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Urban Legends by State Part 26: Michigan

Published on 11/02/2025
By: vercetti2021
1620
History
5
Go Lions? No GO DOGMAN!!!
1. Dogman. One of the most famous urban myths known around Michigan is that of the Michigan Dogman: a dog-like creature that stands on its hindlegs at a height of 7 feet — not to mention the torso of a human man and a howl that sounds like a human scream. According to the legend, the Dogman appears once every decade, only on years ending in "seven," starting in 1887. While the Dogman is only known to leave paw prints and petrified witnesses behind, at least one person is rumored to have died of fright. The myth gained popularity in 1987 when Steve Cook, a Traverse City radio station DJ, recorded a song about the Dogman as an April Fool's Day prank. However, Cook was surprised to find there was fact in his fiction when his phone line was suddenly flooded with reports of Dogman sightings from all over the Great Lakes region. Decades later, Dogman sightings continue, some of them "incredible stories from credible people" — as said by Cook himself. So that's that. If you believe in the legend, you can take comfort in that the Michigan Dog man won't appear until 2027. Have you've heard of the Dogman?

Dogman. One of the most famous urban myths known around Michigan is that of the Michigan Dogman: a dog-like creature that stands on its hindlegs at a height of 7 feet — not to mention the torso of a human man and a howl that sounds like a human scream. According to the legend, the Dogman appears once every decade, only on years ending in
2. The Nain Rouge, or "red dwarf," is a malevolent hobgoblin that has been a figure in Detroit folklore since its founding. Legend holds that Nain Rouge's appearance would presage terrible events for the white people of the city, and foretell success for the Indigenous People. The creature is said to have appeared on July 30, 1763 before the Battle of Bloody Run, where 58 British soldiers were killed by Native Americans from Chief Pontiac's Ottawa tribe. Supposedly, the Nain Rouge "danced among the corpses" on the banks of the Detroit River after the battle, and the river "turned red with blood" for days after. According to the tale, all the misfortunes of Governor and General William Hull leading to the surrender of Detroit in the War of 1812 are blamed on the Nain Rouge. Several sightings were later reported during the 20th century. Two utility workers claim to have seen the creature just before the 1967 Detroit riots, and supposedly, it was also seen before an ice storm in 1976. Since It hasn't been seen since. Have you've heard of the tale?

The Nain Rouge, or
3. The Ada Witch. A Michigan urban legend about a ghostly woman said to haunt the woods and a cemetery in the town of Ada. The legend is considered a local variation of the "Lady in White" folk tale, and while there are many versions, it is believed to be rooted in infidelity and murder rather than actual witchcraft. The most common version of the story takes place in the late 1800s. A married woman was having an affair and would meet her lover secretly in the woods. Her suspicious husband followed her one night and found her with the other man. Enraged, the husband killed his wife. He then fought the lover, and both men died in the struggle. The woman's ghost is said to now haunt the area where she was murdered, creating eerie mists and luring people by weeping. According to folklore, the spirit appears during the Hunter's Moon aka the Harvest Moon. Despite the story being passed down for generations, historians and researchers have revealed that the events described in the legend are not based on fact. For a time, the spirit was misidentified as Sarah McMillan, whose headstone in Findlay Cemetery was vandalized by people who believed the story. However, historical records show that Sarah McMillan died of typhoid fever in 1870 and was not murdered by her husband. Decades of research into historical records of Ada and the surrounding Grand Rapids area have failed to find any record of a triple murder matching the circumstances of the Ada Witch legend. Regardless if they are true or not, many different areas have reported sightings of the spirit. Seidman Park is believed to be the woods where the murder took place, the park is a known location for reported sightings of the ghost. Honey Creek Road is said to be where the woman's body was discovered, and Findlay Cemetery located on Two Mile Road, this cemetery is where the ghost is supposedly buried and is a central spot for the Ada Witch legend. But have you've heard of this tale?

The Ada Witch. A Michigan urban legend about a ghostly woman said to haunt the woods and a cemetery in the town of Ada. The legend is considered a local variation of the
4. The Paulding Light. In 1966, a group of teenagers in the town of Paulding, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, reported seeing a ghostly light in a valley nearby. Locals claimed that the light, which appears every night when viewed from a precise location, was the lantern of a ghostly railroad brakeman who had been killed trying to warn an oncoming train of railway cars stopped on the track. A more prosaic explanation is that the specter is produced by the headlights of cars traveling on US 45, about 5 miles away. In 2010, a group of student engineers from Michigan Tech studied the light with a telescope and distinguished individual vehicles and even an Adopt a Highway sign. They were able to produce the effect themselves by driving a car along the suspected stretch of highway. It's thought that an inversion layer may create a volume of unusually stable air that accounts for the lights' visibility at such a distance. Whether is a supernatural spirit, object, or headlight reflection. Have you've heard of this light?

