Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates has been awarded its second major grant from the Michigan Humanities Council to study and document the wreck of the Thomas Hume in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. This is actually the third major grant, the team has overseen, including the Verano project in 1998 when operating as the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve. In 2006, marine contractor A&T Recovery discovered an intact lumber schooner while performing other work in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. They turned the wreck over to a team of experienced shipwreck explorers in Chicago: Bud Brain, Tom Palmisano, Jeff Strunka, and Bob Schmidt who began investigating the wreck to determine its identity. After three years, the divers felt confident that the wreck was the long missing Thomas Hume, owned and operated in Muskegon. Because of the vessel’s Michigan connections and the dive team’s familiarity with the work of Valerie van Heest and the team from Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, they offered to collaborate with that non-profit organization to further document and interpret the shipwreck. As MSRA began its research, doubt was raised when original deed documents recorded the Hume had only two masts. Further research uncovered records indicating that the Hume was refit not long before it sank and did, indeed, have three masts. Further investigation into the date markings of several artifacts on the wreck support that the wreck is indeed the Thomas Hume, although no name board or vessel registration number has been found. Valerie van Heest wrote the grant and will serve as project director. She approached the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon to collaborate on the project for two key reasons. The museum has an obvious connection with the vessel Thomas Hume, considering that it operates the Hackley and Hume historic home site, and it also employs two seasoned underwater archaeologists, John McGarry, the museum’s director and Dani LaFleur, its collection manager. Together LSM and MSRA will document the wreck. Unfortunately, the wreck sits in more than 150 feet of water and can only be reached by technical divers breathing a special mix of air. Bottom time is short and the work is dangerous. Fortunately, the MSRA dive team and its Chicago affiliates are made up of qualified technical divers with vast vocational experience in conducting underwater

March 1, 2010 Vol 18

Dear MSRA members:

Half way through 2010 seems like a good point to reflect back on the busiest part of the year. In this newsletter, you will read about the 2010 “Mysteries & Histories Beneath the Inland Seas” shipwreck show. We thank YOU for helping us achieve a record attendance! Another article wraps up the ongoing Flight 2501 search which, as you know, is a joint operation with Clive Cussler’s NUMA team. The plane is still out there although hundreds of square miles of bottomland have now been scoured in the area. We are uncertain of NUMA’s plans for 2011 at this time but hope they will continue their interest in this great mystery. You will also read about the search for the Andaste which will be continued in 2011. Hundreds of hours of research and side scan sonar work are moving us ever closer to a successful discovery! In the near future you will also hear a lot more about the topic covered in another article, the wreck of the schooner Thomas Hume. A state grant will enable MSRA to full document this wreck, build a museum exhibit and more. MSRA continues, through our In-Depth Editions publishing partner, to further the outreach portion of our mission by seeking out writers of great local non-fiction and bringing those books to print. Valerie van Heest’s books, “Icebound: The Story of Young George Sheldon and the SS Michigan” and “Buckets & Belts: The Evolution of the Great Lakes Self Unloader” (co-written with William Lafferty) are selling very well. My new book, “For Those in Peril: Shipwrecks of Ottawa County Michigan” was published in February and also continues to enjoy popularity. Valerie’s next book, “Lost on the Lady Elgin” is due out in September. This labor of love is the culmination of over 20 years of work by Valerie as a member of both MSRA and the Underwater Archeological Society of Chicago. Be sure to reserve a copy or pick one up at your favorite bookseller in September. See the website at www.in-deptheditions.com. As always, we appreciate your support! If you haven’t renewed your membership lately, please do so that you won’t miss a thing! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Craig RichBoard Director

MSRA Receives Major Grant

The Thomas Hume bow. Photo by Robert Underhill.

Grant Con’t

Mark Your Calendars

May 21, 2011On the 120th anniversary of the sinking of the Thomas Hume, it will “come home” to Muskegon and the full story will be revealed. Place and time to follow.

