened a large barbed hook. A hunk of mutton was skewered on the hook as bait. The lure was then dropped into the lake with a buoy to mark its location. The ploy was attempted several times, and each time the hook was stripped of its bait, the pioneers assumed, by the clever monster. One tall tale blames the monster for crawling ashore and eating 20 of rancher Aquila Nebeker's sheep... and, possibly, a large roll of barbed wire. The real thief was no doubt grateful for the monster legend.

[Alex Murphy]

Given a recent thread on 4-5% of modern Mormons believing in the "Hollow Earth" theory, it turns out out-of-the-mainstream theories and the Mormons have a long history. The above excerpt is from the second page of an article about Lake Monsters, Bigfoot (Bigfeet?), and other cryptozoological beasties running about the hills of Utah. It was interesting to learn that the LDS fascination with mythical creatures and legends goes back to the beginnings of their religion.

[Wrigley]

Interesting.

[CARepubGal]

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Interesting article. ;)

[jude24]

I betcha 4-5% of evangelicals would believe in similar out-of-the mainstream theories.

[jude24]

I betcha 4-5% of evangelicals would believe in similar out-of-the mainstream theories.