Maine Ghost Hunters

Tag: Canada

  • Maine’s Lost Governor

    Maine’s Lost Governor

    Who Was Enoch Lincoln? 

    Born into a politically powerful family in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1788, Enoch Lincoln was destined for greatness. His father, Levi Sr., and his older brother Levi Jr., both held prestigious political positions, including the roles of State Representative, Lieutenant Governor, and even Governors of Massachusetts. 

    Enoch himself was a highly educated and capable individual. After graduating from Harvard and receiving an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Bowdoin College, he studied law with his brother Levi Jr. and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1811. 

    By 1815, Enoch was serving as the assistant U.S. district attorney, and by 1818, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. His political career culminated in 1827 when he was elected as Maine’s 6th governor, a position he held for three terms, winning over 90% of the votes cast in his re-elections. 

    Enoch Lincoln was not just a political player; he was a man of wide-ranging interests and a champion for those in need. He opposed slavery, appreciated Native American culture, and advocated for women’s education at a time when such views were unheard of. 

    The Legacy of Enoch Lincoln 

    Enoch Lincoln left an indelible mark on the state of Maine. He is the reason Maine’s capital is Augusta, not Portland. He commissioned Charles Bullfinch to design Maine’s new statehouse in 1827. He was also a poet, having published a poem in 1816 called “The Village,” which earned him the title of “Maine’s 1st Poet.” 

    One of his most significant achievements as Governor was to protect Maine’s Northernmost boundary when it came under scrutiny by England. Despite pressure from the federal government, Enoch stood his ground, ensuring no boundary change occurred under his watch. 

    The Mystery of Enoch Lincoln’s Disappearance 

    However, a mystery surrounds Enoch Lincoln. In 1986, a work crew entered the vault where he was supposedly buried to do some restoration work, only to find it empty. So the question remains – where did Enoch Lincoln go? 

    Some speculate that he was buried under the tomb, not in it, because the state legislature didn’t approve a monument dedicated to him until 1842. Others suggest his body was removed during an earlier cleaning of the vault back in the 1950s and never put back. There’s even a nearly forgotten rumor that his body was removed from the crypt on purpose and re-interred in his ‘home state’ of Massachusetts. 

    Five Things to Know About Enoch Lincoln: 

    1. He was betrothed to Mary Chadbourne-Page of Fryeburg, Maine for a few years, set to be married only a few months after he died.
    2. He was expelled from Harvard for engaging in the Rotten Cabbage Rebellion of 1807.
    3. He was in the process of collecting materials and documentation for writing a book on Maine history, and another on the language & history of the Aboriginals.
    4. He once challenged another lawyer to a duel when he lived in Fryeburg.
    5. He knew he was dying and was buried with Military Honors.

    Enoch Lincoln was a man ahead of his time, a champion for those in need, and a figure who left an indelible mark on the state of Maine. His life, his achievements, and the mystery surrounding his final resting place continue to intrigue us to this day. 

  • The Pocomoonshine Lake Monster

    The Pocomoonshine Lake Monster

    If you’ve ever had a reason to fear jumping into the natural waters of Maine, the likely existence of mysterious cryptids is probably why.  Ocean or Lake, stories of water dwelling beasts of all kinds have been tales told for centuries, and generations, so naturally – we’re diving into the research to tell you what you need to know to stay safe on dry land or – if you’re anything like we are – down for some underwater adventure!

    The Pocomoonshine Lake Monster goes by a few different names, including the Chain Lakes Snake, Poco, and the Chain Lakes Monster.  It’s said to be 30-60 feet long, and when it travels on land, leaves a trail on the ground 3 to 4 feet wide, like an eel or a snake would.  The bulk of the body is rarely seen out of the water, but witnesses claim it is best compared to a large snake.

    Although it was first recorded as being witnessed in the 1880’s the Passamaquoddy Legend it’s most closely associated with has been around much longer.  As a matter of fact, the Passamaquoddy had left drawings of water serpents, carved into shale, as far back as 3,000 years ago, and they long have held in high regard a legend involving famed Penobscot shaman, Old John Neptune, called “The Fight with Wiwiliamecq”.

    The Legendary account puts the great Penobscot shaman, John Neptune, in direct battle with a Micmac chief at a lake the Passamaquoddy call “Neseik” – which means “muddy from the great fight”.  During the altercation Neptune turned himself into a giant horned snail, known by the Passamaquoddy as “wiwiliamecq”, and the Micmac turned himself into a supersized snake, 40 feet long.  The battle ensued in the lake, and John Neptune emerged the victor, after which he tied the body of his defeated adversary to a tree beside the lake for all to witness.

    There have been numerous documented accounts of locals seeing tracks, trails, and remnants of the Pocomoonshine Lake Monster as it slithered from one nearby lake to the next, and even a couple of potential sightings, but all date back to the late 1800’s and our research has uncovered no sightings more recent or relevant to today’s time.

    Things we think you should know about “Poco”, the Chain Lakes Monster

     

    By all accounts and reports, Poco is not aggressive and will not approach people.

    Unlike other sea or lake monsters, Poco is not restricted to water.  It is known to travel from lake to lake within the Chain Lakes region, by way of land.

    Its body may be most easily described as “snake like” but when it moves on land it moves more like an inchworm than a snake.

    Poco’s skin is also somewhat snakelike, a darkish Olive green in color, but it has no scales, and it glistens with a sort of oily rainbow tint when the sun hits it just right.

    Tracks left by Poco have offered evidence suggesting it has flippers for feet.  These flippers help Poco inch along on land and ice, but also give it high maneuverability in the water.

    Our Theories about Poco

    Poco could be a tall tale told by back woods residents hoping to scare away people looking to move their families or businesses into the area.  It’s happened plenty of times in the past, with other “legends”, and since Poco seems to have disappeared altogether after its initial, and very brief, appearance in Washington County’s oral history, we suppose this theory is a quite plausible one.

    Poco could have been a real, living, breathing, biologic organism of some sort, which people did witness and which did leave tracks of its presence.  And, it could have died – which would explain why there have been no witness accounts more recent than the late 1800’s. Based on its description by witnesses, and by the tracks its been said to have left behind, Poco could be a plesiosaur like Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) or Champ (of Lake Champlain here in the US) – are thought to be.  What’s more interesting about this theory is that it was explained, back in the 1800’s, as resembling modern day Nessie & Champ descriptions by people who were, by all reasonable accounts,  very likely unaware of the existence of Nessie or Champ. Poco could have disappeared from our historic memory but still be alive today, remaining solitary & elusive, just as Nessie and Champ are thought to be, today.  The fact that Poco calls a sparsely populated area of Maine “home” makes this theory even more plausible.  If there are not many possibilities for witnesses to see Poco it stands to reason there will be less opportunity for Poco to be seen. Poco is known by the locals to be a gentle giant; a toothless and harmless legend of Maine’s Washington County; which has guarded the waters of the Chain Lakes region for centuries, and has never brought harm to any person or animal in its documented history. If you should encounter “Poco”, The Chain Lakes Monster, we hope you can come away with some photographic evidence or, better yet, some video.  And if you do, we’d love to hear from you!