An Itasca County volunteer diver prepares to search the Tioga Pit near Cohasset. Divers were investigating a rumor that the missing ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” stolen in Grand Rapids, were at the bottom of the pit. (PHOTO via Judy Garland Museum)
Last week, volunteer divers from the Itasca County Sheriffs Department searched the bottom of the Tioga Mine Pit for an unusual reason. They were looking for the missing ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” stolen from a display in town several years ago. And sure, the Judy Garland Celebration in the famed actress’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, just happened to be going on last week, a not-so-thinly-veiled publicity event. But folks did get excited.
Well, they went down. No slippers.
But as this John Lundy Duluth News Tribune story shows, they did find a rifle. That’s probably the rifle that everyone got excited about when I shared this very popular post featuring underwater views of Tioga last year.
I don’t know which is the most compelling story: what happened to the ruby slippers, or how that rifle ended up perched on that rusted metal under the Tioga.
The difference between Aaron Brown’s stories, and this one is that Aaron’s might get read by 10,000 locals, and this by 100 Million globally – this was a top “world” story in every major market/Media outlet on the planet. Sorry, that’s a fact though Aaron (last name)?
Huh? This an old story, lady. Why the animosity? I am comfortable not being as famous as a pair of shoes, if that’s your angle here.