A long-lost shipwreck has been found nearly 130 years after it sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recently announced that maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Robert Jaeck found the remains of a tugboat built in 1884 named the John Evenson.
jaeck remembered: ‘We just couldn’t believe it. We actually hadn’t even started our search. We were just getting the equipment ready and getting it going.’
The steamboat was used to tow ships on the Great Lakes and was a common sight in Sturgeon Bay during its heyday.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recently announced that maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Robert Jaeck found the remains of the John Evenson, a long-lost tugboat built in 1884.
But on June 5, 1895, as the John Evenson attempted to tow the gigantic I.W. Stephenson into the Sturgeon Bay shipping channel in Door County, Wisconsin, the smaller ship somehow sailed ahead of the other and they collided.
The John Evenson was completely submerged underwater in less than three minutes. Four crew members were thrown into the water, but were later rescued.
The steamship’s engineer, Martin Boswell, who had been working below deck during the accident, never made it out and died.
Now, in 2024, the steamship was discovered in 42 feet of water with its machinery intact.
The steamboat was used to tow ships on the Great Lakes and was a common sight in Sturgeon Bay during its heyday.
But on June 5, 1895, as the John Evenson attempted to tow the gigantic I.W. Stephenson (pictured) into the Sturgeon Bay shipping channel in Door County, Wisconsin, the smaller ship somehow sailed ahead of the other. and they collided.
Historical newspaper accounts and high-resolution sidescan sonar helped locate the wreck.
In a Facebook post, the historical society said the discovery was made using old newspaper accounts as well as high-resolution sidescan sonar.
The duo had dropped a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) into the water to confirm that the wreck was the ship.
The images showed the ship’s boiler, as well as its steam engine, giant propeller and hull.
But this was not the first time attempts were made to find the ship.
The images showed the ship’s boiler, as well as its steam engine, giant propeller and hull.
The steamboat was discovered in 42 feet of water with its machinery intact
In 1897, the Laurie brothers, owners of the ship, undertook to find and save it, but abandoned their mission for insurance reasons.
The WHS explained: ‘Two years later, in 1897, the Laurie brothers undertook to raise and salvage their old tugboat, but quickly ran into trouble.
‘They had handed over the boat as a total loss and had already received the insurance payment. If the Laurie brothers lifted the tugboat, insurers could claim ownership. Because of this, the Evenson was left at the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Since then, divers have been trying to find the boat and a local diving club is even offering a $500 cash reward to anyone who can find it, according to the The Smithsonian.