A shipwreck believed to be the J.C. Ames was discovered in Lake Michigan off the coast of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by Christopher Thuss who was fishing when he spotted the wreck nine feet underwater. Thuss, the step-grandson of “Shipwreck Suzze” Johnson — who discovered a number of lost wrecks in Lake Michigan — reported the finding to Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archeologist Tamara Thomsen, who worked with Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association president Brendon Baillod to identify the wreck as the J.C. Ames.
The boat was built in 1881 for lumber trade and was dismantled and intentionally sunk in 1923. “These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,” says Thomsen. “We are grateful that Chris Thuss noticed the wreck and reported it so we can share this story with the Wisconsin communities that this history belongs to.”
The shipwreck is located within the boundary of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and is currently in the process of being listed on the State Register of Historic Places.
To learn more, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
PHOTO: WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY FACEBOOK
