Veteran shipwreck hunter David Trotter thinks he’s discovered the remains of the side-wheel steamer Keystone State at the bottom of Lake Huron, which sunk in November 1861 after a powerful storm, killing all 33 on board, according to a recent report published in the Detroit Free Press.
The ship was among the largest steamers of its time at nearly 300 feet, and some historians suggest it may have sunk while secretly hauling Civil War supplies. Keystone State also was notable for helping European immigrants settle in the Midwest during the mid-19th century. Over the course of his 35-year career, Trotter has discovered more than 100 Great Lakes shipwrecks.
For more information, visit Trotter’s website, shipwreck1.com.
Keystone State photo courtesy of underwater research associates; drawing by robert mcgreevey
