The story of 'The Drowning Pool' at Mackinac Island

DETROIT – One of Michigan's most popular tourist destinations is also one of its most haunted -- Mackinac Island.

The small island sits on Lake Huron, covering almost 4 square miles of land between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.

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One of the biggest hot spots for ghostly activity is The Drowning Pool.

In the 1700s and early 1800s, seven women were accused of being witches. Back in those days, one of the methods used for determining if someone was a witch or not was to tie rocks to their feet and throw them into water to see if they would float or not.

If they sank, they were deemed innocent.

The seven accused women were thrown into a lagoon on the island between Mission Point and downtown Mackinac - and all of them sank and drowned.

Legend says the women haunt the waters to this day. Visitors report seeing mysterious splashing, shadows and dark figures floating above the surface.

More ghost stories from Mackinac here.

If you're interested in Michigan history, check out some of these stories:


About the Author

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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