In this special episode, Samantha and Aaron take a look back at the first year of Great Lakes Lore. What were their favorite episodes? What have they learned? What would they change? Then, they’re joined by Adam Sayne and Serfiel Stevenson of the Conspirinormal podcast for a preview of the upcoming Strange Realities Conference. The conference takes place October 14-16 in Nashville, Tennessee with an online streaming option and features Samatha and Aaron presenting on Friday evening. Get more information and secure tickets at strangerealitiesconference.com! 

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Great Lakes Lore is produced by Cheeso Media.

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. 

• Intro- 0:21
• Who was Belle?-  2:24
• Her First Husband- 5:50
• A Second Marriage- 10:05
• Mail Order Men- 16:00
• The Farm is On Fire- 31:32
• But Whose Body Is It?- 36:34
• Identity Crisis- 43:33
• Picnic at the Crime Scene- 47:25
• Ghosts on the Farm- 50:07
• Female Serial Killers- 51:49

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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.

• ABBA- 0:32
• Meeting Bigfoot- 4:46
• Flesh and Blood Creature- 9:51
• Wide Open Spaces- 13:13
• Supernatural Bigfoot- 19:26
• Patterson Gimlin Film- 25:35
• BFRO- 30:44
• Finding Bigfoot- 35:35
• Midway Break- 38:17
• Vocalizations- 41:19
• Sightings- 53:43
• Rock Throwing and A Bit of Woo- 58:50
• Stick Formations- 1:05:07
• Criticisms and Pranks- 1:08:00
• Wrap-Up- 1:14:51

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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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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.

• Introduction: Secret Societies- 1:11
• Club Life in the Gilded Age- 6:40
• Establishing the Whitechapel Club- 11:00
• Club Activities- 14:14
• Mid-way Break- 25:07
• The End of the Whitechapel Club- 31:56
• Who was a Member?- 34:18
• The Funeral Pyre- 37:52
• Professionalization, Phrenology, the Morbid, and the Occult- 42:42

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