200 Monsters Swimming in the Lake Linda Knight Seccaspina

One night in 1972 I was staying at the motel that faces Lake Memphremagog near Magog, Quebec as I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the sea serpent that lives in that lake.The lake is like no other, and a rumoured 30-foot- long monster called Gog, Manaloo, Memphre, the Anaconda, or the Lake Monster of Lake Memphremagog is said to swim the cold waters. As they say you can’t cross the sea by merely standing and staring at the waters. It was early in the morning and visibility was low–and not one lake dwelling sea creature was seen.

I personally have heard many a story from my mother’s side of some snake-like creature once seen with his head a foot or so out of the water bobbing slightly up and down. The story was nothing to scoff at they said and it had a scream that rocked the mountains all the way to Owl’s Head and then on to Jay Peak.

A report in Quebec’s weekly Stanstead Journal in late January, 1847, put it this way:

“I am not aware whether it is generally known that a strange something of a sea serpent exists in Lake Memphremagog”.

The part of the animal which my cousins actually saw measured about fifteen feet in length, so they said. Folks for years have blamed it on the state of Vermont which is supposedly full of leaky nuclear plants which can create horrible mutation things. One of the best descriptions of the creature was produced by Norman Bingham in his novel, The Sea Serpent Legend, in 1926.

Did you know scientists once met in Shelburne, Vermont to study the photographs, sonar readings and 144 sightings from over 400 years? Dr. George Zug chairman of the Smithsonian Institute’s Department of Vertebrate Zoology summed up the panel’s findings by saying:

“There is a population of large animals of some kind in that water!”

Serious scientists assume there are at least 200 of them, but there is no telling really how many species we have as lines have never reached the murky bottom of some parts of the lake.

In June of 1868 a report from the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said that the sea serpent had once again turned up in Lake Memphremagog. They feared it was a repetition of the Nahant hoax. An animal of similar appearance had been seen in August, 1819, off Nahant, Boston, and remained in the neighbourhood waters for some weeks. Two hundred persons witnessed it, and the serpent-shaped head was elevated two feet above the surface. Its sole eye was remarkably brilliant and glistening. One often has to wonder if these were remarks were made sober.

The aquatic reptile in Lake Memphremagog is always seen coming from the American border. As it edges its way through the water they explained that natural waterways like Lake Memphremagog are gateways to the parallel world where monsters like the sea serpent came from, with the intention of recruiting others of course.

Some say the stories began to attract tourism to the town, but really monster gawkers aren’t the spending type and you can’t even sell Tshirts for one of of the names lest you get sued. Monsters that are not seen every day still seem to have copyright laws like the Pixar Monsters. Go figure.

The best year of a good monster-sighting season on Lake Memphremagog was in 1996. At least 27 boaters and cottagers — in nine separate reported visions — claim to have seen the lake dwelling creature once the ice came out in the Spring. The last sighting occurred on June 4, 2000 when 2 people observed a strange creature of a greyish colour resembling a multiple humped whale. They observed this phenomenon from the wharf of Knowlton’s Landing.

The natives believed that the serpent had found its way to the lake through a subterranean channel entering Lake Memphremagog at Owl’s Head, the deepest portion of the lake. It seems some also think that it had become trapped in the lake because it was far too stupid to find its way out. Heck, this creature might even be an American, but there has been no word if he is a Republican or Democrat.

Maybe this is one reason I don’t hang my feet off the edge of the bed at night because I don’t want the monster under the bed to grab them. I’ve always been curious about the creatures that live under there or those in our closets.

But, what happens if you stop believing in these tales about sea monsters and other things that go bump in the night?

What if someday you drop a piece of bread on the floor and kick it under something or throw it into Lake Memphremagog and walk away?

What happens if someone under that bed or in that lake whispers thank you in return for that piece of bread?

Words to ponder my friends, or have you just crossed over into . . . the Twilight Zone? It makes perfect sense, because if you are going to tell a story, tell a big one, or nothing at all.

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In July I wrote about the giant fish under Central Bridge in Carleton Place.