The Paulding Light. In 1966, a group of teenagers in the town of Paulding, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, reported seeing a ghostly light in a valley nearby. Locals claimed that the light, which appears every night when viewed from a precise location, was the lantern of a ghostly railroad brakeman who had been killed trying to warn an oncoming train of railway cars stopped on the track. A more prosaic explanation is that the specter is produced by the headlights of cars traveling on US 45, about 5 miles away. In 2010, a group of student engineers from Michigan Tech studied the light with a telescope and distinguished individual vehicles and even an Adopt a Highway sign. They were able to produce the effect themselves by driving a car along the suspected stretch of highway. It's thought that an inversion layer may create a volume of unusually stable air that accounts for the lights' visibility at such a distance. Whether is a supernatural spirit, object, or headlight reflection. Have you've heard of this light?
5. The Lake Michigan Triangle. (I must say a lot of places have a triangle it seems like!) The Triangle stretches from Ludington to Benton Harbour, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Michigan Triangle has a history of ships, planes, and people disappearing within its borders. One of the earliest disappearances in the Michigan Triangle was of Le Griffon in 1679. The vessel was built for the fur trading business and was sent into Lake Michigan. The Griffon was heading towards Fort Frontenac (present day Kingston), a trading post and military fort on the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario. The ship was loaded with furs and new supplies to be delivered at the southern end of Lake Michigan. The Griffon headed through what is known as the Michigan Triangle, while those waiting for the vessel's arrival found themselves waiting for nearly a month. After the ship never arrived, the Griffon was considered lost and was one of the Great Lakes' earliest shipwrecks. Although some claim to have found the shipwreck in multiple locations across Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, none have had enough evidence to claim it was, in fact, the lost Griffon. Other ships have disappeared since the Griffon, such as the Thomas Hume, but ships are not the only disappearances in the triangle. Captain George Donner's disappearance remains a mystery to this day. In 1937, Captain Donner was headed towards Port Washington, Wisconsin, with a cargo full of coal. One night, the captain decided to retire to his cabin for the night and instructed his first-mate to wake him when they neared their destination. When Donner entered his cabin, he locked the door from the inside. The crew had not heard or seen from the captain in some time and decided to break down the locked cabin door. However, when they entered the cabin, the captain was nowhere to be found. The crew searched the ship and found no explanation for the captain's disappearance. Fast forward to 1978, Steven Kubacki, a student at Hope College located on the southeastern side of Lake Michigan, went missing. He went on a cross-country skiing excursion intended to last a few days. He left a footprint trail in the snow that stretched along the waterfront past the Great Lakes' edge. However, the path of footprints abruptly stopped near the lake's edge on the beach. It was assumed he fell into the lake until they discovered no broken ice. Search and rescue scoured the region and found no trace of Steven, as if he had just vanished into the Triangle. Just over a year later, Steven showed up at his father's home with zero memory of where he had been or what had happened to him. Flight 2501. In 1950, this flight was intended to travel from New York to Seattle but never made it to Seattle that day. The plane and its 58 passengers disappeared over Lake Michigan. The next day, a full-scale search was launched; small debris from the plane was found in the water, but there was no sign of the actual plane. The Coast Guard continued to search throughout the water, but after some time, it was declared that there was not enough evidence to determine what happened to the flight since nothing could be found. The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association has held an annual search for Flight 2501 since 2004, but the plane has still not been found. Given its eerie history, have you've heard of this triangle legend? Or better yet, have you've entered it?!

The Lake Michigan Triangle. (I must say a lot of places have a triangle it seems like!) The Triangle stretches from Ludington to Benton Harbour, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Michigan Triangle has a history of ships, planes, and people disappearing within its borders. One of the earliest disappearances in the Michigan Triangle was of Le Griffon in 1679. The vessel was built for the fur trading business and was sent into Lake Michigan. The Griffon was heading towards Fort Frontenac (present day Kingston), a trading post and military fort on the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario. The ship was loaded with furs and new supplies to be delivered at the southern end of Lake Michigan. The Griffon headed through what is known as the Michigan Triangle, while those waiting for the vessel's arrival found themselves waiting for nearly a month. After the ship never arrived, the Griffon was considered lost and was one of the Great Lakes' earliest shipwrecks. Although some claim to have found the shipwreck in multiple locations across Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, none have had enough evidence to claim it was, in fact, the lost Griffon. Other ships have disappeared since the Griffon, such as the Thomas Hume, but ships are not the only disappearances in the triangle. Captain George Donner's disappearance remains a mystery to this day. In 1937, Captain Donner was headed towards Port Washington, Wisconsin, with a cargo full of coal. One night, the captain decided to retire to his cabin for the night and instructed his first-mate to wake him when they neared their destination. When Donner entered his cabin, he locked the door from the inside. The crew had not heard or seen from the captain in some time and decided to break down the locked cabin door. However, when they entered the cabin, the captain was nowhere to be found. The crew searched the ship and found no explanation for the captain's disappearance. Fast forward to 1978, Steven Kubacki, a student at Hope College located on the southeastern side of Lake Michigan, went missing. He went on a cross-country skiing excursion intended to last a few days. He left a footprint trail in the snow that stretched along the waterfront past the Great Lakes' edge. However, the path of footprints abruptly stopped near the lake's edge on the beach. It was assumed he fell into the lake until they discovered no broken ice. Search and rescue scoured the region and found no trace of Steven, as if he had just vanished into the Triangle. Just over a year later, Steven showed up at his father's home with zero memory of where he had been or what had happened to him. Flight 2501. In 1950, this flight was intended to travel from New York to Seattle but never made it to Seattle that day. The plane and its 58 passengers disappeared over Lake Michigan. The next day, a full-scale search was launched; small debris from the plane was found in the water, but there was no sign of the actual plane. The Coast Guard continued to search throughout the water, but after some time, it was declared that there was not enough evidence to determine what happened to the flight since nothing could be found. The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association has held an annual search for Flight 2501 since 2004, but the plane has still not been found. Given its eerie history, have you've heard of this triangle legend? Or better yet, have you've entered it?!
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