Yesterday and today, I find myself in north-central Indiana, tracking down information on the Beast of Busco. Some have said it is still seen today. The annual festival just took place last week, so folks here are still in a heightened state of awareness, of course.

The story of the Beast of Busco is relatively well-known. A giant turtle was sighted in Fulks Lake in 1949, a search party was organized, and it became national news. Since it was described as the size of a “dining room table,” it was thus bigger than any alligator snapping turtles seen around these parts.

The Indiana newspapers published lots of photographs of the hunts and the crowds. Then in the years that came after, pictures of the turtle floats and structures created as turtles would be printed in the local media.

I’m also going to check out nearby Decatur, Indiana, where the actual shell of “Oscar” is said to still be kept.

From the files of the Indianapolis Star.