Gaby
The Great Lakes in northern America, including Lake Michigan, hold many secrets from the past. One of these was uncovered by Tim Wallack, a resident of the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, along with his six-year-old daughter, Henley.
Their last fishing trip will be etched in their memories forever. While fishing at a depth of about ten feet, their sonar detected something unusual. The anglers initially thought it was an octopus. However, they were mistaken. What they found were the remnants of a three-masted sailing ship built in the mid-19th century, which sank due to a deadly fire in 1871. This fire, caused by railroad workers clearing land for tracks, claimed the lives of 1,500 people.
According to experts from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the 121-foot wooden vessel is the “George L. Newman.”
What the experts revealed
Interestingly, the shipwreck lay literally “under the noses” of fishermen and researchers exploring the depths of the lake.
The Wisconsin Historical Society shared information about the discovery on Facebook, stating that they have already surveyed the area where the wreck was found. According to initial assessments of the wreckage, it belongs to the barquentine “George L. Newman.” However, specialists are continuing their work to confirm the identity of the sunken ship.
As the society’s experts explained, on October 8, 1871, the barquentine, loaded with lumber, attempted to navigate through the thick smoke of the fire engulfing Peshtigo. Ultimately, the ship ran aground on the southeastern edge of Green Island, and its crew was rescued by a lighthouse keeper. However, before the vessel was abandoned, buried in sand, and forgotten by all, the crew tried to save whatever they could.
According to marine archaeologist Tamara Thomsen from the Wisconsin Historical Society, this old shipwreck is particularly significant because it is linked to the devastating Peshtigo fire. That forest fire consumed 1.5 million acres of land. Within just an hour, the town of Peshtigo was reduced to ashes, as reported by the Daily Mail.
By the way, three months ago, a schooner that sank in 1881 was discovered in Lake Michigan, where crew belongings were found. Historians estimate that since the 1600s, over 6,000 ships have sunk in the Great Lakes. Thus, these waters traditionally attract numerous divers and underwater archaeologists.
