BORN 1891 • MISSING 1925
After his father died in a mining accident on the Iron Range and his mother disappeared to Quebec, Jacque Brochet was raised by his aunt and uncle in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
More interested in the natural world than in his schooling, Jacque grew up fishing on the shores of Lake Superior with his uncle. After leaving school for good in the 8th grade, he made his living working on fishing boats, catching every species known to inhabit the deep waters of the Great Lakes.
On and around these cold lakes, Brochet’s reputation began to grow as someone who knew exactly where the fish were biting and what method was best used to land the biggest monsters. His name also became a legend in Lake Superior’s taverns and docks as someone best not trifled with. An ordinarily reserved fellow, Jacque was known to fly off the handle whenever anyone questioned the validity of his fishing tales. Many a tooth was lost and many a nose was bent over such insults, earning Jacque the title “The Pike of Grand Marais” in certain lake communities.
During the particularly cold November of 1920, Jacque answered a Duluth Evening Herald newspaper advertisement in search of participants for an archaeological expedition in Peru. As the northern Minnesota skies turned a bitter gray and a frigid wind howled off the lake, Jacque Brochet resolved to try a warmer climate on for size—and perhaps even catch some fish while he was at it.
On January 23rd, 1925, while investigating the death of his friend, Jackson Elias, Brochet and his companions, Nicodemus Ford and Ace Holder, stepped onto a train in Westchester County, New York, bound for the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where they were to follow up on more leads. They were never seen again.
Peru: Episode VII • Peru: Episode VI • Peru: Episode V • Peru: Episode IV • Peru: Episode III • Peru: Episode II • Peru: Episode I
