The Mystery Of The Silver Lake Sea Serpent Exposed

Did you know there is a legendary story of a sea serpent that haunts a lake not far from the city of Buffalo? This is its story.

A few nights ago, I was at a bar talking to a guy who said he was from Perry, New York. I explained that I knew where that was because we passed through it often on our way to Geneseo to visit our kids at college. I mentioned that it wasn't far from Silver Lake, and he responded with, "Did you know we have a sea serpent there?"

That one took me by surprise. I'd never heard of that before. But after looking into it, there really is a legend about a monster known as The Silver Lake Sea Serpent.

Where did the legend begin?

The legend dates back to a story that began on a moonlit night in July of 1855. Four men and two boys were out on the lake fishing. As they decided to head back in, they saw what looked like a log that was sinking and then floating to the surface again. As they watched closer, it suddenly leaped from the water, only to show itself briefly, then disappear again.

The men went to the authorities as soon as they could to tell of the beast, but it was never seen again.

Where did this serpent come from?

The serpent was a product of bad business. According to "Explore Letchworth And Beyond," it was the brainchild of a man named A.B. Walker. He was the owner of a place called the Walker Hotel.

Evidently, business wasn't great in the summer of 1855 and Walker, with a few other men in town came up with a plan to bring people in. They would create the sea monster out of some coiled wire, waterproof canvas, and some paint, then let word of mouth from the talkative town do the rest.

So with the help of some hose and a buried gas line, they filled the manufactured sea serpent with air at just the right time.

It worked.

People began to come from all around to find this serpent and bring it in. It wasn't until years later, when a fire broke out at the hotel, that they found the wire frame of the "serpent" that Walker and his friends had created. Walker admitted that it was he who had come up with this brilliant idea to bring people to his town.

The legend still lives on today

They may have found the culprit who came up with the scheme, but the legend of the Silver Lake Sea Serpent still lives on today. Just pay attention when you visit places around town.  You'll see the serpent in logos and even sculptures around town that are waiting to welcome you to Silver Lake.