The Tall Tale of the Tremendous Dragon of Lake Orion: A Fishy Story or a Prank Gone Wild?

Once upon a time, there existed a legendary dragon that resided in Lake Orion during the year 1894. Although the dragon appeared friendly, its presence struck fear in the hearts of the residents who spotted it. With each sighting, the dragon grew in size, a common trait amongst dragons, aging rapidly but living forever. From a mere 18 feet, it expanded up to a remarkable length of 80 feet, and its scales were green with black spots, covered in slime and seaweed as it arose from the depths of the lake.

Two women from Orion who were fishing from a dock were the first to witness the terrifying creature emerge from the water. Following this incident, several other sightings occurred, with some of them being confirmed as real. One of the sightings was reported by The Review newspaper, where Mrs. Vincent Brown, along with her two young nieces, was fishing from a rowboat when the dragon attacked. Despite her brave efforts of hitting the dragon with a board, the creature continued to pursue them, causing them to frantically row to the shore.

As a result of these occurrences, the residents of Orion were afraid to swim in the lake and attributed various mishaps, including missing livestock and capsized boats, to the dragon. Some even claimed to have seen the creature breathing fire from its nostrils.

While it's unclear when the first explanatory statements emerged, there are several theories about who made the dragon. The Miller family, who lived in Orion, claimed to have a most amusing explanation. The family had two mischievous boys, John Lawson and "Tut," and John attested that it was his younger brother who constructed a fake sea serpent from cloth, wire rings, and a wooden base fixed with wheels. The dragon was then lowered into the lake using a wire leash.

Regardless of the truth, the story of the legendary dragon in Lake Orion lives on, and even today, the high school sports teams are named after it. They are known as "The Dragons," keeping the memory of the mythical creature alive for generations to come.

*Excerpts reprinted from "The Legend of a Dragon" written by S. April Wuest, published in "Orion Township Sesquicentennial 150 Years 1835-1985"