Push ahead to raise more shipwrecks onto the National Register of Historic Places Deep below the chill waters of northwestern Lake Huron, four doomed ships have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. While nobody other than SCUBA divers are likely to see them up-close, their history and their tragedy are now increasingly accessible to the public. The new official recognition of their importance is expected to spur efforts to list more of the Great Lakes’ hundreds of shipwrecks on the National Register, which the National Park Service describes as “the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation,” whether publicly or privately owned. “There are so many shipwrecks in Michigan waters that this is a long-term project. We’re focusing on ones that are more complete and hold more of the history,” said Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center. “We’re always conscious of the conservation ethic. It’s better to leave things on the bottom of the preserve,” Clark said, adding that National Register status “reinforces the value of the shipwrecks and the idea these are historic treasures that should be preserved for future generations.” There’s plenty of work ahead if government agencies, local groups or individuals want to get more wrecks placed on the National Register. Lake Huron alone has 33 percent of the known wrecks in the Great Lakes, according to the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven. Lake Michigan (21 percent) is second, with at least 1,000 ships lost, including more than 200 that grounded along the Michigan side of the lake, “most the victims of storms, some poor seamanship and others ever-changing sandbars,” a museum exhibit explains. Lake Erie followed with 19 percent, Lake Superior with 14 percent, Lake Ontario with 9 percent and Lake Clair with 3 percent. Wisconsin and Minnesota have a variety of wrecks on the National Register. Among those in Wisconsin are the schooners Gallinipper, lost in a squall in 851 near Sheboygan; the Hetty Taylor, sunk in another squall near Sheboygan in 1880; and the Fleetwing, lost in an 1888 gale at Garrett Bay. Read more at greatlakesecho.org/2014/10/06/push-ahead-to-raise-more-shipwrecks-onto-the-national-register-of-historic-places/
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:00:01 +0000
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