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Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Grandson of woman who found 3 shipwrecks in 3 days discovers one of his own
Within the fog, a fisherman discovered a century-old shipwreck that 'stretches into the extraordinary,' Wisconsin officials say. Consider it a family tradition for Christopher Thuss, whose step-grandmother earned distinction by once finding three shipwrecks in as many days. The Wisconsin Historical Society said in a May 16 news release that Thuss was recently fishing on Lake Michigan off the coast of Manitowoc when he found the wreckage of the J.C. Ames, a tugboat that sunk in 1923. 'I didn't know exactly what I was looking at at first,' Thuss told WGBA. 'I turned over that direction and the whole ship was right there.' It wasn't an ordinary tugboat. J.C. Ames — all 160 feet of it — was 'one of the largest and most powerful tugs on the lakes,' the historical society said, citing the 1990 book 'Green Bay Workhorses: The Nau Tug Line.' Built in 1881, 'the J.C. Ames was dismantled and 'set ablaze for the enjoyment of spectators in 1923,' according to It sunk into the water, where it was buried beneath sand. The website said the ship was 'forgotten,' leading the historical society to comment on its gratefulness for Thuss's discovery. 'These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,' Tamara Thomsen, maritime archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society, said in a statement. Thuss follows in the footsteps of his step-grandmother, 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson, who found three shipwrecks from the air during a three-day stretch in 2015. Thuss said he told his dad of the discovery, and the father relayed the news to Johnson, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 'I think it's super cool that my name is in the books as someone who found one of the shipwrecks,' he told WGBA. The resting spot of the the J.C. Ames is likely to be popular for kayakers and snorkelers because of its 'unique position,' officials said. Manitowoc is about an 80-mile drive northeast from Milwaukee.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A Ship That Vanished 100 Years Ago Was Just Discovered by a Fisherman on Lake Michigan
On a foggy evening, fisherman Christopher Thuss came across a large sunken vessel in Lake Michigan The boat, later identified as the J.C. Ames, was a 160-foot tugboat built in 1881 that was intentionally sunk in 1923 A research coordinator with Wisconsin's Shipwreck Coast said the vessel was notable because "we don't have any other versions of tugboats that are quite this big"A fisherman discovered a piece of history while on Lake Michigan one foggy May evening. When he peered under the water's surface, he spotted the remains of a large vessel that hadn't been seen in more than 100 years. 'I didn't know exactly what I was looking at at first," Christopher Thuss told NBC affiliate WGBA. "I turned over that direction and the whole ship was right there." Thuss had been using sonar equipment when he came across the wreckage of a tugboat north of the Manitowoc breakwater on Tuesday, May 13. At 160 feet, the vessel, which currently rests in only nine feet of water, is notable for its size. "We don't have any other versions of tugboats that are quite this big," Caitlin Zant, research coordinator with Wisconsin's Shipwreck Coast, told the outlet. Thuss is following his family's tradition of finding shipwrecks. His step-grandmother, 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson, has become a local legend, locating a number of shipwrecks over the years, including three sunken vessels in three days in 2015, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS). The WHS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Now, the younger generation is making its mark. After making his discovery, Thuss contacted Tamara Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist from the historical society, who then worked with Brendon Baillod, the president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association, to identify the wreck. They determined it was the J.C. Ames, which was built in 1881 for the lumber trade, according to the historical society. The vessel was 'one of the largest and most powerful tugs on the lakes, developed 670 horsepower with her fore-and-aft compound engine… She reportedly cost $50,000 to build,' according to a passage from Green Bay Workhorses: The Nau Tug Line that was shared by WHS. Beyond tugging other watercraft, the J.C. Ames was used in the pulpwood trade and had multiple owners. When it aged and became less functional, it was taken apart and intentionally sunk in Lake Michigan in 1923, the WHS said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The J.C. Ames is far from the first shipwreck to be discovered in the Great Lakes. Last fall, two maritime historians found the wreck of the John Evenson, which was lost to the water in 1895. In March, the steamship Milwaukee was found in Lake Michigan after it sank following a collision with another vessel in 1886, CBS News reported. The historical society warns divers not to remove artifacts or pieces of the ship, which is a crime. The WHS said maritime archaeologists will begin the process of listing the J.C. Ames in the State Register of Historic Places. Read the original article on People
New York Post
18-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Angler fishing in Lake Michigan uncovers remains of century-old sunken tugboat
MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin angler fishing in the fog this week discovered the wreck of an abandoned tugboat submerged in the waters of Lake Michigan for more than a century, state officials announced Friday. Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said that the society confirmed that Christopher Thuss found the wreck of the J.C. Ames. Thuss was fishing in Lake Michigan off the city of Manitowoc in foggy conditions on Tuesday when he noticed the wreckage in nine feet of water off a breakwater, she said in a message to The Associated Press. Tim Pranke, a volunteer diver for the Wisconsin Historical Society, examining the wreckage of the J.C. Ames tugboat in Lake Michigan near Manitowoc, Wis. on May 15, 2025. Tamara Thomsen/Wisconsin Historical Society via AP The society said that according to the book 'Green Bay Workhorses: The Nau Tug Line,' the Rand and Burger shipbuilding company in Manitowoc built the J.C. Ames in 1881 to help move lumber. The tug was one of the largest and most powerful on the Great Lakes, with a 670-horsepower engine. The tug served multiple purposes beyond moving lumber, including transporting railway cars. It eventually fell into disrepair and was scuttled in 1923, as was the practice then when ships outlived their usefulness, Thomsen said. The ship had been buried in the sand at the bottom of the lake for decades before storms this winter apparently revealed it, Thomsen said. A lack of quagga mussels attached to the ship indicates it was only recently exposed, she said. Historians are racing to locate shipwrecks and downed planes in the Great Lakes before quagga mussels destroy them. Quagga have become the dominant invasive species in the lower lakes over the last 30 years, attaching themselves to wooden shipwrecks and sunken aircraft in layers so thick they eventually crush the wreckage. 'These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,' Thomsen said in a statement. '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.'
San Francisco Chronicle
16-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Angler fishing in Lake Michigan fog discovers remains of abandoned tugboat J.C. Ames
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin angler fishing in the fog this week discovered the wreck of an abandoned tugboat submerged in the waters of Lake Michigan for more than a century, state officials announced Friday. Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said that the society confirmed that Christopher Thuss found the wreck of the J.C. Ames. Thuss was fishing in Lake Michigan off the city of Manitowoc in foggy conditions on Tuesday when he noticed the wreckage in nine feet of water off a breakwater, she said in a message to The Associated Press. The society said that according to the book 'Green Bay Workhorses: The Nau Tug Line,' the Rand and Burger shipbuilding company in Manitowoc built the J.C. Ames in 1881 to help move lumber. The tug was one of the largest and most powerful on the Great Lakes, with a 670-horsepower engine. The tug served multiple purposes beyond moving lumber, including transporting railway cars. It eventually fell into disrepair and was scuttled in 1923, as was the practice then when ships outlived their usefulness, Thomsen said. The ship had been buried in the sand at the bottom of the lake for decades before storms this winter apparently revealed it, Thomsen said. A lack of quagga mussels attached to the ship indicates it was only recently exposed, she said. Historians are racing to locate shipwrecks and downed planes in the Great Lakes before quagga mussels destroy them. Quagga have become the dominant invasive species in the lower lakes over the last 30 years, attaching themselves to wooden shipwrecks and sunken aircraft in layers so thick they eventually crush the wreckage. 'These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,' Thomsen said in a statement. '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.'
16-05-2025
- General
Angler fishing in Lake Michigan fog discovers remains of abandoned tugboat J.C. Ames
MADISON, Wis. -- A Wisconsin angler fishing in the fog this week discovered the wreck of an abandoned tugboat submerged in the waters of Lake Michigan for more than a century, state officials announced Friday. Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said that the society confirmed that Christopher Thuss found the wreck of the J.C. Ames. Thuss was fishing in Lake Michigan off the city of Manitowoc in foggy conditions on Tuesday when he noticed the wreckage in nine feet of water off a breakwater, she said in a message to The Associated Press. The society said that according to the book 'Green Bay Workhorses: The Nau Tug Line,' the Rand and Burger shipbuilding company in Manitowoc built the J.C. Ames in 1881 to help move lumber. The tug was one of the largest and most powerful on the Great Lakes, with a 670-horsepower engine. The tug served multiple purposes beyond moving lumber, including transporting railway cars. It eventually fell into disrepair and was scuttled in 1923, as was the practice then when ships outlived their usefulness, Thomsen said. The ship had been buried in the sand at the bottom of the lake for decades before storms this winter apparently revealed it, Thomsen said. A lack of quagga mussels attached to the ship indicates it was only recently exposed, she said. Historians are racing to locate shipwrecks and downed planes in the Great Lakes before quagga mussels destroy them. Quagga have become the dominant invasive species in the lower lakes over the last 30 years, attaching themselves to wooden shipwrecks and sunken aircraft in layers so thick they eventually crush the wreckage. 'These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,' Thomsen said in a statement. '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.'
