Long-lost John Evenson shipwreck is discovered in Lake Michigan after sinking nearly 130 years ago

A long-lost shipwreck has been found nearly 130 years after it sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan. 

The Wisconsin Historical Society recently announced that maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Robert Jaeck found the remains of a tugboat built in 1884 named John Evenson. 

Jaeck recalled: ‘We just couldn’t believe it. We actually hadn’t even started our search. We were just getting the equipment up and going.’ 

The steamboat was used to tow ships on the Great Lakes and was a common sight around Sturgeon Bay during its prime. 

But on June 5, 1895, as the John Evenson was attempting to tow the gigantic I.W. Stephenson into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in Door County, Wisconsin, the smaller boat somehow sailed in front of the other one and they collided. 

The John Evenson was submerged entirely underwater in less than three minutes. Four crew members members were launched into the water, but later rescued. 

The steamboat’s engineer, Martin Boswell, who had been working below deck during the crash never made it out and died. 

Now in 2024, the steamboat was discovered in 42 feet of water with its machinery intact.

The steamboat was used to tow ships on the Great Lakes and was a common sight around Sturgeon Bay during its prime

But on June 5, 1895, as the John Evenson was attempting to tow the gigantic I.W. Stephenson (pictured) into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in Door County, Wisconsin, the smaller boat somehow sailed in front of the other one and they collided

Historical newspaper accounts as well as a high-resolution side scan sonar helped locate the shipwreck 

In a Facebook post, the historical society said that the discovery was made using old newspaper accounts as well as a high-resolution side scan sonar. 

The duo had dropped a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) into the water to confirm that the wreck was the boat. 

Images showed the vessel’s boiler, as well as its steam engine, giant propeller and hull-bed.

But this was not the first time an attempt was made to find the boat. 

Images showed the vessel’s boiler, as well as its steam engine, giant propeller and hull-bed 

The steamboat was discovered in 42 feet of water with its machinery intact

In 1897, the Laurie Brothers who were the ship’s owners vowed to find and salvage it, but they abandoned their mission for insurance purposes. 

The WHS explained: ‘Two years later, in 1897, the Laurie Brothers vowed to raise and salvage their former tugboat, but they quickly ran into trouble.

‘They had surrendered the ship as a total loss and already received the insurance payout. If the Laurie Brothers raised the tug, the insurance underwriters could claim ownership. Because of this, the Evenson was left on the bottom of Lake Michigan.’

Since then, divers have been trying to find the boat with one local dive club even offering a $500 cash reward to anyone who succeeded, according to the The Smithsonian.