Great Lakes

The tugboat John Evenson, circa 1890
The tugboat John Evenson, circa 1890. Photo credit: Brendon Baillod, courtesy of the Harold J. Benash Family via press release.

Lost 130-Year-Old Tug John Evenson Found off Wisconsin Coast

Built in 1884 in Milwaukee, the John Evenson was a 54-foot harbor and towing tug. In June 1895, while aiding the steamer I. Watson Stephenson in maneuvering through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal with several schooner barges in tow, disaster struck. As the tug’s captain, John Laurie, crossed the bow of the larger vessel, it collided with the Evenson. The tug capsized and sank instantly. Although four of the five crew members were rescued, fireman Martin Boswell, working below deck, tragically went down with the vessel.

Wisconsin Historical Society diver takes photos for a 3D photogrammetry model of the Margaret A. Muir.

150-Year-Old Shipwreck of Schooner Margaret Muir Found in Lake Michigan

The Margaret A. Muir was built in 1872 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Constructed for Captain David Muir by the Hanson & Scove shipyard, the 130ft, three-masted schooner was designed primarily for the Great Lakes grain trade, although it carried various other cargoes throughout its 21-year career.

Steamship Milwaukee

1886 Steamship 'Milwaukee' Found Remarkably Intact in Lake Michigan

The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association (MSRA) has uncovered the remarkably preserved steamship Milwaukee, which vanished in 1886 after a collision and has been resting in 360ft (100m) of water for over a century.

MSRA located the Milwaukee in June 2023 using side-scan sonar and documented it extensively with an ROV. Still, the discovery was only revealed to an enthralled audience in a live announcement during their annual film festival.

The SS Arlington
The SS Arlington, which sunk, along with its captain, during a wreck in 1940, was found on the floor of Lake Superior.

Wreck in Lake Superior Identified as the Arlington

After finding a particularly deep anomaly in his search for shipwrecks in Lake Superior, shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain reached out to the Shipwreck Society to help identify it. This resulted in an expedition in 2023 that culminated in the positive identification of the anomaly being the SS Arlington, which sank in 1940.

Here is its story.

The steel bulk freighter Huronton sunk in Lake Superior on Oct. 11, 1923
The steel bulk freighter Huronton sunk in Lake Superior on Oct. 11, 1923

WWI Era Freighter Wreck Located in Lake Superior

The Huronton was a steel bulk freighter. It was designed to transport large quantities of bulk cargo, such as coal, grain or ore. These types of vessels are characterized by large, open holds and are specifically built to handle and transport unpackaged bulk cargo efficiently across water bodies. The Huronton, in particular, was navigating Lake Superior during its time of operation in the early 20th century.

Diver Zach Whitrock at the site of the Trinidad wreck

Historical society finds 1880s shipwreck in Lake Michigan

According to a Facebook post, shipwreck enthusiasts and historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck located the schooner Trinidad earlier this year, submerged in 270 feet of water off Algoma.

The schooner, constructed in 1867 in New York, was a "canaller," specifically designed for navigating the Welland Canal connecting Lake Erie and Ontario. It primarily served the Great Lakes grain trade, shuttling coal and iron from New York and returning with Midwest grain.

Possible illustration of the Satellite
Possible illustration of the Satellite

Discovery of 1879 Lake Superior shipwreck

The Satellite sank on 21 June 1879, according to the historical society, either as a consequence of a technical issue or because the boat collided with a floating log. The ship capsized, but no one perished.

In the summer of 2022, the society worked with Josh Gates of the Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown to produce a show about two French minesweepers that vanished on their maiden voyage in 1918.