Folf singer Lee Murdock is scheduled to perform at the event and sing his song about the Thomas Hume: “I’m Still Here, “ inspired by an earlier MSRA presentation!

archaeological investigations. Under the leadership of archaeologists at the Lakeshore Museum Center, the shipwreck experts of MSRA and the four members of the Chicago team will recover all the information needed to interpret the shipwreck and its many artifacts. To bring this fascinating information to the public, the Michigan Humanities Council has awarded a grant to LMC and MSRA to design and fabricate a museum exhibit, a documentary, and a lesson plan for local schools on the Hume and all it can tell us about shipboard life on lumber schooners. For all we know about lumbering in Midwest in the 1870s to 1890s, we know very little about how sailors lived and worked aboard lumber schooners. The wreck of the Thomas Hume holds the answers! The schooner the Thomas Hume was built in 1870 as the two-masted H.C. Albrecht in Manitowac Wisconsin. Named for its first owner, the Albrecht was 132 feet in length with a 26 foot beam. In 1876, the Albrecht was sold to Captain Welch of Chicago who in turn sold it to Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume of Muskegon. The Albrecht’s new owners replaced her deck and strengthened her framing to accommodate her for hauling lumber from Muskegon to Chicago. In 1883, Charles Hackley renamed the ship after his business partner Thomas Hume. The Hume was renovated at least once more when a third mast was added to the ship. On May 21, 1891, the Hume left Chicago empty along side the Rouse Simmons (also known as the Christmas Tree Ship) and encountered a storm on Lake Michigan. The captain of the Simmons feared the weather and turned back to Chicago. The Hume continued on but never made port in Muskegon. Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume sent their trusted friend Captain Seth Lee out to search for the ship but never found it or any wreckage. Although the ship was worth $6000 at the time of its assumed sinking, it was not insured and therefore it was a total loss to the Hackley and Hume Company. Six men lost their lives in the loss of the Thomas Hume, along with possibly two passengers. Jack van Heest

Lee Murdock

May 21 thru May 31 the MSRA wreck hunting team was in high gear off the shores of West Michigan in search of the elusive Andaste. The Andaste left Grand Haven in the early evening of September 9, 1929 to deliver a load of gravel to Calumet Harbor. Somewhere out on the lake she was hit by a severe storm and she disappeared. This year’s search was focused in deep water off the harbor of Port Sheldon. Valerie van Heest and Neel Zoss put together the search grid using their detailed research and eyewitness reports. David Trotter operated the sonar unit every day and the MSRA board members Craig Rich, Jack van Heest and I did the lion’s share of the boat driving. Todd White, Neel Zoss and gifted artist Bob Doornbos rounded out the crew, as it takes at least three sailors onboard to launch and operate the sonar and drive the boat safely. The search started strong with five days of solid weather but on the sixth day, the weather turned sour and the boat crew turned around after venturing out onto the big lake a couple miles. The last weekend of the search yielded a couple of solid days of searching also.The launching and retrieving of the sonar fish in the middle of the lake is a tense operation, to say the least. This year, Jack van Heest had the equipment he designed and made himself for that purpose running to near perfection. Launching and retrieving the sonar fish was accomplished in record time every day out, allowing for more time running lanes, which means more “ground” covered. Because Jack had the boat tuned to optimal performance and the search equipment operating flawlessly, we were able to cover about eight square miles a day! It could be an MSRA record for daily coverage. Thick fog reared its ugly head again, leading to the discussion of outfitting the search boat with a low cost radar unit. Having been caught out in near zero visibility both last year and this year, I agree it’s a must. The MSRA board is also reviewing a number of safety issues to be proactive and offer the boat crews safety and assurance as we venture further and farther from shore.

MSRA 2010 Search Expedition

MSRA 2010 Search Expedition Con’t

Visit Lakeshore Museum Cent-er’s web site to read daily dive reports of the site work taking place on the Thomas Hume:

http://www.muskegon-museum.org/

click on “The Thomas Hume Project at the left of the home screen.

Also consider following the museum on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/LakeshoreMuseum-Center

In-Depth editions, the publishing partner of MSRA is pleased to announce its newest book: LOST ON THE LADY ELGIN by Valerie van Heest. Lightning tore through the slate-black sky above lower Lake Michigan during the early hours of Saturday, September 8, 1860, illuminating the palatial sidewheel steamer Lady Elgin as she lumbered north from Chicago through raging seas and gale winds. The vessel’s perilous journey would end abruptly when the

