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.
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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
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.
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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
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
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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- 3:04 The Initial Discovery- 12:50 Early Debate- 13:40 Daniel Soper- 19:03 Tools and Tempered Copper- 23:14 Midway Break- 26:29 Confirming the Book of Mormon- 32:46 James Tallmadge- 36:33 Finding the Answers- 41:02 Why Should We Care?- 48:16
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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
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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
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- 3:45 Sightings and Reporting- 9:51 NICAP and the Robertson Panel- 13:05 Project Blue Book and J. Allen Hynek- 15:22 The Dexter and Hillsdale Sightings- 22:09 Midway Break- 34:38 The Investigation- 39:17 The Findings- 45:26 The Reaction- 49:30 The Consequences- 52:43 Questions and Wrapping Up- 55:57
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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.
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Episode Notes What 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!- 2:38 Suspicions Arise- 7:17 A Blood Sacrifice- 14:43 But Where’s the Reverend?- 18:14 Midway Break- 21:46 A Letter from John Elder- 27:14 Newspaper Reactions- 32:55 Possible Motives- 35:37 Sam and Aaron Hot Takes- 41:58
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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.
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
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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 stamps Intro- 1:06 The Allure of Maritime Mysteries- 2:07 So Many Triangles- 5:13 The Marysburgh Vortex- 8:29 The Quinlan’s Strange Attractions- 13:33 The Bavaria- 18:21 The Picton- 28:43 Midway Break- 36:46 Vanishing Aircraft are More Boring than Vanishing Ships- 39:32 Everything from Lost Cities to Cattle Mutilations- 43:24 UFOs- 46:42 Sam Encounters Commander X for the First Time- 48:00 Explanations (rational and otherwise)- 52:26 Concluding Questions- 59:56
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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.