Hello, Belle. It's been a long time!
Divers have located the wreck of the Lac La Belle, a luxury steamer that vanished in a violent gale in 1872, a discovery that came after nearly six decades of organized searching.
A shipwreck enthusiast and experienced scuba diver from Illinois, Paul Ehorn, led the team that pinpointed the vessel roughly 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The team first detected the wreck in October 2022 and publicly announced the identification this February.
Shipwreck World, a group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe, announced Friday that a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn found the Lac La Belle about 20 miles (32 kilometers) offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.
Ehorn told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Sunday that the announcement was delayed because his team wanted to include a 3D video model of the ship. Still, poor weather and other commitments kept his dive team from returning to the wreck until last summer.
The Lac La Belle left Milwaukee on October 13, 1872, bound for Grand Haven, Michigan. Captain William Gilcher commanded the ship that, along with passengers, carried barley, pork, flour, and whiskey.
A gale caused massive waves that battered the hull. A quickly spreading leak filled the hold, and when the pumps failed, the vessel sank stern-first into about 300 feet of water.
Receding waters reveal hidden history
The Great Lakes rise and fall during long cycles. When levels drop, shorelines shift and sonar signals grow clearer. That fluctuation helped another remarkable discovery in 2023 in Green Bay.
Tim Wollak and his daughter, Henley, were fishing when their sonar showed unusual shapes that looked like octopus trails. When they looked closer, they found something far more historic: the wreck of the George L. Newman, a schooner lost in 1871 during the chaos of the Great Peshtigo Fire.
Related: The Fire History Tried to Forget: Peshtigo and the Cost of Selective Memory
The crew was blinded by smoke from the catastrophic wildfire, forcing the ship aground near Green Island, a discovery that energized historians and divers alike.
Thousands of stories wait below
There are an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes; Lake Michigan alone may contain about 1,500.
Storms, ice, mechanical failure, and human error claimed wooden schooners, steamers, and later steel freighters, and historians believe over 30,000 lives were lost across the five lakes.
New technology accelerates discovery; side scan sonar, remotely operated vehicles, and improved mapping tools let teams survey large areas without disturbing fragile sites. Wrecks are far better preserved in freshwater than saltwater, while low oxygen levels slow decay, allowing wooden hulls to remain intact. Boilers, anchors, and propellers sit where they were installed, waiting to be found.
Every time a shipwreck is discovered, it adds to the understanding of trade routes, shipbuilding techniques, immigration patterns, and regional commerce. These inland seas fueled America's industrial growth.
But the lakes demanded sacrifice.
The Lac La Belle’s return to light
Built in 1871, the Lac La Belle was about 136 feet long and offered comfortable passenger cabins for short routes across Lake Michigan. Captain Gilcher tried to outrun the storm during the final voyage, but when the leak overwhelmed the pumps, crew members fired distress signals.
According to an account on Shipwreck World, the Lac La Belle was built in 1864, in Cleveland, Ohio. The 217-foot (66-meter) steamer ran between Cleveland and Lake Superior but sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 after a collision. The ship was raised in 1869, and reconditioned.
The ship left Milwaukee for Grand Haven, Michigan, in a gale on the night of Oct, 13, 1872, with 53 passengers and crew and a cargo of barley, pork, flour and whiskey. About two hours into the trip, the ship began to take on water uncontrollably. The captain turned the Lac La Belle back toward Milwaukee but huge waves came crashing over her, extinguishing her boilers. The storm drove the ship south. Around 5 a.m., the captain ordered lifeboats lowered and the ship went down stern-first.
One of the lifeboats capsized on the way to shore, killing eight people. The other lifeboats made landfall along the Wisconsin coast between Racine and Kenosha. Because of the intense competition between shipwreck explorers, Ehorn declined to share that important clue.
The wreck remains largely intact: footage shows the hull upright on the lake floor, with boilers and structural elements visible. It serves as a preserved snapshot of 19th-century craftsmanship.
Preservation offers perspective
Freshwater conditions create a natural time capsule. Many wrecks in the Great Lakes retain masts, railings, and even cargo. Museums across Michigan and Wisconsin show recovered artifacts and detailed models. Virtual tours allow classrooms to explore sites digitally. Preservation groups advocate strict protection laws to prevent looting and other damage.
Each wreck represents much more than wood and metal; it represents risk taken in pursuit of opportunity. Grain shipments fed cities and passenger routes connected families, while industrial goods fueled expansion.
Low water levels and advancing technology have given modern explorers the chance to rediscover chapters long assumed lost.
Final thoughts
Although Lake Michigan gave up another secret, thousands remain below the surface. Receding waters, determined researchers, and a father/daughter fishing trip remind us that history often waits quietly beneath the surface.
The Great Lakes aren't just scenic backdrops; they're vast archives. Each discovery renews respect for those who navigated our inland seas with courage and conviction.
When the water shifts and sonar pings, the past rises again.
Readers who appreciate deep dives into American history and the overlooked stories that shaped it will find more beneath the surface at PJ Media VIP. Join today using the discount code FIGHT for 60% off to support fearless reporting that uncovers what others leave buried.
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