From Even More History, Mystery, and Hauntings of Southern Illinois by Bruce Cline and Tracey Todd Bragg.
Strange creatures and monsters are common in southern Illinois. One of the oldest stories was first reported in from Stump Pond. In 1879, a man was fishing from his boat on Stump Pond when he noticed a very large submerged object was plowing through the water. The object came so close to the boat the waves from it actually rocked the boat. The man was so frightened that the paddled to shore as fast as he could. He swore that he would never again go boating alone in the evening at the pond.
In July 1880, two coal miners reported a serpent that was 12 foot long at the pond. They said it was a dark green color and had a body as large as a telephone pole. The serpent was a ways out in the lake and headed straight for them. The miners did not stick around for its arrival.
Throughout the years there were sporadic reports of the pond monster. Finally, in 1968 Stump Pond was partially drained. Electric probes were placed in the water to stun the fish. Interested onlookers lined the banks of the pond hoping to catch a glimpse of the fabled monster at last. To every one’s disappointment, the largest fish to float to the top of the water only weighed about 30 pounds.
Despite a lack of evidence, many of the witnesses stuck to their stories. One witness, Allyn Dunmeyer, stated “I was in my boat fishing for bass when it happened. Something came up from the bottom, struck the boat underneath so hard I nearly tipped over.”
According to Dunmeyer, there is more than one monster in the pond. He reported that he had seen them so near the surface that their dorsal fins were sticking out of the water. Other witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be alligators.
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