Historic monster reports in Massachusetts

1. 1884
2. Sacramento Daily Record-union. Sacramento · July 2, 1884 · Page 1

   Six young men see the serpent off Grape Island

   Between Grape Island and Hog Island, Essex County, Massachusetts approx. · June 11, 1884

   The Georgetown Advocate said six young men sailing from Grape Island toward Hog Island saw something in the water they first took for seals chasing each other, then decided was the annual sea serpent.

   Also printed in 4 other papers

   • Morning Appeal., Carson City, Nev., July 4, 1884, p. 3
   • Savannah Morning News., Savannah, July 5, 1884, p. 2
   • Wheeling Register., Wheeling, W. Va., July 9, 1884, p. 3
   • Vermont PhÅ“nix., Brattleboro, Vt., July 18, 1884, p. 1
3. 1891
4. New-York Tribune Sept. 24, 1891 · Page 2

   Gloucester fishermen meet a serpent on the Flemish Cap

   Reported at Gloucester; seen on the Flemish Cap fishing bank · Sept. 25, 1891

   Gloucester fishermen back from the distant Flemish Cap bank said a sea serpent over 80 feet long, resembling a giant squid, appeared while they were hauling their trawls, and that a marine monster wrecked trawl lines and overturned dories.

   Also printed in 5 other papers

   • Alexandria Gazette., Alexandria, D.C., Sept. 24, 1891, p. 1
   • Evening Star., Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 1891, p. 6
   • Pittsburg Dispatch., Pittsburg, Sept. 26, 1891, p. 3
   • The Morning Call., San Francisco, Sept. 26, 1891, p. 1
   • Shepherdstown Register., Shepherdstown, Va., Oct. 9, 1891, p. 1
5. 1896
6. Evening Journal July 30, 1896 · Page 5

   A lobsterman's monster in Plum Cove

   Plum Cove, Lanesville (Gloucester), Massachusetts · July 29, 1896

   William Henry Sargent was hauling lobster pots off Lanesville when he saw a sea monster, rowed ashore in a fright and gathered a crowd. Everyone watching agreed it was about 80 feet long before it disappeared.

7. The Providence News Providence · Aug. 17, 1896 · Page 3

   The Provincetown sea serpent was a turtle

   Off Provincetown, Massachusetts · Aug. 16, 1896

   Captain Richard Horton of the fishing schooner Minnehaha was said to have captured the sea serpent off Provincetown. It turned out to be a large loggerhead turtle that put up a hard fight.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale Explained at the time: a loggerhead turtle.

8. 1897
9. The Evening Times. Washington, D.C. · June 2, 1897 · Page 1

   A white serpent off the New England coast

   At sea between Gay Head and Winter Quarter lightship approx. · May 30, 1897

   Officers and passengers of the Merchants and Miners steamer Gloucester, bound from Boston to Baltimore, said they saw a white sea serpent 40 to 45 feet long early one Sunday morning, off the coast near Gay Head.

10. The Providence News Providence · July 22, 1897 · Page 8

    A flat head beside the boat off Salem

    Off Salem, Massachusetts · July 18, 1897

    Two summer visitors fishing near a buoy off Salem said a large flat head rose out of the water next to their boat, followed by a long body.

11. 1909
12. The Yale Expositor Jan. 29, 1909 · Page 6

    A wild man on Prospect Hill

    Prospect Hill, Taunton, Massachusetts · Jan. 28, 1909

    Scores of residents in north Taunton asked the police to investigate a wild man who roamed the edge of the woods near Prospect Hill and appeared by the roads. Mothers kept their children indoors.

    Also printed in 2 other papers

    • The Rice Belt Journal, Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La., Jan. 29, 1909, p. 7
    • Charlevoix County Herald, Feb. 13, 1909, p. 2
13. Crittenden Record=press. Marion, Ky. · July 15, 1909 · Page 7

    Northbridge hunts its ghost light

    Northbridge, Massachusetts · July 1909

    For several nights at about the same hour, a light ranging from the size of a bulb to a bushel basket appeared on a high ledge near Northbridge, climbing trees and hills and then vanishing into a pond. Treated as a joke at first, it frightened scores of children, and the whole village turned out to hunt it.

    Also printed in 1 other paper

    • Bisbee Daily Review, Sept. 11, 1909, p. 2
14. The Bridgeport Evening Farmer Dec. 13, 1909 · Page 8

    A Worcester man says he flew to New York by night

    Worcester, Massachusetts · Dec. 12, 1909

    Wallace E. Tillinghast, a Worcester manufacturing executive, told reporters he had secretly built a three-seat monoplane, flown it at night to New York, circled the Statue of Liberty at 4,000 feet and returned via Boston. He refused to show the machine. His claim set off a wave of night-light sightings across New England.

