Fisherman stumbles upon historic shipwreck hidden in plain sight: 'So exciting'
By Andrea Margolis
Published May 20, 2025
A long-lost shipwreck sitting in the waters of Lake Michigan was recently discovered by a fisherman – to the surprise of local officials.
The Wisconsin Historical Society announced the discovery on May 16. The tugboat, which was called the J.C. Ames, was built for the lumber trade in 1881. It was intentionally sunk in 1923.
The angler, Christopher Thuss, discovered the ship on a foggy day near the coast of Manitowoc, where it was sitting nine feet below the lake's surface. After spotting the shipwreck, he reported the find to officials.
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"These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface," Tamara Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist at the Wisconsin Historical Society, said in a statement. "It sat there for over 100 years and then came back on our radar completely by chance."
Thomsen added, "We are grateful that Chris Thuss noticed the wreck and reported it so we can share this story with the Wisconsin communities that this history belongs to."
The J.C. Ames cost $50,000 to build. It was "one of the largest and most powerful tugs on the lakes," according to officials.
It was damaged in a collision in 1889, but was repaired and changed owners several times before it was discarded.
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Thomsen told Fox News Digital the ship had "outlived its usefulness" by the time that it was intentionally sunk.
"Abandoning ships that had outlived their use was how it was done back in the day."
"[The ship] was dismantled at Manitowoc with its engine/boiler removed, towed outside the harbor, burned and abandoned in 1923," the historian explained.
She added, "Abandoning ships that had outlived their use was how it was done back in the day."
Thomsen also noted that it became somewhat of a spectacle for the ships to be set on fire while they were dismantled.
"They set fire to them and people came out to watch," the expert said.
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Thomsen also estimates that 13 ships were abandoned in the Maritime Bay near Manitowoc. Divers have only been able to locate three, but they're still keeping their eyes peeled for them.
"We only find them when they are uncovered by storms if someone sees them before they are covered again – it needs to be perfect timing," she said.
The maritime archaeologist also noted that a large propeller, measuring 10.5 feet in diameter, still sits at the shipwreck site.
Other than that, only small artifacts were found.
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The find is especially remarkable because Thuss's step-grandmother garnered a reputation for finding shipwrecks herself, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
"'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson, who took up the hobbies of operating a powered parachute and ultralight plane as a retiree, has incredibly discovered a variety of shipwrecks from the air in the recent past, including three shipwrecks in three days in Lake Michigan in 2015," the historical organization said.
Last May, the Wisconsin Historical Society identified 11 ancient canoes in a Madison lake, including one boat that dated back to 2500 B.C.
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Later that year, the organization announced the discovery of the John Evenson, a tugboat built in 1884 that was also discovered in Lake Michigan. Print Close
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