schooner Augusta collided with the steamer, piercing a gaping and fatal wound in the steamer’s port side. Within minutes, the Lady Elgin foundered, forcing her terrified passengers and crew into the churning maelstrom. Some drowned quickly; others clung to small bits of wreckage throughout the horrific early morning; many lost their lives hours later in the churning surf along shore. Over three hundred people, mainly Irish-Americans from Milwaukee’s Third Ward, perished in the disaster—the worst maritime tragedy on the open waters of the Great Lakes. Newspaper headlines announced the “alarming calamity,” survivors recounted their terrifying ordeals, tens of thousands turned out for funerals in Milwaukee, and the catastrophe evoked far-reaching effects. However, the volatile 1860 presidential election leading to the start of the Civil War would overshadow the Lady Elgin’s loss, and memories of the accident soon faded. One hundred twenty-nine years after the disaster, the Lady Elgin became headline news again when the discovery of her wreck incited a legal battle over ownership, leading the state of Illinois to conduct a survey, led initially by the author, to document several areas of wreckage off the shores of northern Illinois. Award-winning author Valerie van Heest, drawing on an extensive collection of primary materials on the Lady Elgin’s loss and discovery, provides a copiously researched historical narrative that recounts the golden age of passenger travel on the Great Lakes, a pivotal presidential campaign, and describes in petrifying detail the loss of the Lady Elgin as four hundred souls fought for their lives.

Just Released!

Lost on the Lady Elgin is due on the 150th anniversary of the sinking of this vessel. Read more at: www.in-deptheditions.com. Be among the first to obtain a copy signed by Valerie. Order now, for early September delivery. www.in-deptheditions.com. Hard back, 168 pages, $26.95.

What people are saying

This year’s search yielded no new targets, but it did increase the area we know where shipwrecks aren’t. This is very important as we narrow down where the last few wrecks still lost of West Michigan lie. The loss of the Andaste was a severe blow to the communities of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg. The crewmen of the Andaste were great examples of the strong work ethic and determination that still permeates throughout West Michigan today. The MSRA boat crew is proud to use that same work ethic and determination to uncover these fine sailors’ graves and share their story with the public. Ross Richardson

MSRA 2010 Search Expedition Con’t

“Valerie van Heest combines her masterful knowledge of shipwreck history in an enormously spellbinding account of one of the worst tragedies of the Great Lakes. She reveals in vivid detail the treacherous events that unfolded with the sinking of the Lady Elgin and the terrible loss of men, womenand children into the dark waters of Lake Michigan. A must-read, captivating, vivid narrative.”- Clive Cussler Internationally acclaimed action/adventure author and shipwreck hunter

“With careful scholarship, an eye for detail, and an obvious passion for her subject, Valerie van Heest has given us the definitive history of one of the most tragic incidents in the history of the Great Lakes.”- John GurdaHistorian and award-winning author of The Making of Milwaukee

$300 Reward for Photo

ROV Survey of Hattie WellsOn Thursday August 19, 2010, MSRA collaborated with the Great Lakes Naval Museum, Seaview, NOAA, and NUMA to conduct a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey of the Hattie Wells, discovered by Ralph Wilbanks and Clive Cussler during our 2009 expedition to search for Flight 2501. This operation came together quite quickly and was coordinated by MSRA member Dr. Mark Gleason, chief marine scientist and director of education at the Great Lakes Naval Memorial Museum in Muskegon. He had been in contact with Mark and Geoff Cook of SeaView Systems, who had just completed some pro-bono ROV work in Alpena for the Sea Scouts. On their way south, they offered to come to West Michigan to survey a shipwreck. Aware of our recent new discovery of the Hattie Wells, Gleason approached MSRA to team up to do the survey. Since we have had little chance to survey the 250-foot deep Hattie Wells since the first dive by Bob Underhill, Jeff Vos and Todd White, in which they confirmed its identlty, MSRA was thrilled to partner in the one-day expedition. Divers can only spend about twenty minutes at that depth, but an ROV could spend several hours if the conditions on the surface and underwater were good. And the circumstances were good last Thursday! NOAA’s accomplished Captain Tom Joyce motored NOAAs forty-foot work boat down from Musekgon accompanied by Gleason and museum volunteer Gary Reynolds. Valerie van Heest met Mathew Cook and Geoff Cook of SeaView Systems, in South Haven where they boarded the NOAA vessel and headed the twenty miles out to the site. They purposely got a late start as the waves were running at about three foot in the morning, but had been predicted to go down as the afternoon proceeded. And indeed they did. They left South Haven at about 3 PM with waves at one to two feet. When we arrive on station at the site at 4:30, the lake had calmed completely and the sun was bright. Captain Joyce anchored the boat in such a way that the ROV could travel straight down to the wreck. The Seaview unit had