It was the third week of June in 1898, and every single day for a week the townsfolk gathered on the Carleton Place bridge overlooking the Mississippi, to catch a glimpse of something big in the water. Some said a shark had migrated into the Mississippi, but no one could say how a shark could possibly do that. Each day the crowds assembled on the bridge to watch the movements of an extremely large fish that seemed to taunt all those that tried to capture it. Even though the gossipers said it was as a big as cow, in reality, the fish was over three feet long and some said it could weigh close to 30 pounds or more. What was it that had the townsfolk enthralled so much it made the newspapers? In the end it was reported by several fisherman that had been summoned to the bridge that it was nothing more than a large pike. There was no word after that in the newspapers if the fish had been captured.

Would that fish have turned into a Mississippi Monster? Decide for yourself after you read this tale that I grew up with in my childhood and it still lives on.

The Lake Memphremagog Monster

Joe and Carole Dupont lived on the border that separates the province of Quebec from the state of Vermont. They and their 10 children made home on the hilly shore on the edge of Lake Memphremagog. The lake was like no other and held the local townspeople in fear as a rumored 30-foot- long monster called Manaloo was said to swim the cold waters.

The story was nothing to scoff at, said Dupont, who told anyone that would listen. His wife Carole had found a curious viking petroglyph with a serpent design at the top of the mountain one day when she was gathering blueberries. Carole’s mother had also lived with the local natives after being abandoned as child and always warned not to swim in the lake or you might never return. Dupont himself had seen the big beast and had held him at bay when the monster tried to grab one of the 10 children one day.

The aquatic reptile was seen coming from the American border and had a head that looked like a horse. As it edged its way through the mist Dupont told the children to get away from the waters edge, but in one fell swoop Manaloo tried to grab sweet Odette. With the strength of 10 men Joe grabbed Odette out of the great beast’s mouth to safety and hit it with his cane. It wasn’t the cane or Joe’s anger that made the big beast flee for its life that day. No, it was the sound that came out of young Odette that drove it quite mad, as it was a scream that rocked the mountains all the way to Owl’s Head and then on to Jay Peak.

All eleven of them ran home with Odette leading the way.

As Carole served the hot pea soup to warm them; Joe’s hysterical words prevailed all through lunch. She asked Joe if he had been drinking and then talked to her girls. Of course she knew of the monster, but early in the morning the vapor rises off the lake and visibility can be low. Not one of her girls wanted to go near the lake again except Odette – and she noticed the child’s interest had peaked. Odette had always been the different child and Carole knew she was not her forever child, but she must be watched none the less.

The next morning Carole rose and needed wood for her cold wood stove. Joe had drunk himself into such a stupor that the children must be asked to help. As not one, but all ten marched down the stairs; she asked them to get dressed and fetch her the much needed wood. The woodpile was next to the shore and the children were leery of having to perform such a task. But they could not disappoint cher mama and off they went all looking much the same in their matching snowsuits. As Joe snored on; Carole watched through the window and then saw them all march back. There was Manon, Celine, Adele and Agathe. The youngest Chantal was holding hands with Corrine and Danielle. Helene and Jacqueline pulled up the rear, but where was Odette?

Their faces were solemn as they came through the door and Carole asked them nervously what happened to Odette. As they sat on the floor with tears in their eyes they said that Manaloo had finally captured Odette and they spoke how a thing called Quantum Physics had come into play.
As their mother sat there with wide open eyes; they explained that natural waterways like Lake Memphremagog were gateways to the parallel world where monsters like Manaloo came from, with the intention of recruiting others of course. After that fateful day Carole and Joe never questioned the story for the rest of their lives as everyone, including Manaloo needs world peace.

To this day the story has been told and re-told every single day, as we all need a few unsolved mysteries, because it adds spice to life. Some say the story began to attract tourism to the town, but really monster gawkers aren’t the spending type. Really, what good is a lake if it doesn’t have a monster, and isn’t the perfect man like the monster of Lake Memphremagog?
Has anyone ever seen one?

Yes, there is a monster in Lake Memphremagog– or so they say. I changed the name of the monster as there is a certain gentleman who does not hold kindly to anyone using a name he holds the rights too.

Our Haunted Heritage Event Page- but tickets soon! October 15th

St James Cemtery Ghost Walk Event Page- October 28th