Seneca County is rich with history, but here are a few paranormal stories from the past about Seneca Lake
Seneca Lake is the largest lake out of the eleven total Finger Lakes in the Finger Lakes region. Home of the infamous Trout Derby, the lake is one of the biggest attractions in the area, with two state parks along its shores.
The lake is 38 miles long with the largest volume of water out of all the lakes, and at its deepest point it reaches 618 feet. On average the lake is about 291 feet deep. Its surface area is 66.9 square miles and it connects to the Seneca River (Cayuga-Seneca Canal) which connects Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, both found in Seneca County. The lake has been around for about two million years, formed out of glacial carving of steams and valleys.
Aside from its history spanning back millions of years, there are also paranormal stories surrounding the lake.
🌊Home to a Sea Monster
Native Americans local to the land Surrounding Seneca Lake believed a giant sea serpent lived in the lake, but residents in the area didn't really believe the myth.
On July 14, 1899, people's opinions on whether a giant sea creature lurked below the surface of Seneca Lake changed. Captain Herendeen and his pilot Frederick Rose were bringing passengers across the north end of the lake with a paddle-wheel steamer called the Otetiani. Rose believed he had seen an overturned boat around 7 p.m. so they turned the boat in that direction to see if they could spot any survivors. What they claim to have seen was not an overturned boat, but a huge sea creature that lifted its head before swimming away. The captain chased it hoping to catch it (or at least get its head to carry to shore) but the creature went under the water and they turned back toward the city of Geneva. After passing over the spot it had went under to turn the boat around, a passenger claimed to have seen it behind them again. They claimed that the Otetani had killed the creature, so they lowered a boat filled with men in an attempt to get the creature and drag it to shore with them. It was too big and allegedly slipped below the surface. A geologist was on board and looked at it before it sunk, claiming it looked to be about 25 feet long, a tail like a whale's, and a triangular four-foot head. He said it was around 1,000 pounds with green and brown scales and a cream colored underbelly.
Nobody ever saw the creature again after it was supposedly killed, but many sightings of similar creatures have been made.
Source: Patti Unvericht, Ghosts and Hauntings of The Finger Lakes
🌊The "Ghost Deer" of Seneca Lake
Nearby to Seneca Lake is a long chain link fence that runs along Route 96A, and on the other side is the former Seneca Army Depot, no longer used and home to various types of wildlife. One of the strangest animals living in the Depot is the herd of white deer.
Many people believe the deer are albino, but they are in fact regular deer with white fur. They don't have the typical pink eyes that an albino deer would have, but brown.
The first white deer seen by people are reported in 1949. Many believed the deer were white due to radiation and the Depot's involvement in storing nuclear weapons ammunition during World War II. This was not true, and it's believed that the amount of white deer came from a smaller herd that became trapped when the fence was installed to keep people out of the Depot, effectively keeping anything that had been inside, in. The deer then inbred and the recessive trait for hair flourished. The deer today are a variation of white tailed deer. They continue to thrive behind the safety of the chink link fence left standing long after the military base's closure, which helps to keep predators out.
Today the former military base offers tours that allow for people to not only look for and spot the white deer, but to check out the buildings left standing from the time that the military base was active and thriving. Visit Deer Haven Park to learn more or schedule a tour!
Source: Melanie Zimmer, Curiosities of the Finger Lakes
🌊Sunken Boats throughout the Lake
With Seneca Lake being around for so incredibly long, there are a number of sunken boats and objects throughout the lake. So many in fact, that new discoveries are made all the time. The American Canal Society has uploaded a pdf detailing their 2019 Seneca Lake Survey, which showcases a number of sunken ships and facts about the lake.
In 2018. a number of shipwrecks that were known about were targeted and located.
In 1869 a newspaper reported the loss of a canal boat called Frank Bowley. It was located on the first day of the search exactly where the original article had reported it sank. It's an Enlarged Erie class vessel and held Pennsylvania coal.
The second boat searched for an located with a completely intact Original Erie class canal boat. It's cargo hatch ran the length of the vessel and was filled with cargo that is assumed to be coal and covered in sediment. The stern cabin is also intact and could contain artifacts.
Another ship targeted and located was a scow ended Original Erie class canal boat, that has a caved in cabin roof. A woodstove could be found within its remains.
To view all the ships, check out the detailed PDF!
