EP 57: SINKHOLE SAM - KANSAS' LAKE MONSTER!

In Kansas there is a cryptid that has been known to the locals since the 1950's. You wouldn't believe it, but this monster is a 15ft long worm that calls the largest lake in Kansas home. With only three sightings people have struggled to try and prove that this creature is not just a myth. Newspapers started to fly off the shelf when the stories of the now dubbed Sinkhole Sam started to be printed. So what is Sinkhole Sam? Should the locals fear this 15ft worm? Is Sam related to the Mongolian Death Worm? Find out today on our newest episode of Campfire Adventures.

Inman, Kansas on a map

A photo of Inman Lake

Ernest Dewey article about Sinkhole Sam

Mary Kay Flynn’s article about Sinkhole Sam

A rewrite of Mary Kay Flynn’s article

Another depiction of Sinkhole Sam

SOURCE MATERIALS:

For the story:

1. Cryptidz.Fandom. (n.d.). The Legend of Sinkhole Sam. Cryptid Wiki. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/The_Legend_of_Sinkhole_Sam

2. Alberty, M. (2020, July 10). Is there a mysterious monster lurking in a Kansas sinkhole? Kansas City Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://kansascitymag.com/news/only-in-kc/is-there-a-mysterious-monster-lurking-in-a-kansas-sinkhole/

3. Flint Hills Paranormal. (2020, April 20). Cryptids of Kansas - Reptiles: Sink Hole Sam and Giant Turtles. Flint Hills Paranormal. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://flinthillsparanormal.com/cryptozoology/kansas-cryptids/cryptids-kansas-reptiles-sink-hole-sam-and-giant-turtles/

4. Meszaros, J. (2015, February 10). Sinkhole Sam-- Kansas. Cryptids State-by-State. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from http://statecryptids.blogspot.com/2015/02/sinkhole-sam-kansas.html?m=1

5. Clarisa. (2019, October 25). 4 Strange Creatures And Cryptids That Have Been Spotted In Kansas Throughout History. Only In Your State. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kansas/4-cryptids-in-kansas/amp/

6. Gilliland, S. (2017, September 25). The Legend of Sink Hole Sam. Rural Messenger. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.ruralmessenger.com/blogs/steve-gilliland-blogs/the-legend-of-sink-hole-sam/

7. Mason, J. (n.d.). McPherson Valley Wetlands. Natural Kansas. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from http://www.naturalkansas.org/mcpherso.htm

8. Water Science School. (2018, 6 09). Sinkholes | US Geological Survey. USGS.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/sinkholes#overview

9. Cosgrove, N. (2022, January 14). 10 Snakes Found in Kansas (With Pictures). Pet Keen. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://petkeen.com/snakes-found-in-kansas/

For the Image:

1. Mason, J. (n.d.). McPherson Valley Wetlands. Natural Kansas. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from http://www.naturalkansas.org/mcpherso.htm

2. Newspaper. (n.d.). Sink-Hole Sam, The Monster Roast Kansas Is Sighted Again. Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26414905/sink-hole-sam-the-monster-roast-kansas/

3. Newspapers. (n.d.). Sink-Hole Sam. Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26415150/sink-hole-sam/

4. Meszaros, J. (2021, October 26). Sinkhole Sam. ArtStation. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.artstation.com/artwork/28Pwrx

5. Davidson, B. (2019, March 20). The American Bestiary: The Most Famous Mythical Creature of Every US State, Illustrated. CashNetUSA. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.cashnetusa.com/blog/most-famous-mythical-creature-of-every-us-state-illustrated/

6. MuseuMeta. (2021, September 04). Inman Museum, 101 N Main St, Inman, KS (2022). MuseuMeta. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.museumeta.com/US/Inman/327009684165243/Inman-Museum#gsc.tab=0

7. TownMapsUSA.com. (n.d.). Map of Inman, KS, Kansas. TownMapsUSA.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from http://townmapsusa.com/d/map-of-inman-kansas-ks/inman_ks