NOT the Thomas Hume

There typically exist one or more photographs of ships built after 1870. Thanks to the collections of many historians and “boat nerds” these images now reside in the archives of museums, libraries and historical societies. Since the advent of digital imagery and the internet, these images have been even more widely distributed and can often be found through on-line databases. About a year ago, we were thrilled when we located an image of the Thomas Hume in a library’s on-line database. However, one small detail in the photo did not seem to match the wreck we had been documenting. At first that made us question our identification of the wreck, but after another thorough review of three-masted schooners gone missing in Lake Michigan, we could come up with no possibilities except the Thomas Hume. This in turn caused us to began questioning the identification of the schooner pictured, which appeared to have been taken in a river. A portion of a smaller excursion boat was visible in the background. Although the image is very detailed, we could not quite read the nameboard, but it appeared to be H-U-M-E. However, knowing that vessels were required to display their whole names--in this case, Thomas Hume--we became suspicious of the photo. Only a look at the original glass plate could possibly allow us to read the name clearly. The library informed us that the original glass plate is housed at the Michigan State Archives. At our request, the archivist pulled out the file and informed us that it listed the vessel as the HOME EXCELSIOR. We had never heard of the HOME EXCELSIOR, but when the archivist sent us a larger scan taken of the glass plate, the entire excursion boat was visible in the background. Our affiliate Bill Lafferty was able to identify the other vessel as the EXCELSIOR. Therefore the schooner pictured was the HOME, a vessel that spent a good bit of its career in the St. Clair river, just as pictured. So, Now we are back on the hunt for an image of the Thomas Hume. Just like the Home image had been mislabeled, we wonder if there might exist a photograph of the Thomas Hume somewhere also mislabeled? Or perhaps the Thomas Hume is pictured in the background of a photograph of another vessel? Or perhaps a private party owns an historic image of the vessel? MSRA is offering a $300 reward to any person or institution who can locate a photograph of the Thomas Hume. The reward is payable as soon as we receive a digital copy. The Hume was built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1870, then sold to a Chicago buyer, then sold to the Hackley Hume Company in Muskegon, Michigan in 1882. If a photograph exists, it is likely to have been taken in Chicago or Muskegon, the two ports where it spent the most amount of time.CONTACT VALERIE WITH IMAGE: Shipwrecked@chartermi.net

sonar, and “saw” the wreck right away about 35 feet distant. Matt Cook turned on the lights and piloted the unit across the flat, sand bottom approaching the starboard side. They first came up on the bow and immediately saw a nice woodstock anchor. The zebra mussels were thick and the lights reflected off them. It appeared that the visibility was low and the water dark. After about five minutes filming the wreck, we decided to access the ambient light that might be present at 250 feet, and turned off the lights on the ROV. Much to our amazement, the whole wreck appeared! There was bright light at depth and the visibility was beyond 100 feet. No lights provided better footage than with the lights. The ROV filmed full coverage of the wreck from side to side, and the entire 165’ length of the shipwreck. The Hattie Wells was built in Port Huron, Michigan in 1867. The three-masted schooner had a length of 135 feet with a beam of 26 feet During the winter of 1885 she was placed in the Wolverine Dry Dock and was cut in two and lengthened by 30 feet, giving her an overall length of 164 feet. It suffered many accidents in its career, but the last one would be fatal for the ship. Not it’s crew, however. A newspaper account explains the sinking:

“Early in the morning of November 6, 1912, the Hattie Wells left Waukegan, Illinois under tow of the tug James H. Martin for the port of Muskegon, Michigan. She was

loaded with 66,000 feet of hemlock as well as elm and pine. A heavy sea was running when the tug and barge left the Illinois port. The wind continued to pick up throughout the day, until a Northwest gale was blowing strong. Seas continually swamped the barge and soon a part of her deck cargo was carried away. A small pilothouse on the barge containing a donkey engine was wrecked by the shifting cargo and the engine was put out of commission. This rendered the pumps useless. As darkness began to settle in, the tug’s crew and captain realized that the barge was sinking and that the crew of five on the barge soon would be lost. The tow line was cut and the tug turned around and began the rescue of the five men on the barge. It was

