A father-daughter duo unearthed a long-lost shipwreck in Lake Michigan earlier in 2023, according to reports published Friday.
Tim Wollack and his daughter, Henley, were on a fishing trip at Lake Michigan when they thought they saw an elusive Green Bay octopus hovering beneath their boat, the Wisconsin Historical Society said in a Facebook post. But what they actually uncovered was a shipwreck that had been missing for more than 152 years.
Officials believe the boat is the George L. Newman.
“Working with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Mike Neal, the shipwreck was investigated with Video Ray ROV on December 4,” the society noted in the post. “The wreck is of a wooden three masted sailing ship and is in 8 to 10 feet of water. Although the identity of the wreck has yet been confirmed, the location and current available data fits with that of the barkentine George L. Newman.”
The ship was never marked on any historical or nautical charts, despite its impressive size and connection to the area. It’s believed that on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871, the ship was sailing through the smoke of the Great Peshtigo Fire, one of the deadliest in American history. It’s said the fire claimed roughly 1,500 or more lives. The barquentine was carrying lumber from Little Suamico when it was likely grounded off the southeast point of Green Island.
The lighthouse keeper at the island kept the lights on throughout the day due to the density of the smoke from the fire. (RELATED: Department Of Wildlife Conservation Absolutely Rips Taylor Swift Over Travis Kelce)
“The ship was abandoned, became covered with sand, and was largely forgotten – until it became exposed and was located by the Wollacks this past summer. The Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program will survey the wreck in the spring of 2024 and assess the site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places,” officials noted.