Luxury steamer sank in Lake Michigan 153 years ago. It was just found.

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The Lac La Belle, a passenger steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872 with 53 people on board, has been discovered by shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn more than 150 years later. The steel-hulled ship, which was one of the first propeller ships on the Great Lakes to have twin stacks, was found upright and in great condition at the bottom of the lake, about 20 miles off the coast of Racine, Wisconsin.

Why it matters

The discovery of the Lac La Belle wreck is significant for the shipwreck hunting community, as the ship's location had long been a mystery. The well-preserved state of the wreck provides a rare glimpse into the history of Great Lakes shipping in the late 19th century.

The details

The Lac La Belle was a popular and luxurious passenger steamer that was originally registered in Cleveland but later moved its home port to Milwaukee. On October 13, 1872, the ship was carrying a cargo of barley, flour, pork, whiskey, and animal feed when it encountered a fierce storm and began taking on water. The ship's boilers were extinguished, leaving it at the mercy of the wind and waves. The captain ordered the passengers and crew to abandon ship, and all but one lifeboat made it back to shore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

• On October 13, 1872, the Lac La Belle left Milwaukee at 9 p.m. local time.
• About two hours into the trip, the ship began leaking badly and turned back to Milwaukee.
• The storm worsened with gale-force winds, eventually extinguishing the ship's boilers.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Ehorn will be presenting the discovery in person at the 2026 Ghost Ships Festival in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on March 7, where he will show an underwater video of the site and tell the story of the discovery. He also plans to create a 3D photogrammetry model that will record the condition and layout of the wreck in detail before releasing the precise location.