The Beast of Busco

I didn't believe, I still have a hard time believing it.  In Indiana there is a small town that lies just outside of Ft. Wayne, Churubusco. A small town consisting of about three street lights one would probably miss it were it not for the turtle statue in the main intersection.  Lets not forget about the seven foot statue of a turtle that sits on the outside of town where the parks frequently used by the schools are located.  But those are just drops in the pond compared to the mystery behind the towns ..."turtlyness".  Driving to Ft. Wayne I say a mileage sign that said 'Churubusco 20 miles', in jest I asked Crystal if it was a joke some local hooligans had played, writing that blurb of gibberish on the sign. To which I received a look that told me that clearly I was deranged. "Churubusco, you know, Turtle town, the beast of busco." I replied that I have never heard of such a place to which I was regaled with the epic tale of 'The Beast of Busco'. In 1898 a farmer named Oscar Fulk reported seeing a giant turtle in the seven acre lake on his farm in Churubusco, Indiana. In 1948, a half century later two other citizens reported seeing a huge turtle while fishing on the same lake. This sparked a fiasco that attracted national attention and at one point was such an attraction that the state police had to be called to manage traffic. Years later the event has left its mark on the town as evidenced by turtles on EVERYTHING. They even have a festival held each June called the Turtle Days which includes a parade, carnival and turtle races. Since we were passing through we just had to stop and get a few snapshots of us with the giant turtle statue. Here are our favorites.

Crystal and the turtle

Myself and the turtle