Devils Lake Monster

Devils Lake is North Dakota’s largest natural body of water and it is the second largest lake in the state behind Lake Sakakawea. Devils Lake is an endoheric lake, meaning it has no outlet, and its waters are brackish. Devils Lake is home to legends of a lake monster. For hundreds of years, stretching back to the days before European arrival on the plains, tales of a monster have persisted along the lake, though modern-day sightings of the Devils Lake Monster are lacking. Perhaps for good cause; during the 1940s, the lake had dried to a point that it could barely sustain fish populations.

The local newspaper for the town of Devils Lake ran a piece on July 10, 1908. The story told of a horned serpent-like creature in Devils Lake that made strange noises in the evening:

There is truly some horrible monster animal inhabiting Devils Lake. It was seen Thursday evening just as the sun was going down and those enjoying the cool breezes from the lake that evening were thrown into a fit and ran wild in horror of this fearful beast as it shot half of its body out of the water and then sank out of sight.

So quickly had it risen and again gone down that those on the shore of the lake were unable io describe the fierceness and size of the animal. It was in the shape of a large fish only much larger and those who saw it estimate the size as the same as that of a good size shark, only it .did not resemble a shark In the least, as its head was much larger and on each side of the head there were sort of sharp horns projecting several inches.

It was black from all appearances and as It shot out of the water it let a terrible sort of a scream which sent a chill over those witnessing the affair, and the noise was heard by several parties in various parts of the park. For the last week the inhabitants of the Chautauqua have heard these strange noises but were unable to locate just where they came from and it is probable that this wild animal of the sea has been the cause of the annoyance. It is strange, but every evening about 8:30 these strange noises have been heard coming from the same direction and the people have wondered what they were and this evening there- is a large crowd going to the spot from which this animal was seen and try to get a glimpse of it.

A great many years ago the lake was inhabited by a great many strange animals and fishes and a number of the wild Indians fell prey to the deadly jaws of these monster creatures and it is safe to say that the one seen Thursday is one of the many that was in the lake a number of years ago. We are unable at this late hour to give an accurate description of the monster, but from what we can learn it was about twelve feet long and was of a  black appearance, with a huge mouth and large horns on either side of its head. From the actions of the beast during its short stay out of water those witnessing the sight claim that it human, while others say that it was in the shape of a serpent.

Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake Free Press. “Monster Animal in Devils Lake.” July 10, 1908.

An Illinois newspaper, the Rock Island Argus, reported the following on August 6, 1904:

This resort was the scene of a satanic manifestation in keeping with its name. Mrs. C.F. Craig, wife of a banker of Leeds, N.D.; Mrs. Edgar Larue and Mrs. Carr Cleveland of this city vouch for a story that a monster serpent was seen by them from the Chautauqua camping grounds. It was swimming some distance from the shore, leaving a trail of foam in its wake, had a large, snakelike head and was covered in black scales, they say. All tell in deep earnestness of their Munchausen-like adventure.

Rock Island Argus. “Devil’s Lake has a Serpent.” August 6, 1904.

The Grand Forks Daily Herald ran the following piece on July 21, 1915, which describes a mass sighting of the Devils Lake Monster:

Stretched out on the surface of the bay of Devils Lake, fronting Chautauqua, the monster sea serpent basked. In the delightful evening sunshine shortly before sundown last night, while residents of Chautauqua and Greenwood looked on in silent amazement. The serpent was viewed from several different points.

There was no mistake about it. The monster, that has figured in the legends of Devils Lake for half a century, when only the Indians inhabited the country, or a descendant which answers the earliest description, was seen by so many that no one disputes the fact that it lives in the waters of the lake.

E. M. Lewis and Chas. Pillsbury, well known business men, saw the serpent very distinctly, unknown to each other. It was stretched out on the water about a quarter of a mile from shore. It is described as between fifty and sixty feet long and between a foot and two feet in diameter. Captain Walter Fursteneau of the police force, accompanied by his wife also witnessed the sight.

The last time the serpent was seen was a couple of years ago by Rev. C. L. Wallace of the M. E. Church. At that time it was in the extreme east end of the lake. It happens that this section is separated from the section where the serpent was seen last night, by a bridge at the Narrows, which in reality is a dyke, there being no water passage. How the monster got into the west-end of the lake is the present mystery. That it vaulted the bridge, or else that there are two serpents in the lake, is the conclusion reached today. In any event, it has been established beyond the question of a doubt that a monster lives in the lake and already there is talk of expeditions to get in closer touch with the freak.

