Great Lakes Essential Resources: Shipwrecks
Crossing one of North America's greatest waterways could be dangerous and many ships were lost in the Great Lakes due to storms or other accidents. It is estimated that there are over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, some dating back as far as the 17th century. The cold lake temperatures and fresh water creates an ideal climate for the preservation of these vessels that allows for their study. Some of these "time capsules" are in shallow water and can be viewed from kayaks, boats, and other watercrafts. Others can be viewed by diving wrecks while snorkeling and many wrecks are in deeper water that require scuba gear and more specialized equipment.
Surrounding states have laws and regulations concerning wreck diving in order to protect the surrounding environment and historic wrecks themselves.
Below are online resources, videos, and book recommendations on the various shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. General resources are provided, as well as links to specific lakes.
(Sources: Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Michigan Shipwrecks)
A depiction of the steamship G. P. Griffith burning on 17 June 1850, Lloyd's steamboat directory, and disasters on the western waters by James T. Lloyd
Image of the lightship LV-82 Buffalo after it was raised in 1915. The ship was sunk with all hands during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913. It was repaired and returned to service in 1917.
Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
- The Great Lakes Storm of 1913In November 1913, two major storm fronts collided over the Great Lakes producing blinding snow, 35 foot-high-waves and 90 mile-per-hour winds. 12 ships were lost completely and an estimated 31 were driven ashore by wind and waves. The most losses occurred in Lake Huron where 8 ships sank and 200 sailors died.
- Guide to Treasure Map of the Great Lakes RegionListing of missing Great Lakes ships with valued cargo as of 1961.
- Maritime History of the Great LakesDigital collections, including a shipwreck search. Since 2005 this site has been the prototype for the digital collection management tools built for the Our Digital World (formerly the OurOntario project of Knowledge Ontario).
- Shipwreck Life: How fish and other aquatic species utilize Great Lakes shipwrecksGreat Lakes Now published this article in conjunction with PBS’s “The Age of Nature” series which began airing on Oct. 14, 2020.
Laws & Regulations
- Illinois Shipwrecks: The Past, The Present, The FutureFederal legislation on page 14. State legislation in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois on pages 16 - 19.
General Resources
- The Shipwreck MuseumThe Shipwreck Museum was founded in 1978 by a group of divers, teachers, and educators to commence exploration of historic shipwrecks in eastern Lake Superior.
- Wisconsin ShipwrecksSearch for a specific wreck or browse by regions, including: Lower Lake Michigan, Mid Lake Michigan, Upper Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior.
- Minnesota's Historic Shipwrecks (Minnesota Historical Society)This website from Minnesota Historical Society details the history of Lake Superior and Great Lakes shipping. Notable shipwrecks are identified and pictured.
Notable Wrecks
- SS Edmund FitzgeraldThe largest and last major freighter wrecked on the lakes was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975. "The legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains the most mysterious and controversial of all shipwreck tales heard around the Great Lakes. Her story is surpassed in books, film and media only by that of the Titanic."
- The Inkerman & Cerisoles"The 1918 disappearance of the Inkerman and Cerisoles, two French naval minesweepers – missing, not in action, but in transition across the deep waters perhaps somewhere off the Keweenaw Peninsula – left questions that have spanned a century."
- CyprusCyprus sank during a Lake Superior storm on October 11, 1907, during its second voyage while hauling iron ore from Superior, Wisconsin, to Buffalo, New York. The entire crew of 23 drowned, except one, Charles Pitz, who floated on a life raft for almost seven hours. The Cyprus wreck was discovered in August 2007.
General Resources
- Michigan ShipwrecksFrom the Michigan History Center. "An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters." Use the interactive Michigan Shipwrecks web app to locate and download shipwrecks, lighthouses, and boating sites.
- Wisconsin ShipwrecksSearch for a specific wreck or browse by regions, including: Lower Lake Michigan, Mid Lake Michigan, Upper Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior.
- Illinois Shipwrecks: The Past, The Present, The FuturePublished by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program with program development funding from the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Michigan Shipwrecks from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and EnergyIncluding diver ethics and laws.
Notable Wrecks
- The White Whale for Great Lakes Shipwreck HuntersInside the consuming obsession with finding the 300-year-old Griffon.
- Lady ElginThe collision between the Lady Elgin and the lumber schooner Augusta on September 8, 1860 was one of the worst disasters in Chicago history and possibly had one of the largest causality counts of any Great Lakes shipwreck.
- The Christmas Tree ShipThe history of Captain Herman E. Schuenemann and the Schooner Rouse Simmons.
- Steamer L.R. DotyThe wooden three masted bulk freighter L.R. Doty was built by F. W. Wheeler & Company at West Bay City, Michigan in 1893. It sank in 1898 while towing the schooner barge Olive Jeanette.
- The S.S. EastlandWhile the tragedy occurred on the Chicago River, the S.S. Eastland, known as the "Speed Queen of the Great Lakes," was one of the largest Great Lakes-related disasters with 844 people losing their lives.
General Resources
- NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine SanctuaryThunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects a nationally significant collection of nearly 100 historic shipwrecks in Lake Huron off the Michigan coast.
- Thunder Bay WrecksThe site of the greatest number of Lake Huron shipwrecks.
Notable Wrecks
- Cedarville"In the early morning of May 7, 1965, the Cedarville departed Port Calcite, near Rogers City, headed to Gary, IN with 14,411 tons of limestone with a crew of 35. As they neared the Straits of Mackinac, the fog thickened. Due to a lack of communication, the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord collided with the Cedarville on her port side cutting a deep gash in her side between the seventh and eight hatch."
General Resources
Notable Wrecks
- The Lake Serpent"The Lake Serpent, an eight-year-old, 47-foot schooner, left Cleveland in September 1829 for the 55-mile trip to the Lake Erie Islands. Upon arriving at the island rich with limestone, the ship’s crew collected a load of stone to return to Cleveland. The ship never made it back." In 2018, Underwater Archaeologists discovered what is believed to be the oldest-known shipwreck in Lake Erie.
- Marquette & Bessemer No. 2Marquette & Bessemer No. 2 sank on December 7, 1909, headed for Port Stanley, Ontario. "Often referred to as the "holy grail" of Lake Erie shipwrecks, it is considered to be one of the most sought-after shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Divers from both Canada and the United States have claimed to have found the wreck."
General Resources
- Underwater Canada: Investigating Shipwrecks"Marc-André Bernier, Chief of Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service, joins us to discuss shipwrecks, their importance in Canadian history, and how LAC plays an important role in researching, discovering and investigating them."
Notable Wrecks
- HMS Ontario"In the early evening hours of October 31, 1780, the British sloop of war HMS Ontario sank with over 120 men, women, children and prisoners on board during a sudden and violent gale." In June 2008, deep sea divers in Lake Ontario found the wreck of the HMS Ontario in what has been described as an "archaeological miracle."
- Washington (also known as Lady Washington)"The sloop was enroute from Kingston, Ontario to Niagara, Ontario, Canada with a full cargo when it foundered during a gale on Lake Ontario in 1803. The Washington is believed to be the oldest confirmed commercial sailing ship to exist in the Great Lakes." It was discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario near Fair Haven, NY in 2016.
- Nisbet GrammerThe Nisbet Grammer was enroute from Port Colburne to Montreal with a load of grain when she was struck by the steamship Dalwarnic in a dense fog. In 2014, the steamer was found thirty miles east of the Niagara River in a depth of over 500 feet of water.
Sunken Treasure
Source: YouTube
White Hurricane, by David G. Brown, 2002. Map showing shipwrecks lost in the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 from November 7 through November 10, 1913.
