Le Griffon, believed to be a 45-ton bark, was constructed and launched near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River. It was armed with seven cannons and became the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes at that time. In August 1679, under the command of Robert de La Salle and accompanied by Father Louis Hennepin, Le Griffon embarked on its maiden voyage with a crew of 32. The ship ventured across Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan, navigating uncharted waters that were previously explored only by canoes.
After sailing to an island in Lake Michigan, where local tribes had gathered with animal pelts for trade, La Salle disembarked and sent the ship back toward Niagara on September 18. However, during its return trip from the island, said to be located in the mouth of what is now known as Green Bay, Le Griffon vanished along with all six crew members and its load of furs. Despite numerous theories and investigations over the years, the fate and current location of Le Griffon remain uncertain, and no clear consensus has been reached.
The chronological history of Le Griffon includes significant events and searches conducted to locate the vessel. In 1898, Albert Cullis, a lighthouse keeper on Manitoulin Island, claimed to have located the ship in Lake Huron. However, the location was later lost. In 1934, a vessel found in Hessel, Michigan, was initially believed to be Le Griffon, but it was later debunked. In 1937, an inconclusive investigation took place on Manitoulin Island. In the 1940s, an unidentified wreck was discovered near Birch Island in Hessel Bay. In 1955, a location on Russell Island in Ontario, Canada, was debunked.
Numerous searches and investigations continued over the years. In 1961, Cleveland Dive Clubs conducted a search on Manitoulin Island, followed by a search by Canadian Navy Divers in 1965. In 2001, the Great Lakes Exploration Group reported locating the vessel, but identification was still pending at that time. In 2014, Steve Libert claimed to have located Le Griffon near Poverty Island, Michigan. In the same year, a cannonball was found by Mike Esposito. Another claim was made in 2014 by Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe, who located a wreck near Frankfort in Lake Michigan, but it was subsequently debunked.
The Daily Dose article on August 3 details Robert de La Salle’s arrival in New France and his exploration plans. Facing the obstacle of Niagara Falls, La Salle and his men portaged around it and established a camp on Cayuga Creek. There, they constructed the first ship built in America, Le Griffon, a 60-ton schooner. On August 7, with the assistance of favorable winds and a dedicated crew, Le Griffon set sail into Lake Erie.
As the ship entered the lake, it attracted the attention of onlookers, including Iroquois tribes along the banks. Le Griffon’s journey took it through uncharted territories, and it covered significant distances, passing landmarks such as Long Point and entering the Detroit River. It sailed between Grosse Isle and Bois Blanc Island, crossed Lake Saint Clair, and entered Lake Huron. Adverse weather conditions challenged the crew, forcing them to take precautions and endure storms.
On August 27, Le Griffon arrived at Michilimackinac, where it was greeted with great enthusiasm by Huron and Ottawa settlements. The ship became a centerpiece for celebrations, with more than a hundred bark canoes gathering around it. After loading furs for transport back to the storehouse above Niagara Falls, Le Griffon
https://core.tdar.org/collection/66577/the-search-for-le-griffon
