The Wreck of the Griffon

Cris Kohl and wife Joan Forsberg have conducted over 20 years of research in order to write their new book The Wreck of the Griffon, the explorer La Salle’s ship that disappeared in 1679 on its return voyage from Lake Michigan.  

The Griffon was built by La Salle near Niagara Falls and was the first ship to sail on the upper Great Lakes. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. On its way back to Niagara from Green Bay, the Griffon disappeared with its entire crew and valuable cargo of furs commencing the centuries-long quest to discover its fate.

The loss of the Griffon is one of the great mysteries of the Great Lakes.  Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found.  It has become one of the most sought after and perhaps one of the most "found" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes!

This book relates the fascinating story of the Griffon, its background, and information about the 22 claims of discovery made in the past 200 years.   One of the most intriguing is that the wreckage of the Griffon may have been found nearly 100 years ago but went unrecognized. The details of these discoveries along with numerous illustrations are contained in the pages of this thought provoking book. 

THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc.  224 pages.  $19.95 plus $3 S&H.  Order from www.seawolfcommunications.com or call them at 630-293-8996.