Lost on the Lakes: A Fascinating Lesson for the Entire Family

By Hannah Hayes

(Michigan Travel August 2001)

As a popular vacation spot for Midwesterners, Michigan has a wealth of class museums. However, most visitors leave without seeing historic artifacts at the State's largest museum: Lake Michigan.

Some 2000 ships lay at the bottom of the lake within the state of Michigan's boundaries, preserved over time by the cold, fresh lake water. Michigan has six Underwater Preserves meant to protect unscrupulous divers from scavenging artifacts. Thanks to the Berrion County Historical Society, non-divers can visit the remains of ships that tell a story at the newest exhibit: Lost on the Lakes: Shipwrecks of Berrion County.

This fascinating, albeit grim reminder of the fatal history of the Lake will captivate young and old alike. Nearly 40 ships sank in the waters off Berrien County, which encompasses the Southwestern portion of Michigan from St. Joseph's to Indiana.

The exhibit has a separate room for children with a miniature sail rig and steering wheel where kids can play pirate or whatever they fancy. An art table with Popsicle sticks, paper, markers and glue allows kids to make their own flags with the assistance of a flag guide. This entertained my 5 year old for over an hour, as he made "man overboard" and "danger" flags and rushed to the play ship to enact a complicated drama.

While Zach reveled in playing captain and exploring the books, maps and a "real live Diver Dan costume," I spent an hour viewing chilling photographs and artifacts pulled from the Lake floor. Detailed accounts of ships that disappeared in storms and the men and women who sailed them provide fascinating reading, as well as a glimpse into local history.

Besides the local legendary losses like the Alpena, which disappeared in a sudden storm with nearly 100 people aboard, and the Chicora, which vanished in 1895 and has yet to be found, the exhibit includes a comprehensive history of the Eastland disaster in Chicago. Over 800 people died when the Eastland rolled over in the Chicago River, and the exhibit features passenger accounts, news clippings and photographs.

St. Joseph's is a popular spot for travelers between Chicago and Northern Michigan. Restaurants and hobby shops line the boardwalk along the harbor, and a first rate Children's Museum is worth a stop as well.

The Berrion County Historical Society faces the Lake, almost exactly opposite the spot where the French explorer LaSalle awaited the arrival of his ship, the Griffin. The Griffin never arrived.

A visit to the Historical Society is a thrilling reminder of the power of nature. The children's exhibit is a history lesson as well as a welcome break for children dragged through one too many adult museums.

True shipwreck enthusiasts may want to visit the Third Annual Ghostships Festival in Milwaukee on March 16-17. Sponsored by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation, the event features two days of videos, film footage, slide shows, lectures and exhibits on Great Lake shipwrecks. For more information call (262)317-2360