How many shipwrecks are in Lake Michigan, and why are they left there?
Not all of the thousands of ships that sailed Lake Michigan were able to survive the testing waters. Now, preserved by the lake’s fresh water, these shipwrecks can tell us stories of the past.
But how many shipwrecks are in Lake Michigan?
That’s what one reader asked What the Wisconsin? — where reporters take on questions about our state, our communities and the people in them.
It’s believed there are about 600 shipwrecks in Lake Michigan
Altogether, 750 ships are known to have sailed from Wisconsin and never made it to their destination, according to Tamara Thomsen from the Maritime Preservation Program at the Wisconsin Historical Society. About 600 are believed to have sunk in Lake Michigan.
The location of only 210 of those ships is known, she said. A handful of ships are discovered each year.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done for finding ships, archaeological research, and recording them,” Thomsen said.
The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary — 960 square miles that stretch from Port Washington to Two Rivers — contains 36 known shipwrecks, said superintendent Russ Green.
How are shipwrecks found?
The Wisconsin Historical Society does not find shipwrecks. There are third parties that search for the shipwrecks using their own money and boats.
Their search for shipwrecks begins in the journals of sailors, logs of lighthouse keepers, maps, newspaper articles and other records.
When trying to find a shipwreck, the simplest technique is a visual search, which works in shallow water. Visual searches can be performed from an airplane; by looking over the side of the boat; or by divers swimming with scuba equipment.
If the area is large, in deep water, or in water with low visibility, electronic equipment is used to locate the shipwrecks. An example of this equipment is a magnetometer, which is an underwater metal detector that picks up signals from the metal parts of a shipwreck. Once it receives a signal from a metal object, it records the “targets” on a computer.
Divers then investigate the targets to see if they’re actually part of a shipwreck.
What happens once a shipwreck is found?
Once a shipwreck is located, archaeologists go underwater and map the entire shipwreck using waterproof paper and a pencil.
They draw detailed maps of the shipwrecks because the limited visibility prevents them from taking a photograph of the entire shipwreck.
Why are shipwrecks left underwater?
Unlike an ocean, Lake Michigan has cold, fresh water, which plays a significant role in preserving the shipwrecks.
The shipwrecks in deep water look like a Disney set, Green said.
These are some of the shipwrecks found in Lake Michigan Home
One of the oldest shipwrecks discovered in Wisconsin, Home was likely used in some capacity with the Underground Railroad. It was never caught with fugitive slaves aboard, according to WisconsinShipwrecks.org.
On its final voyage, Home collided with the schooner William Fiske southeast of Manitowoc. No lives were lost.
Today, Home is upright in 170 feet of water and the hull is largely intact. There is collision damage at the starboard bow and the stern cabin is missing. The foremast is on display at the Rogers Street Fishing Village in Two Rivers.
Appomattox
The largest wooden bulk steamer ever constructed on the Great Lakes, possibly in the world, Appomattox was built in 1896 by Capt. James Davidson and was 319 feet long.
On Nov. 2, 1905, Appomattox was towing the Santiago. The vessels were too close to Lake Michigan’s west shore and went aground near North Point. Appomattox suffered bottom damage, and the rescue crews were unable to float her. Worsening weather further damaged the Appomattox. For the next 13 days, wrecking crews and the U.S. Lifesaving Service tried to salvage the vessel but were unable to. Appomattox was abandoned Nov. 15, 1905.
Today, the site of Appomattox lies in 15 to 20 feet of water about 150 yards off Atwater Beach in Shorewood.
Sea Bird
On its final voyage, Sea Bird was bound from Ludington to Racine when she foundered off of Milwaukee in a squall. The wreck was first sighted in Milwaukee. Searchers later spotted the ship 20 miles northeast of Milwaukee, but then lost her again.
Sea Bird was never seen again, and it is believed that all six crew members and two female passengers died.