2 minute read
The Search for the Westmoreland:West Michigan's Treasure Ship Wreck
Imagine we are walking through an old part of your town, the oldest part of town. Now imagine we discover a building that has been sealed up for over a century. A building that was closed up before the Civil War began. Let’s go inside and take a look. The interior of this building has remained untouched by human hands for decades and is filled with tools and utensils of the day. Imagine what we could learn from these priceless artifacts.
How many buildings like this actually exist in the world today? Probably very few, if any. Yet, here in Michigan, we are surrounded by something just as valuable. Undiscovered shipwrecks. These underwater time capsules are loaded with implements and personal belongings of our ancestors, preserved by cold, deep, dark water.
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Lake Michigan is home to over one thousand reported shipwrecks. More of these shipwrecks have been found on the lake bottom in the past decade, then any other decade in history. Some say this is the golden age of Great Lakes shipwreck hunting. Advancements in technologies such as sonar and GPS mapping have demystified much of the lake bottom. Diving technology has improved also, with divers reaching depths of 300’ plus regularly. Improvements in underwater cameras allow divers to reveal these wrecks to the public in impressive fashion.
As a general rule of thumb, the deeper the shipwreck, the better state of preservation that shipwreck will be in. Lake Michigan boasts some of the most intact and well preserved shipwrecks on the planet. One of these amazingly preserved shipwrecks lies on the bottom of Northern Lake Michigan near Sleeping Bear Dune and the Manitou Islands. In December of 1854 the 200’ wooden passenger steamer Westmoreland foundered in a winter gale. 17 of her crew and passengers perished, but 17 survived, and soon rumors of gold coins in her safe and whiskey barrels in her hold started circulating around the Great Lakes. Over the next 150 years, the Westmoreland would become one of the most sought after shipwrecks on the lakes with nearly twenty expeditions launched to find her.
Ross Richardson, author, maritime historian and shipwreck hunter.
About the Author
Ross Richardson is an author, maritime historian and shipwreck hunter. His stories have been featured in USA Today, WZZMTV, The Grand Rapids Press and many other media outlets. His books “The Search for the Westmoreland” and “Still Missing” share some of Michigan’s most mysterious stories. He is a former diver for the Benzie Area Public Safety Dive Team and a former Benzie County Sheriff’s Department Special Deputy.
“The Search for the Westmoreland:West Michigan's Treasure Ship Wreck”, Thursday, September 14, 2017, 7:00 p.m., presented by Ross Richardson.
