The luxury steamer Lac La Belle, which sank in a Lake Michigan storm in October 1872, was located in October 2022 about 20 miles off Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin. A team led by veteran shipwreck hunter Paul Ehron found the 217-foot vessel with side-scan sonar after narrowing the search using a tip from Ross Richardson. The hull and oak interiors appear largely intact, though the upper cabins are missing and the exterior is coated with quagga mussels. Ehron called the discovery the 15th wreck he has located in a career spanning decades.
Luxury Steamer Lac La Belle Located After Nearly 60-Year Search — Wreck Found 20 Miles Off Wisconsin Coast
The stern of the Lac La Belle is showing one of her propellers missing. / Credit: Paul Ehorn/Shipwreck World(Paul Ehorn/Shipwreck World)
Searchers announced this week that the luxury steamer Lac La Belle, which sank in a Lake Michigan gale in October 1872, was located in October 2022 about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The discovery concludes a search that began almost six decades ago.
Discovery and Investigation
Shipwreck World, an organization that documents historic wrecks, said a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehron located the wreck using side-scan sonar after narrowing the search grid with a clue from fellow wreck hunter Ross Richardson. The team delayed announcing the find while they produced a three-dimensional video model of the site; poor weather and other commitments prevented additional dives until the following summer.
History of the Lac La Belle
The 217-foot steamship was built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1864 and spent much of her early career on Great Lakes routes. After a collision sent her to the bottom of the St. Clair River in 1866, she was raised in 1869 and extensively rebuilt before returning to passenger service under Milwaukee’s Englemann Transportation Company.
Large wooden steamers like the Lac La Belle needed longitudinal hogging arches for strength. / Credit: Paul Ehorn/Shipwreck World
On Oct. 13, 1872, the Lac La Belle departed Milwaukee with 53 passengers and crew and a cargo that included barley, pork, flour and whiskey. About two hours into the voyage she began taking on water from an unknown source. As the captain attempted to turn back, a storm worsened and waves extinguished the ship’s boiler fires. Around 5 a.m., the vessel sank by the stern. Passengers and crew watched from lifeboats; one lifeboat capsized while attempting to reach shore and eight people drowned.
Condition of the Wreck
Dives and sonar imagery show the wreck resting largely intact on the lake bottom. The hull appears sound and much of the oak interior remains, though the upper cabins are gone and the exterior is heavily encrusted with invasive quagga mussels. Ehron described the find as the 15th wreck he has located in his decades-long career.
Why This Matters
The Great Lakes are estimated to contain between 6,000 and 10,000 shipwrecks, most of them undiscovered. Researchers and hobbyists say the search has grown more urgent in recent years because invasive species such as quagga mussels accelerate the deterioration of historic wrecks, threatening irreplaceable cultural heritage.
"It's kind of a game, like solve the puzzle," Ehron said. "Sometimes you don't have many pieces to put the puzzle together but this one worked out and we found it right away."
Note: The team declined to disclose the exact clue that pinpointed the search area, citing concerns that revealing such leads could divert or complicate future investigations.
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