Most folks would consider finding a 50-year-old Ford buried deep in pond silt a pretty weird occurrence. But is it bizarre enough to make the annals of Weird Waukegan?
Is it up to par with sightings of Mothman, or finding an alligator near the city’s Lake Michigan shoreline, or a 14-foot python snake also near the city’s beachfront? Or spotting “Star Wars” stormtroopers in front of the Historic Genesee Theatre?
Some may be unfamiliar with Weird Waukegan, which has had a large footprint across social media platforms for quite a few years. David Motley, spokesman for the city who administers Weird Waukegan — which has no affiliation with city government — who details odd comings and goings in his spare time, believes Pond Car may merit induction.
Authorities last week solved the mystery of the 1974 Ford LTD owned by the city which was found by divers on Sept. 10 submerged in Bevier Park Pond. Apparently, the vehicle was stolen in April 1978 from a city parking lot during the Democratic administration of Mayor Bill Morris.
Ironically, the car — complete with city seal stickers on its doors — was assigned to a city plumbing inspector. The case is closed, police say, noting a stolen car report was filed back in ’78.
Investigators believe it has been covered in sediment at the pond since then. Which is weird in itself. What prompted somebody to steal a marked city car?
What then caused the individual, who may have been walking around for decades, to dump the fleet vehicle into a pond? So much weirdness, right?
Motley said the other day that Weird Waukegan in itself isn’t an oddball creation. It merely highlights the unique eccentricities of, and in the city.
“It’s in the vein of Ray Bradbury,” Motley said, pointing to some of the weird stories the late author and native son conjured for the written page. “We don’t celebrate weirdness, but there are unique and eccentric destinations and anomalies in the city.”
Weird Waukegan has been around since August of 2011. There have been a number of cities which have proudly proclaimed themselves “weird.” Austin, Texas was one of the first, beginning in 2000 with the campaign: “Keep Austin Weird.” According to a number of sources, others have since joined the weird bandwagon, like Portland, Oregon in 2003; Louisville, Kentucky in 2005; and Indianapolis in 2013.
Weird Waukegan has its logo: “We (Heart) Waukegan” complete with a helmeted spaceman — another reference to Bradbury — which adorns stickers and T-shirts. It counts more than 2,000 likes on its Facebook page.
It also highlights fun events in the city, such as “Bodacious ‘80s” nights at Nightshade And Dark’s Pandemonium Brewing at Clayton and Genesee streets. That is kitty-corner from the Historic Genesee, and a few blocks east of Jack Benny’s boyhood home on Clayton.
Benny and Bradbury are culturally famous Waukeganites, but so is Johnny Blaze, Weird Waukegan has pointed out. According to his Marvel Comics biography, he was born in the city. Motorcycle-riding Blaze was played by Nicholas Cage in Marvel’s “Ghost Rider” film.
Then, there are those really weird sightings and oddities that have taken place in Waukegan, like Mothman, described by those who have seen it as a large flying humanoid creature whose eyes “glowed red.” Dozens of Mothman sightings have been marked in the Chicago area; and hundreds across the nation.
Three of them have occurred in Waukegan, according to various reports. The first was in mid-June 1976 when a man reported his vehicle was attacked by a winged “black figure” with “glowing red eyes.” A second was from six members of a family who saw a “wingless humanoid” fly over Market Street in August 2020. A third appearance happened Halloween night 2020 at the Waukegan Skate Park in Bowen Park, when a group of teens said they saw a red-eyed, winged creature in nearby oak trees.
More down-to-earth weirdness was the discovery by a kayaker of the four-foot-long female alligator swimming along the city shoreline in 2018. The 14-foot python was found abandoned on the lakefront in 2012.
Of course, there are things that are plain interesting in Waukegan and its history, some which may qualify as strange. Such as the spooky-looking house which used to occupy the corner of Sheridan Road and Washington Street that was insulated with sand between its walls. Or the ornate Queen Anne-style, yet scary, home of Dr. Vincent Price, grandfather of the actor Vincent Price, which still stands on Grand Avenue.
Certainly, there are plenty of entries for the Weird Waukegan guidebook. While the latest may be the submerged city vehicle, others may have some of their own favorites that qualify. If so, send them my way.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
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