OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - On this day back in 1921, reports of a “lake monster” appeared in a Nebraska newspaper.

The first reports of the “Monster of Walgren Lake” appeared in the “Hay Springs News.”

Walgren Lake is in far-northwest Nebraska, near Chadron.

For years, it was rumored to be the home of a monster, described as a “large catfish,” a mud puppy, and a giant alligator-like beast that devours livestock and waterfoul.

Reports of the monster made it to Omaha, and all the way to London in 1923.

It got there by way of John G. Maher, who had a habit of creating sensationalist stories.

The “Monster of Walgren Lake” is Maher’s longest-lasting hoax.

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