LAKE MICHIGAN’S LONG-LOST LAC LA BELLE SHIP FOUND AFTER NEARLY 150 YEARS. (PHOTO).
Lake Michigan’s long-lost Lac La Belle ship found after nearly 150 years One of Lake Michigan’s most sought-after shipwrecks, the passenger steamer Lac La Belle, has been located nearly 150 years after it sank, discovered by Illinois shipwreck hunter and scuba diver Paul Ehorn. The vessel went down during a stormy night in October 1872, and Ehorn found it upright on the lakebed, remarkably intact. Built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Lac La Belle was a popular passenger steamer, initially running routes from Cleveland to Lake Superior. After sinking in 25 feet of water in the St. Clair River in 1866 due to a collision, it was raised and refurbished three years later. The ship was later acquired by Milwaukee’s Englemann Transportation Company and operated passenger routes to Grand Haven, Michigan. On October 13, 1872, the vessel departed Milwaukee during a moderate gale carrying 53 passengers and crew, along with cargo including barley, flour, pork, and whiskey. Roughly two hours ...
