8 Things You Didn’t Know About The Michigan Triangle

Although it's not as popular as The Bermuda Triangle, The Michigan Triangle has its own unique mysteries and oddities to discover.

Although it is not as famous as the Bermuda Triangle, a number of unusual events are equally inexplicable. From being hinted as a hotspot for UFO sightings to a gateway to a parallel universe, strange things have occurred here.

The mysterious Michigan Triangle is a part of the Great Lakes in North America and the area resembles an acute angle triangle. To be precise, it covers Lake Michigan, which is the largest freshwater lake in the United States. Along the left side of Michigan’s ‘mitten’, the first side of the triangle is formed by connecting Ludington to Benton Harbour, Michigan.

1) The First Abnormal Incident - 1679

The history of abnormal incidents in the Michigan Triangle can be traced to the late 17th century. It was a time when the world was exploring new ways and routes for expanding trade. Le Griffon, one of the largest sailing vessels of its time, set out on its maiden voyage in 1679 to find a northwest passage to China and Japan. All went well until the ship reached the Michigan triangle, never to come back. Although it is not the only ship that might have been submerged, the horrifying part is that no wreckage of the ship, nor any traces of the crew, have been found to date.

2) The Fury Of A Cloudless Sky

Who could have thought a clear and cloudless sky would cause harm to a ship. But that’s what has to be expected while in the Michigan Triangle. In 1883, the crew of a wooden tug boat named Mary McLane, that worked out of Chicago Harbor had a strange story to tell. They claimed to have witnessed mighty blocks of ice falling from the sky while on the lake. For a whole 30 minutes, it did not stop and was so powerful that it caused dents in the tug’s wooden surface. The crew managed to save a large chunk of ice in its galley icebox and recounted the horrific ordeal at the harbor.

3) The Disappearance Of The Thomas Hume

While speculation surrounding the disappearance of Le Griffon was yet to reach any consensus, another incident in the Michigan Triangle puzzled the area. The disappearance in 1891 of the Thomas Hume, a three-masted schooner on its journey from Chicago to Muskegon is still a topic of debate. Even a $300 reward to find some wreckage from the schooner went in vain. Surprisingly, after more than a century, in 2006, the wreckage of the Thomas Hume was discovered by a diver in the southern portion of Lake Michigan. The research continues to confirm its identity and the reason for its dramatic vanishing.

4) Home To The Underwater American Stonehenge

Did you know that not just England, but America too has a Stonehenge? The noticeable difference is that America’s is underwater and it is spooky. Archaeologists have discovered a structure made of stones, resembling a Stonehenge in a shallow segment of the Lake Michigan. There is also a boulder that features an image of a mastodon, a species that was extinct 10,000 years ago.
The exact location is not revealed to the world, presumably as the research is still being conducted and if it linked with the secrets of the peculiar Michigan Triangle. Moreover, It is still not known if the structure is man-made or naturally occurring.

5) A Single Ship Collision – Rosa Belle

It is a known fact any kind of collision has two or more forces involved in it. However, that’s not the case int the Michigan Triangle, at least that’s what the Rosa Belle incident reveals. In 1921, a ship named Rosa Bella with 11 members on board vanished in the Michigan Triangle. Unlike other incidents, the remains of the ship were found floating in Lake Michigan. However, it raised many eyebrows when it was found that the ship overturned due to a collision. An even more chilling fact is that there were no other ship accidents recorded at a similar time and no other remains were found.

6) The Strange Disappearance Of Captain George R. Donner

Another unexplained mystery about the Michigan Triangle is the disappearance of Captain George Donner who was guiding the ship named O.M. McFarland. In 1937, the ship was on the way to Port Washington, Wisconsin when the captain went to his cabin leaving a message to the crew members to awake him when they are near to port. The crew followed the instruction and knocked on the captain’s cabin, but received no response. Much to their surprise, the cabin was locked from inside and they had to break the door. However, the captain was nowhere to be found and he vanished without any trace. The frightened crew revealed that the ship was in the Michigan Triangle when the chilling incident occurred.

7) The Lost Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501

A deadly disaster again took place in the Michigan Triangle in 1950, but this time it was an aircraft. The Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 with 55 passengers and 3 crew members was on its way from New York to Minneapolis when the fatal event occurred. Just before the flight vanished from radar, the captain had requested to descend to the cruising altitude to 2500 due to extreme and unexpected turbulence. The permission could not be granted and the flight continued at 3500 feet over Lake Michigan. The flight never reached its destination, nor was the plane’s wreckage found. The reason for the crash remains a mystery and the only remains found were body fragments and light debris.

8) The Unexplained Strange Appearances

Not only the disappearances, but strange appearances too have made the Michigan Triangle one of the most mysterious places in the world. In 1919, people have observed unusual and bright lights in the sky above the Michigan Triangle. They reveal that they have witnessed two large balls of fire fall into Lake Michigan and the explosion was so powerful that it shook the earth. The New York Times reported it as a Huge Meteor, but some still perceive this event as paranormal. Many reports of supposed UFO sightings at the same point above Michigan Triangle were reported later by the locals.