The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has discovered the final resting spot for the "Western Reserve," 132 years after the ship sank in Lake Superior, killing 27 people.
According to the GLSHS, David Boyd made the initial discovery in the late summer of 2024 using marine sonic technology side-scan sonar.
See video of the shipwreck from the GLSHS below
The society used remotely operated vehicle deployments to confirm the identity of the shipwreck, which revealed a ship broken in two and the bow section resting on top of the stern in about 600 feet of water.
Crews discovered the shipwreck about 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior.
The 300-foot steel steamer "Western Reserve" was one of the first all-steel vessels on the Great Lakes, according to the society. She was built to break cargo shipping records and was deemed one of the safest ships on the water.
According to the society, the ship was owned by Captain Peter G. Minch, a shipping magnate. He reportedly took his young family on the ship for a cruise through Lake Huron to Two Harbors, Minnesota.
The society said the weather was pleasant until they reached Whitefish Bay and the crew dropped anchor to away better conditions. They eventually continued their journey, and a gale overtook the ship. Around 9 p.m. on Aug. 30, 1892, the "Western Reserve" started to break up and sink.
The Minch family and crew were able to board and launch the two lifeboats, but one lifeboat overturned immediately. The lifeboat with the family would be stranded for about 10 hours, but were unable to be found. It eventually overturned.
There was only one survivor – Wheelsman Harry W. Stewart of Algonac.
“Every shipwreck has its own story, but some are just that much more tragic”, reflected GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn. “It is hard to imagine that Captain Peter G. Minch would have foreseen any trouble when he invited his wife, two young children and sister-in-law with her daughter aboard the Western Reserve for a summer cruise up the lakes. It just reinforces how dangerous the Great Lakes can be…any time of year.”
“We side-scan looking out a half mile per side and we caught an image on our port side. It was very small looking out that far, but I measured the shadow, and it came up about 40 feet,” Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel, “So we went back over the top of the ship and saw that it had cargo hatches, and it looked like it was broken in two, one half on top of the other and each half measured .with the side scan 150 feet long and then we measured the width and it was right on so we knew that we’d found the Western Reserve.”