    Probably a hoax or tall tale No such aircraft was ever produced; historians treat the claim as a hoax.

    Also printed in 2 other papers

    • Orleans County Monitor., Barton, Vt., Dec. 15, 1909, p. 6
    • Lower Coast Gazette, Dec. 18, 1909, p. 1
15. The Washington Times. Washington · Dec. 21, 1909 · Page 6

    An immigration officer sees lights over Boston Harbor

    Boston Harbor, Massachusetts · Dec. 20, 1909

    Arthur W. Hoe of the US immigration station, woken by whistles in Boston Harbor, said he saw the dark frame of an aircraft with lights fly against the wind past him, heard the whir of an engine and watched the lights recede.

16. The San Francisco Call Dec. 23, 1909 · Page 1

    Thousands watch an airship circle Worcester

    Worcester, Massachusetts · Dec. 22, 1909

    Shortly before 6 p.m., a light appeared over Worcester, hovered, left and came back to circle the city four times, sweeping a powerful searchlight over the crowds. Thousands filled the streets. Tillinghast was out of town, and the story ran in more than forty papers.

    “sweeping the heavens with a searchlight of tremendous power”

    Also printed in 35 other papers

    • The Evening Statesman., Walla Walla, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 8
    • Rock Island Argus, Rock Island, Ill., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • New-York Tribune, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Daily Missoulian., Missoula, Mont., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Norwich Bulletin, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Birmingham Age-herald, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Albuquerque Morning Journal., Albuquerque, N.M., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Barre Daily Times, Barre, Vt., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Burlington Weekly Free Press., Burlington, Vt., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Los Angeles Herald, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Montgomery Advertiser., Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 9
    • Alexandria Gazette., Alexandria, D.C., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Bismarck Daily Tribune., Bismarck, Dakota, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 12
    • The Salt Lake Tribune., Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec. 23, 1909, p. None
    • Newark Evening Star and Newark Advertiser., Newark, N.J., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 3
    • Santa Fe New Mexican., Santa Fe, N.M., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • Daily Kennebec Journal., Augusta, Me., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 2
    • The Richmond Palladium and Sun-telegram., Richmond, Ind., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 5
    • Evening Star., Washington, D.C., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 11
    • East Oregonian : E.O, Pendleton, OR, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Washington Times., Washington, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 14
    • The Tacoma Times., Tacoma, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Seattle Star., Seattle, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
    • The Norfolk Weekly News-journal, Dec. 24, 1909, p. 2
    • The Detroit Times, Dec. 24, 1909, p. 8
    • Ottumwa Tri-weekly Courier., Ottumwa, Iowa, Dec. 25, 1909, p. 1
    • The Citizen, Honesdale, Pa., Dec. 29, 1909, p. 4
    • The News=record., Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon, Dec. 29, 1909, p. 3
    • Carolina Watchman., Salisbury, N.C., Dec. 29, 1909, p. 1
    • Wallowa County Chieftain., Enterprise, Or., Dec. 30, 1909, p. 7
    • The Parma Herald, Parma, Idaho, Dec. 30, 1909, p. 2
    • Heppner Gazette., Heppner, Morrow County, Or., Dec. 30, 1909, p. 7
    • The San Juan Islander., Friday Harbor, Wash., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 3
    • The White Pine News., Ely, Nev., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 1
    • Dakota Farmers' Leader, Canton, S.D., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 2
17. Norwich Bulletin Dec. 15, 1909 · Page 2

    Lights over the villages east of Worcester

    Central Massachusetts and northeast Connecticut approx. · Dec. 23, 1909

    After the Tillinghast story, people along the route from Webster to Danielson, Connecticut, and as far as Boston Common said they too had seen mysterious lights crossing the night sky.

    Also printed in 2 other papers

    • Putnam Patriot, Dec. 17, 1909, p. 1
    • Daily Kennebec Journal., Augusta, Me., Dec. 24, 1909, p. 1

Other states

• California 25
• Connecticut 6
• Illinois 7
• Kansas 7
• Nebraska 7
• New Jersey 13
• New York 9
• Washington 5
• West Virginia 5
• Wisconsin 5

All historic encounters

Newspaper pages: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (US newspapers published before 1927 are in the public domain). Text search: American Stories (Dell, Bryan, Carlson and others, CC BY 4.0). Summaries are our own. Place data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).