Archaeologists in Wisconsin recently discovered an ancient shipwreck while searching for a different artifact.
In the heart of Wisconsin, rivers and lakes once served as the state's highways, making it a significant economic hub in the late 1800s. The L.W. Crane, a steamship built in the nearby town of Berlin in 1865, was a key player in this thriving era. However, the ship met an unfortunate fate in 1880 when it caught fire and sunk, only to be lost to history for over a century.
Fast forward to April 2025, a research team, initially searching for another vessel, the Berlin City, which sank in 1870, made an unexpected discovery. Using high-resolution side-scan sonar, they found the long-lost L.W. Crane, a ship of similar dimensions but not the one they had been seeking. This historic discovery was made in Green Bay, near Wisconsin.
While the details of how a father and daughter discovered the 152-year-old shipwreck in December 2023 are not fully known, their find has sparked renewed interest in the region's maritime history. Local historians are now delving deeper into the history of the L.W. Crane and the area's maritime past.
The L.W. Crane was a workhorse, transporting passengers and freight throughout the region, traversing major rivers like the Mississippi, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Its discovery has not only shed light on a forgotten piece of Wisconsin history but also challenged previous assumptions about the ship's final resting place. The location where the L.W. Crane was found contradicts reports from the time of the sinking about where it met its end.
The research team's efforts did not stop at the L.W. Crane. They were able to map a two-and-a-half-mile stretch of the Fox River, discovering debris that they suspect belongs to the Menasha, as well as other wreckage originally identified in 2016. As these discoveries continue, the story of Wisconsin's historic waterways and the ships that once plied them is slowly being brought back to life.
As the L.W. Crane is reclaimed from the depths, it serves as a poignant reminder of a bygone era when rivers and lakes were the lifeblood of Wisconsin's economy. Its rediscovery not only offers a glimpse into the past but also promises to enrich our understanding of the state's maritime history.
Archaeologists, intrigued by the discovery of the L.W. Crane in Green Bay, are now exploring its rich history in the realm of 19th-century Wisconsin. This finds a connection between the lost ship, travel along Wisconsin's waters, and the previously unexplored aspects of the region's archaeology and history.
As the underwater investigation of the Fox River continues, unveiling remnants of the Menasha and other vessels, the sport of underwater archaeology becomes a means to reclaim the state's maritime past. This fusion of sports, history, and archaeology adds another layer to the story of Wisconsin's vintage watercraft and the rivers that once governed its economy.
