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The Griffon - The Famous Great Lakes’ Lost 17th Century Ship
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Apr 10, 2025
In 1679, a wooden ship named The Griffon sailed into Lake Michigan—and vanished without a trace. Built by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the Griffon was the first European-style ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. She was loaded with furs and promise... but she never came back. In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we explore one of the oldest mysteries in North America. We trace the Griffon’s journey, the legends surrounding her disappearance, and the many failed attempts to find her remains. Was it mutiny? A storm? Or something deeper that pulled her under? This is the story of a ship that opened the Great Lakes—and then disappeared into them.
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exclusions apply
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welcome to End of the Road in Michigan
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the podcast that follows forgotten
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trails into stories shaping this state
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and the people who called it home this
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is the story of the Griffin a wooden
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ship launched with ambition carrying
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dreams furs and hope into the unknown in
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1679 she vanished on her maiden voyage
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leaving only silence in her wake in the
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late 17th century the Great Lakes
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remained largely uncharted vast waters
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known primarily to indigenous peoples
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who navigated their shores with skill
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and reverence for Europeans however
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these lakes represented an immense
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frontier a passage that could unlock
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trade routes and new territories among
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those ambitious explorers was Renee
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Roberto Cavalier Sir De Lasal whose
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visions reached far beyond mere
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exploration lassal dreamed of
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establishing a network connecting the
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Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and
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ultimately the Gulf of Mexico central to
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Lasal's ambitious plan was building a
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ship capable of navigating these
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expansive waters in the winter of 1678
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amidst the snowy forests near the
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Niagara River he and his crew undertook
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this daunting task despite harsh weather
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shortages and threats from the local
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Irakcoy the men forged ahead they cut
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towering timbers constructed shelters
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built a forge and slowly watch their
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ship take shape named Lrifon the Griffin
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she was roughly 45 tons measuring
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between 40 to 50 feet in length rigged
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like a brigantine and armed with seven
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small cannons the griffin figure head on
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her bow sprit symbolized vigilance and
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strength honoring Count Fontineac
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governor of New France whose coat of
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arms featured this mythical creature
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built from native materials she was
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uniquely suited to the inland seas she
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was destined to navigate on August the
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7th 1679 the Griffin set sail embarking
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from the Niagara River with Lasal a crew
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of 32 men and the Belgian missionary
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Father Louis Henipin whose vivid
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chronicles captured their voyage the
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ship sailed westward through Lake Erie
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the Detroit River Lake St clare and
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onward through Lake Huron each stretch
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presenting unique challenges
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currents were unpredictable shors
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uncharted and storms sudden and fierce
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at the Straits of Meno the gateway
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between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan the
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crew landed on Macheno Island already a
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vibrant center of indigenous trade the
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arrival of Lrion symbolized a turning
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point signaling French ambition
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extending further into North America's
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heartland from here they pressed on into
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Lake Michigan a vast and mysterious
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expanse largely untouched by European
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sales by early September Lrion anchored
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near Washington Island off Wisconsin's
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Dor Peninsula local Pawatami traders had
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gathered with valuable beaver pelts
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coveted in Europe for hats and garments
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recognizing this lucrative opportunity
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Lassal filled the griffin with furs and
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dispatched her back east to Fort Niagara
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with a crew reduced to just six men she
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departed on September 18th 1679
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intending to return with critical
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supplies for Lasal's continued
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explorations she was never seen again
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the disappearance of Lrion became one of
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North America's earliest maritime
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mysteries spawning theories and legends
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perhaps she fell victim to the notorious
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autumn storms of the Great Lakes
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ferocious enough to swallow ships whole
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some suggest the crew mutinied driven by
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greed scuttling the ship and vanishing
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with the valuable cargo others speculate
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indigenous groups wary of growing
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European encroachment may have
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intercepted or destroyed the vessel
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despite countless searches no definitive
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evidence of her fate has emerged over
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centuries divers and historians have
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claimed more than 20 discoveries each
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raising excitement and hope yet none
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confirmed notably in 2001 explorer Steve
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Lebert claimed to have found a wooden
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beam near Poverty Island in northern
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Lake Michigan believed to be part of the
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Griffin later analysis suggested it was
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merely part of a 19th century fishing
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vessel lassal upon learning of his
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ship's disappearance was
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devastated in letters to France he
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lamented "My ruin is complete no one has
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suffered more than I." Indeed the loss
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of the griffin symbolized a harsh
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reality check on European
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ambitions lassal continued exploring
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though tragedy shadowed him eventually
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he met his end far from the Great Lakes
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murdered by his own men near the Gulf of
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Mexico beyond her mysterious
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disappearance the Griffin's legacy is
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profound she was the first
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European-built vessel to challenge the
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upper Great Lakes heralding a shift from
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indigenous waterways to European
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controlled trade routes her voyage
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marked the beginning of profound changes
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maps redrawn cultures clashing and
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centuries of commerce and conflict
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ignited yet the Griffin's absence leaves
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a void filled only by imagination
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perhaps she rests quietly on the lake
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bottom preserved by cold freshwater her
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timbers hidden beneath layers of sand
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and silt a silent witness to the
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audacity of exploration and the
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merciless power of
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nature standing on Lake Michigan's
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shoreline today one can't help but gaze
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into the waves considering the depths
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that conceal her the griffin remains a
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potent reminder not every ambitious
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voyage reaches its destination some
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vanish quietly swallowed by history
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preserved only as mystery maybe the lake
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in its vast indifference simply
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reclaimed what it allowed briefly a ship
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dreams and a daring venture into the
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unknown some secrets perhaps are better
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left undiscovered thank you for joining
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me on End of the Road in Michigan if you
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enjoyed this episode share it with
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someone who loves history or leave a
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review to help others find our podcast
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for maps primary sources and more about
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the Griffin visit
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thumbwind.com and if you ever walk the
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foggy shores of Lake Michigan keep one
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eye on the horizon some ships never
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return until next time drive slow ask
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questions and always keep searching for
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the stories lost to time