Grand Forks Daily Herald. “That Devils Lake Sea Serpent Basks in Sunshine For Admiring Crowds; Now They’ll Hunt it.” July 21, 1915.

My favorite Devils Lake Monster story appeared in the Minneapolis Star Journal. Chief Blackbird penned an article in the February 9, 1941 issue. He wrote, “Many, many moons ago, it seems, rumors had circulated among the Indians about a huge sea monster that had wiped out a whole army of Indians.” Ke-ask-ke, a Sioux medicine man investigated the affair. Wrote Blackbird:

It seems the Sioux had just completed a bloody battle, and victorious, had driven the Chippewas to the Canadian border.

The Sioux had planned another attack on the Chippewas to drive them beyond the border, when there appeared to them the Great Spirit Man, Owanda the Seer, with the warning that if they did, A HUGE MONSTER WCJULD COME OUT OF THE LAKE AND SWALLOW THEM UP.

They did not heed this warning. The Chief of the Sioux warriors ordered the strongest men to dress in full war regalia.

…But just as they were ready to go on the warpath, they saw the water rise and boll. The earth seemed to tremble from under their feet. A LARGE UGLY MONSTER CAME OUT OF THE WATER. HIS SAUCERLIKE EYES FLASHED LIKE COPrER FIRE. The Sioux became terrified. Never in their lives had they seen such an animal. He had short legs, a short hubby neck, and a large head.

He made for the Sioux. They fought for their lives, but the demon was too powerful. One by one he swallowed everyone in sight. However, a few got away to other Indian camps.

The medicine man who had left upon the warning of the Spirit Man, returned a few days later with another band of Indians. That was the beginning of mysteries.

The lake water became salty, like that of the sea. The medicine man was baffled.

Then the fish disappeared as if by magic. Not even a dead fish could be found. Fish had been plentiful. In fact, the Indians formerly had taken them out in the springtime with pitchforks, hauled them away in wagonloads.

The old Sioux medicine man sent for other tribal medicine men to help investigate. That was the reason our Chief Little Shell had sent Ke-ask-k- e. They prepared a seance, known as brains of Know-It-All. All night the Indians feasted, dance, sang and prayed.

At last, Ma-che-gombe said he had the answer. He ordered the largest boat, and with the medicine men set off on the lake. They came to an area of water which had suddenly turned to a stormy sea. A few yards off they saw large bubbles on the surface. The medicine men became panic-stricken.

“Ma-che-gombe is crazy, they said, “to bring us face to face with the sea monster. We have no chance of overpowering him.”

They wanted to cast him overboard. However, Ma-che- gombe convinced them they need not fear.

But the whirlpool pitched one of the medicine men overboard. When he hit the water he began spinning around, going deeper and deeper. He then disappeared—“vanished to the grave of the sea monster,” his companions thought.

That was enough. The medicine men started sharpening their knives. It was time to kill Ma-che-gombe.

“Do you not know,” he said, “that he who fell into the water is the Spirit Man of the Water? The Great Spirit will not suffer us loss of our brother. This problem is not a matter of one man, but one of concern to all the Indians’ welfare, and it is our mission to solve their problem.”

The medicine men for once agreed.

They rowed along the boiling hole until the Spirit Man who had fallen into the water appeared again. He described what he had discovered. Deep in the water he said he found a hole where the water came out boiling. This was the mouth of a subterranean passage connecting with an underground river that ran across the country to the Gulf of Mexico.

They decided the monster came to Devils Lake from the sea through this underground river. And as he made his way into Devils lake, the salt drew all the fish into this underground river and they were never able to get back into the lake.

TODAY DEVILS LAKE IS STILL SALTY, AND NOT A FISH CAN BE FOUND.

…Many Indians will not go near the lake at night for fear of the sea monster.

Longie, James (Blackbird) S. “The Devils Lake Sea Monster.” Minneapolis Star Journal. February 9, 1941.

Fortunately the water in Devils Lake has improved since Chief Blackbird’s story, recounted during the 1940s. Today, there are fish in Devils Lake. The lake supports a thriving walleye and perch population, and northern pike and muskellunge also call the waters home.

I discuss Devils Lake and its monster in the fifth installment of my Detours Into the Paranormal series.

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