130-Year-Old Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found Off The Coast of Algoma, Wisconsin

The 130-year-old shipwreck of John Evenson was found in Lake Michigan 4 miles northeast of Algoma. The discovery was made by historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck.

On the morning of 13th September 2024, the historians deployed their equipment including a remotely operated vehicle and the wreck was found in just five minutes, though they had planned a 3-day search.

The tug’s hull bed is present along with all the machinery, which shows the steam technologies of the late 1800s.

Baillod and Jaeck along with the State Underwater Archeologist Tamara Thomsen and diver Zach Whitrock, also went to survey and document the wreck. It is the third significant shipwreck found in the past two years.

The 45 ft ship was constructed in 1884 in Milwaukee as a harbour and a towing tug. She was lost in June 1895 while helping a steamer enter the Surgeon Bay Ship Canal.

Its loss was reported in many newspapers of the time but its location varied. Some mentioned that it sank in 300 ft of water, other said it was 50 ft. Divers began to look for it in the 1980s and a local dive club even offered a cash reward for her discovery, but she was not found.

The two historians searched through historical accounts and the original customs house wreck report made by the ship captain, John Laurie. They plotted all locations in the area, around four miles northeast of Algoma, Wisconsin.

The historians also located the remains of the Trinidad schooner in June 2023 and the schooner Margaret A. Muir in June 2024. They use shipwrecks as a vehicle for connecting the people of Wisconsin’s port communities with the region’s maritime past.

They work together with community history organisations to preserve and interpret historic underwater sites.

References: Fox11 Online, visitalgomawi

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Source: Maritime Shipping News