LOST Shipwreck Discovered Centuries Later!

A 60-year quest by an 80-year-old amateur diver unearthed a luxury steamer lost for 154 years beneath Lake Michigan’s waves, revealing secrets before invasive mussels claim it forever.

Story Highlights

Paul Ehorn discovered the intact Lac La Belle wreck in October 2022, after searching since 1965.
The 217-foot steamer sank stern-first on October 13, 1872, claiming eight lives in a gale off Milwaukee.
Remarkably preserved hull shows oak interiors and cargo, despite violent sinking and mussel threats.
Announcement delayed until February 2026 for weather-proof imaging and 3D modeling.

Lac La Belle’s Construction and Early Career

Cleveland shipbuilders launched Lac La Belle in 1864 as a 217-foot luxury passenger steamer for Cleveland-to-Lake Superior routes. The wooden vessel carried passengers, copper ingots, barley, flour, pork, and whiskey during the post-Civil War Great Lakes boom. Coal-fired boilers powered her through frequent gales, but wooden hulls proved vulnerable. She quickly gained popularity for comfort on demanding passenger trades.

Previous Sinking and Rebuild Challenges

Lac La Belle collided and sank in the St. Clair River in 1866, resting in 25 feet of water. Workers raised her in 1869 for full reconditioning. Milwaukee’s Englemann Transportation Company purchased her in the 1870s. She resumed passenger service to Grand Haven, Michigan, and Copper Country ports like Houghton and Hancock. The rebuild likely weakened her structure, setting the stage for future disaster.

The Fateful Gale of October 1872

On October 13, 1872, Lac La Belle departed Milwaukee at night amid a moderate gale with 53 passengers, crew, and cargo. Two hours out, an uncontrollable leak flooded her holds. Captain turned back toward port, but massive waves doused the boilers. She sank stern-first around 5 a.m., 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha. Lifeboats launched; one capsized, killing eight. Survivors reached Wisconsin shores.

Paul Ehorn’s Decades-Long Pursuit

Paul Ehorn, an Illinois shipwreck hunter, began targeting Lac La Belle in 1965 at age 15. Maritime historian Ross Richardson provided a crucial 2022 clue from a commercial fisherman’s net snag, narrowing the search grid. Ehorn’s team used side-scan sonar and located the upright wreck in just two hours offshore. This marked his 15th discovery, showcasing amateur perseverance over six decades.

Discovery Confirmation and Imaging Delays

Divers Bruce Bittner, John Janzen, and John Scoles joined Ehorn for deep-water filming in summer 2025 after weather delays from 2024. Sonar and images revealed an intact hull with preserved oak framing, visible cargo, collapsed superstructure, missing propeller, and quagga mussel coverage. Historian Brendon Baillod confirmed identity via hogging arches. Shipwreck World announced the find February 13, 2026.

Preservation Race Against Mussels

Great Lakes hold 6,000 to 10,000 undiscovered wrecks, per University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Water Library. Invasive quagga mussels accelerate deterioration, destroying wooden relics. Ehorn raced to create 3D photogrammetry models before irreversible damage. His efforts document the site amid recent finds like J.C. Ames and steamship Milwaukee. Common sense demands urgent action on invasive species policies to protect this heritage.

Expert Insights on Wreck Hunting Challenges

Ehorn described the thrill: “Super elated… like solving the puzzle.” He noted searches grow harder as easy wrecks vanish. Baillod called it a “moment of real jubilation,” praising the rare intact state post-violent sinking. Richardson emphasized artifact clues in vast grids. Competitive secrecy among hunters limits shared details, but collaboration preserves history for public education, like Ehorn’s March 7, 2026, Ghost Ships Festival talk in Manitowoc.