The Coleman Frog (also known as Cornelia Webster) is a frog statue on display at the
Fredericton Region Museum
The Fredericton Region Museum, formerly known as the York Sunbury Museum, is a small, non-profit museum founded in 1934 by the York Sunbury Historical Society. The museum was housed in several different locations until 1959, when it moved into Of ...
in
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, Canada, since 1959. It was previously owned by a man named Fred Coleman, who ran a nearby lodge in the 1880s.
Description
The frog was captured from
Lake Killarney, at which time it weighed .
Supposedly, the immense size of the frog was caused by the fact that Coleman fed it whiskey, baked beans,
June bugs, buttermilk toddies, and
whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard ...
. It died in a "dynamite accident" and was sent to
Bangor, Maine
Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121).
Modern Bangor ...
, to be stuffed.
Controversy
Skeptics say that the frog is a fake that was used to promote a
cough syrup
Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including a ...
that would "relieve the frog in your throat".
In a 1988 report, the Canadian Conservative Institute stated that the artifact consists of canvas, wax, and paint and in a letter it refers to the exhibit as “an amusing example of a colossal fake and deception”. The museum will not allow
DNA testing
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
to be performed on the frog to confirm whether it is real or a fake.
See also
*
Fur-bearing trout
The fur-bearing trout (or furry trout) is a legendary creature purportedly found in American folklore and Icelandic folklore. According to folklore, the trout has created a thick coat of fur to maintain its body heat. Tales of furry fish date ...
References
{{reflist
Taxidermy hoaxes
Hoaxes in Canada
Individual frogs
Individual animals in Canada
Fredericton