There are all sorts of lake monsters out there, and in Churubusco, Indiana, a small town of fewer than 2,000 people, it is the home of the “Beast of Busco,” an enormous snapping turtle cryptid that allegedly weighs nearly 500 pounds.
Why Is Churubusco Called Turtle Town?
In March of 1949, there was a sighting of a monstrous turtle in Churubusco by Gale Harris, who owned the lake (Fulk Lake) in which the car-sized turtle resided. The sightings dated back to the previous year by locals Ora Blue and Charlie Wilson, but it wasn’t until the next year that Harris spotted the beast and set course on trying to capture it with his friend Orville Reese.
Both men claimed to have seen the monstrous turtle while out on the lake, and as news eventually got out around the country, Churubusco and “Oscar,” the Beast of Busco, began to make national headlines.
As you can imagine, there have been many attempts to document or even capture the Beast of Busco over the years. Tourists and journalists alike have descended upon Churubusco for decades trying to obtain their own proof of the turtle’s existence. Harris tried to capture Oscar himself through traps, dragging the lake with hooks, and introducing a female snapping turtle that was thought to potentially be able to lure the beast out of hiding. Harris even tried draining the lake by pumping the water into an area sealed off by a dam, but the dam broke before the lake could be fully drained and there could be an answer once and for all.
There have been divers who have tried to scour the depths of the lake for evidence as well, only to come up empty. Ultimately, with no evidence to speak of, the active hunt for this monster turtle subsided over the years, though it didn’t stop Churubusco from becoming Turtle Town, USA – and taking full advantage of that distinction.
Since 1950, the city has enthusiastically celebrated its Turtle Days festival in June, complete with a parade, carnival, and turtle races. There is also a small concrete statue of a turtle that sits on the sidewalk at the main intersection right in the center of Churubusco, a small reminder of the city’s cryptid connections.
So hey, if you’re looking to see the statue or perhaps do your own investigative research into Oscar the monster turtle, be sure to add a stop in Churubusco to your next road trip itinerary.
