Beast of Busco
Encyclopedia
The Beast of Busco is the subject of a legend in Churubusco, Indiana
about an enormous snapping turtle
named Oscar which citizens claimed to have seen in 1949. Despite a month–long hunt that briefly gained national attention, the Beast of Busco was never found.
A half century later, in July, 1948, two Churubusco men, Ora Blue and Charley Wilson, also reported seeing a huge turtle (weighing an estimated 500 pounds) while fishing on the same lake, which had come to be known as Fulk Lake. A farmer named Gale Harris owned the land at that time. Harris and others also reported seeing the creature. Word spread.
In early 1949, a UPI reporter from Fort Wayne
sent the story out on the wire services, and the turtle became nationally famous.
Curious mobs of sightseers began to invade Harris’ land. Traffic got so bad that the state police had to be called in for traffic control.
People questioned the existence of the turtle. To vindicate his good name, Mr. Harris made several attempts to catch the beast, including draining the lake, but "Oscar" (named after the original owner of the farm) was never captured.
A photographer for Life Magazine, Mike Shea, took 299 photos at the site, but they were deemed unusable. However, dozens of photos related to the history of the Beast are archived for viewing on the Web site of the Indianapolis Star.
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A turtle shell labeled "Beast of Busco" hangs in the Two Brothers Restaurant in Decatur, Indiana
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A small concrete statue of a turtle sits on the sidewalk at the main intersection in the center of Churubusco.
Churubusco, Indiana
Churubusco ; often shortened to Busco ), is a town located near the headwaters of the Eel River in the extreme northeast corner of Whitley County, Indiana, United States, in Smith Township, about northwest of Fort Wayne...
about an enormous snapping turtle
Chelydridae
Chelydridae is a family of turtles which has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are Chelydra the snapping turtles, and its larger relative Macrochelys, of which the Alligator Snapping Turtle is the only species. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere...
named Oscar which citizens claimed to have seen in 1949. Despite a month–long hunt that briefly gained national attention, the Beast of Busco was never found.
History
The story starts in 1898, when a farmer named Oscar Fulk supposedly saw a giant turtle living in the seven-acre lake on his farm near Churubusco. He told others about it, but eventually he decided to leave it alone.A half century later, in July, 1948, two Churubusco men, Ora Blue and Charley Wilson, also reported seeing a huge turtle (weighing an estimated 500 pounds) while fishing on the same lake, which had come to be known as Fulk Lake. A farmer named Gale Harris owned the land at that time. Harris and others also reported seeing the creature. Word spread.
In early 1949, a UPI reporter from Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
sent the story out on the wire services, and the turtle became nationally famous.
Curious mobs of sightseers began to invade Harris’ land. Traffic got so bad that the state police had to be called in for traffic control.
People questioned the existence of the turtle. To vindicate his good name, Mr. Harris made several attempts to catch the beast, including draining the lake, but "Oscar" (named after the original owner of the farm) was never captured.
A photographer for Life Magazine, Mike Shea, took 299 photos at the site, but they were deemed unusable. However, dozens of photos related to the history of the Beast are archived for viewing on the Web site of the Indianapolis Star.
Cultural impact
Oscar's memory lives on in Churubusco's Turtle Days festival held each June. It includes a parade, carnival and turtle racesTurtle racing
Turtle racing is a popular event in which participants typically place turtles in the center of a circle and watch them walk around until one of them crosses out of the circle...
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A turtle shell labeled "Beast of Busco" hangs in the Two Brothers Restaurant in Decatur, Indiana
Decatur, Indiana
Decatur is a city in Root and Washington townships, Adams County, Indiana, United States. The city, which serves as the county seat of Adams County, takes its name after the prominent war hero Stephen Decatur, Jr., one of the captains of the original 6 frigates of the US navy...
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A small concrete statue of a turtle sits on the sidewalk at the main intersection in the center of Churubusco.