Fund For Lake Michigan

Shipwreck Exploration and the Cultural Importance of Lake Michigan

Underwater archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society have located, explored, and documented historic shipwrecks since 1988, uncovering and sharing the rich maritime history of Lake Michigan. Yet the majority of Wisconsin’s known shipwrecks remain undiscovered. With support from the Fund, divers will explore the 1910 car ferry Pere Marquette No. 18 in search of a potential cause of the vessel’s wreck, search an unmapped sinkhole in an attempt to locate the 1930 schooner Our Son, and create a three dimensional model of the 1929 car ferry Milwaukee. This research will increase public understanding of Lake Michigan and the importance of not just its environment but also its socio-historical preservation.

The sunken, algae-covered remains of the shipwrecked Milwaukee car ferry
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