pitch dark and the seas were mountainous. A heavy sea swept the tug against the barge and one man on the bigger boat jumped onto the deck of the tug. The danger of collision was great but Captain MacKinnon worked his tug close to the barge and tossed a life line aboard. Then, hand over hand, the five sailors fought their way by the aid of the line through the cold and mountainous seas to the tug and were pulled aboard. Two teenage stewardesses aboard the James H. Martin, Margaret La Joyce and Elizabeth De Beck, shamed the sailors with their determination and courage. An admiring Caption MacKinnon declared later that “the girls were the bravest of us all.” La Joyce and De Beck stood on the deck through the worst part of the rescue, braving the icy waves spraying over them as they cheered on the crew. Some of the Martin’s sailors had argued against bringing the tug up alongside the barge, but the girls berated them for cowardice and begged MacKinnon to do everything possible to save those on the Hattie Wells. “In a tight pinch, give me a woman for courage” MacKinnon declared. The Martin made port at St. Joseph, Michigan just after midnight. The following afternoon, Captain MacKinnon put out with the intention of scouring the lake for the barge. He left word with the life savers that if he picked up the scow he would return to port, but that if he only found floating lumber he would head his tug north and continue on to his home in Menominee. He never returned…”

Also NOT the Thomas Hume, this is the Hattie Wells.

Valerie van Heest aboard the NOAA vessel .

Matthew Cook (left) and Geoff Cook adjust ROV compo-nents.

Mark Gleason (left) and Gary Reynolds prepare to launch a smaller ROV to film the SeaView ROV.

Captain Tom Joyce of NOAA.

The wreck provides evidence of the sinking. The deck is gone, forced off by the buoyant lumber. Only the hanging knees that once supported the deck are in place. The bow is intact, with the windlass and two wood stock anchors visible. The stern is degraded, but the rudder sits upright and in place. Stayed tuned for MSRAs documentary on the wreck in the near future. Jack van Heest

The 2010 “Mysteries & Histories Beneath The Inland Seas” event, held at the historic Knickerbocker theater in Holland, Michigan on Saturday April 24, 2010, was a huge success. As always, this 12th annual show was hosted by Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and the Joint Archives of Holland. The theatre lobby opened at 6:00 pm and very quickly became packed with members and guests clamoring for the latest shipwreck books, videos, prints and other items. Before taking their seats, those in attendance made sure to enter the door prize drawings too. After a short introductory program from David Trotter, the first presentation of the evening was about the loss of the whaleback steamer Henry Cort by Valerie van Heest and Neel Zoss. Their program was followed by renowned Great Lakes shipwreck discoverer David Trotter whose program “The Mighty Hercules” revealed yet another discovery! During the intermission, attendees had a chance to meet and greet the presenters and again purchase the latest shipwreck products. After the audience settled back into their seats and door prizes were announced the program resumed. Kimm Stablefeldt of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation of Wisconsin then presented MSRA with a $500 grant to further the group’s work in documenting shipwrecks. First up in the second half was “A Tale of Two Schooners” presented by MSRA’s Craig Rich and Valerie van Heest. They were followed by Lake Ontario shipwreck hunter Jim Kennard, who told the story of the recent discovery of the British warship HMS Ontario. Thanks to our members and other attendees, the 2010 show set a new record. Theatre Manager Erik Alberg estimated between 450 and 475 people were in attendance. MSRA would like to thank everyone who came to the event and those who support MSRA through their memberships and their tax deductible contributions throughout the year. Craig Rich

Show-Huge Success Steamer Westmoreland Found! MSRA is proud to announce that Ross Richardson, one of the board members of MSRA, who relocated up to Northern Michigan in 2008, has discovered the wreck of the Westmorland in the waters off Frankfort, Michigan. Ross joined the MSRA team in 2001 shortly after the discovery of the H.C. Akeley and has participated in the research, searching, and documenting activities of MSRA over the last nine years. The board was sorry to see Ross have to disengage from the day to day activities of the organization due to his relocation to pursue a new career in real estate in Lake Ann, Michigan, but happy that Ross can still on occasion participate in the work of MSRA as he did for the 2010 search this year. We are even more thrilled that he has been able to continue the good efforts begun with MSRA, farther up the coast where he is now located. Please visit the new web site created by Ross that discusses the Westmoreland discovery along with other wrecks that he is researching in northern Lake Michigan waters. http://www.michiganmysteries.com/ From this web site, we learn the following about the Westmoreland and it’s discovery:

“The fact that the Westmoreland was one of the earliest propellers on the Lakes and that she was almost brand new (one year old) when she sank makes for a great shipwreck story. But when stories of her fabled cargo started circulating around the wharfs and bars of Milwaukee and Frankfort she became a legend. Stories of gold in the strong box and brandy and whiskey in her hold seem to emanate for the Westmoreland’s first mate, Paul Pelkey. Captain Pelkey was far from a crackpot and considered a very capable seaman and navigator. Captain Pelkey returned in 1872 and 1874 to get at the cargo of the Westmoreland. That’s a lot of time and effort to put into something, unless you knew something was there… Over the years the amount of gold in the strong box grew from $9000 to $100,000 and the cargo of few barrels of high wines (brandy) grew to 70,000 fifths of premium whiskey worth millions. Over the last century and a half the Westmoreland has been one of the most sought after wrecks in the Great Lakes; Lake Michigan’s ship of gold.”

