Imagine a day in 1893 when the Great Lakes were a bustling highway of schooners and cargo ships. One such vessel, the Margaret A. Muir, set out from the Straits of Mackinac with a load of bulk salt. What was supposed to be a routine journey turned into a dramatic battle against nature’s fury. The ship vanished beneath the waves, joining the ranks of countless lost vessels in the Great Lakes. In May 2023, a team of volunteer scientists from the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA) embarked on a quest to locate this elusive shipwreck in Michigan.
The Story Of The Margaret A. Muir Shipwreck In Michigan
On September 30, 1893, the schooner Margaret A. Muir set sail from the Straits of Mackinac, carrying a cargo of bulk salt. The ship was headed to Chicago but faced severe weather on Lake Michigan. Strong winds, blowing at 50 miles per hour, and high waves battered the ship. After two hours of struggling against the storm, the ship began to fall apart.
Captain David Clow and his six crew members managed to escape in a lifeboat, reaching the shores of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the captain’s loyal dog did not survive. Deeply affected, Captain Clow, who had survived three previous shipwrecks, decided to retire from sailing.
More than 130 years later, on May 12, 2023, Margaret A. Muir was discovered. Three volunteer scientists from the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA) found the shipwreck using sonar technology, according to The New York Times. The ship was located just a few miles from Algoma Harbour in Wisconsin, an area popular with fishing boats.
A Tale Of Storm And Survival
Brendon Baillod, the president of the WUAA, along with Robert Jaeck and Kevin Cullen, mapped out an area where they believed the ship might be. They used old maps and newspaper reports to guide their search. After scanning the lakebed for most of the day without finding anything, they finally saw a large object on their sonar screen. It was Margaret A. Muir.
As per The New York Times reports, the wreckage included two large anchors and other deck equipment. The ship had settled into a crater on the lakebed, which made it hard to find until now. Divers have explored the site, and there are plans to preserve it on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Margaret A. Muir is one of many ships lost in the Great Lakes. Built in 1872, the Muir was 130 feet long and was used to transport cargo across the Great Lakes for 21 years.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wisconsin Underwater Archeological Association/Website
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