On the mainland just north of the Crown Point Historic Site sprawls Port Henry, a large town of red-brick buildings spread over several steep hills. Like Crown Point, Port Henry was once known for its iron industry, which peaked here during World War II. West of town hulks a giant 18-million-ton mountain of ore tailings that’s visible for miles around.

Welcome to the Home of the Champ reads the sign at the town’s entrance, while nearby stands a cheerful green serpent with a zigzagging tail. The Champ is a legendary monster who lives in the depths of Lake Champlain.

Stories about him have circulated among the Iroquois for hundreds of years and among whites since 1609, when Samuel de Champlain reported seeing a 20-foot-long creature in the lake. Since then there have been over 300 reported sightings of the Champ, many of which have occurred near Port Henry.

Although there is no concrete proof that the Champ exists, the legislatures of both New York and Vermont have passed resolutions encouraging scientific inquiry into the depths of the lake.