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A ship lost to the depths of Lake Michigan over 100 years ago was found by a fisherman off the coast of Manitowoc.
The shipwreck of the J.C. Ames was found by Christopher Thuss, who was fishing in the fog near the Manitowoc breakwater when he spotted the wreckage nine feet below the surface.
The J.C. Ames was built in 1881 for the lumber trade and served a number of purposes before it was dismantled and intentionally sunk in 1923.
It suffered a collision in 1889 that required repair to its stem before a new owner—the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Transportation Company of Peshtigo—took possession of the ship for transporting railway cars.
The ship was built by Rand & Burger of Manitowoc and was originally christened the J.C. Perrett by its first owner, the Marinette Barge Company.
The shipwreck is located within the boundary of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary designated in 2021 and comanaged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state of Wisconsin.
Maritime archaeologists with the Wisconsin Historical Society will begin the process to list the J.C. Ames on the State Register of Historic Places, the step that precedes listing to the National Register of Historic Places.
Due to the wreck’s unique position in Lake Michigan, it has the potential to become a popular destination for kayaking and snorkelers.
