Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, Sharlie (Slimy Slim, The Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake) is the name given to a

sea serpent A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of dragon sea monster described in various mythologies, most notably Mesopotamian (Tiamat), Judaeo-Christian (Leviathan), Greek (Cetus, Echidna, Hydra, Scylla), and Norse (Jörmungandr). Mythology and folk ...

much like the

Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...

that is believed by some to live in the deep alpine waters of

Payette Lake Payette Lake is a natural lake in the western United States, located in west central Idaho at McCall. Formed by glacial activity, it is situated in the upper drainage basin of the Payette River, which drains into the Snake River. Outflow fr ...

near

McCall, Idaho McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest. The population was 2,991 ...

. The first reference to the sea serpent may be the belief of Native Americans, predating western settlement of the area, that an evil spirit dwelled in the lake.

Modern history

The first documented sighting by western settlers occurred in 1920 when workers cutting ties at the upper end of the lake thought they saw a log in the lake. The “log” began to move. In August 1944 the serpent was reportedly seen by several groups of people who described it as 30 to 35 feet in length, with a dinosaur-type head and pronounced jaws, humps like a camel, and shell-like skin. In September 1946 the serpent was reportedly sighted by a group of twenty people. Dr. G.A. Taylor of

Nampa, Idaho Nampa () is the largest city in Canyon County, Idaho. Its population was 100,200 at the time of the 2020 Census. It is Idaho's third-most populous city. Nampa is about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles (10 km) west of Meridian. ...

explained that “it appeared to be between 30 and 40 feet long and seemed to keep diving into the water. It left a wake about like a small motor boat would make.” In 1954 A. Boone McCallum, Editor of The Star News held a contest to name the serpent of Payette Lake. The winning name, “Sharlie”, was submitted by Le Isle Hennefer Tury of Springfield, Virginia. In her letter to Mr. McCallum she said, “Why don’t you call the thing Sharlie? You know – ‘Vas you der, Sharlie?” This was a reference to the popular catch phrase often spoken by Jack Pearl during his old time radio show. Sharlie was reportedly sighted dozens of times between 1956 and the last documented sighting in 1997.”Travels with Sharlie, Idaho’s most enduring monster”, Boise Weekly, October 27, 2004, Nicholas Collias

Notes

{{reflist Idaho folklore American legendary creatures Water monsters Sea serpents