In September 1679, a French trader and explorer arrived near Green Bay, Wisconsin, with his new merchant ship, Le Griffon. The ship was loaded with furs and other commodities, and the captain was instructed to sail it back to a port in eastern Lake Erie.
The trader, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, headed south in a canoe with a team of explorers. It was the last he saw of Le Griffon. The ship sank in a storm and has not been seen since.
In the 345 years since the vessel sank, amateur relic hunters have announced many Le Griffon sightings, only to have state officials deem the artifacts as inauthentic. Underwater archeologists say Le Griffon has long been a target for hoaxes.
The Origins of Le Griffon
Le Griffon was one of the first European commercial vessels to sail the Great Lakes. Construction began in 1679, and it launched in August of that year.