On July 7, 2010, Ross discovered the wreck. Three days later, he made his first dive on it and confirmed the identity of the propeller Westmoreland. His web site indicates: “The Westmoreland is in an incredible state of preservation and has remained unseen by human eyes for over a century and a half. This virgin shipwreck is sitting upright and nearly completely intact in deep water. The depth and the steep walls of the uncharted hole she sits in seems to have protected her from currents and ice that have reduced most wrecks on the West shore of Michigan to nothing more that interesting board piles. Her bow points south and east, pointing down the course she was blown by the December gale in 1854.

ROV Survey Con’t

The Westmoreland’s bow is completely intact and rises over twenty feet off the bottom of Lake Michigan. The vessels hogging arches are upright and completely intact and both tower 30 feet over the sandy bottom. The boiler and engine are also present, refuting the stories of her salvage in the 1870’s. The passenger railing is completely intact, save a small area on the port side stern that appears to have been damaged during the sinking by the falling smokestack. Just aft of the arches all four life boat davits can be seen completely intact, including the davit the flipped the large life boat and killed seventeen of the passengers and crew. At the very stern, on the passenger deck, is the auxiliary helm; a perfectly intact ships wheel. It’s in pristine condition considering the Westmoreland sank seven years before the Civil War started and was on the bottom of Lake Michigan over a decade before president Lincoln was assassinated in Ford Theater.The passenger deck appears to have collapsed on the cargo deck in the area between the hogging arches. Some of this damage may have been caused by the mast, which broke off about 8 feet above the passenger deck. Some of the upper works (houses) seem to have floated off when the Westmoreland foundered, while other parts of the deck houses seemed to be collapsed on the passenger deck.” We understand from Ross that he hopes to document the vessel as MSRA has done over the last dozen years and then release the coordinates to the public. There are many more shipwrecks waiting to be found in the treacherous waters of northern Lake Michigan. Perhaps the long lost Gilcher will be Ross’s next discovery…?

The Stern Deck of the Westmoreland WreckVideo capture by Ross Richardson from his web site

An arch on the wreck of the Westmoreland. Video capture by Ross Richardson from his web site.

MSRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Valerie Olson van HeestGeoffrey ReynoldsCraig RichRoss RichardsonJack van Heest

ASSOCIATES William Lafferty, PhDDirector of ResearchArthur Allen Oceanographer, U.S.C.G.Brendon BaillodHistorian/WriterDr. Guy MeadowsUniversity of MichiganKenneth Pott Maritime ArchaeologistDr. David Schwab Oceanographer, GLERL

Michigan Shipwreck Research Associ-ates, is a Michigan 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, whose mission is to Pre-serve Michigan’s submerged maritime history. To that end, the organization’s work includes research, exploration, documentation and education regard-ing historic shipwrecks within Michigan waters, with an initial emphasis on the area off West Michigan. MSRA works in cooperation with State Agencies. As a Holland-based volunteer-driven organization, MSRA relies on member-ships, fundraising events and grants to continue its work.

MSRA is funded in part by an annual grant from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation, a Wisconsin 501c3

Directed by Kimm Stabelfeldt, Brad Friend and Jon Albrecht

Images from 2010 Mysteries Histories

Kimm Stabelfeldt (right) of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Founda-tion. presented MSRA with a grant of $500. These funds will serve as a portion of the matching grant required by MSRA for the Thomas Hume project.

Each year GLSRF hosts the Ghost Ships Festival, a conference de-voted to Great Lakes scuba diving and maritime history. Exhibits, workshops, and presentations cover just about every aspect of maritime history and Great Lakes scuba diving. Proceeds from the event are given in the form of grants to organizations that sup-port the mission of the Founda-tion.

Jim Kennard relaxes the morning after the program at the Van Heest’s house.

David Trotter shares all his exciting adventures with program attendees at the event.