One of Lake Michigan’s most sought-after missing ships, the Lac La Belle, discovered after nearly 150 Years

One of Lake Michigan’s most sought-after missing ships, the Lac La Belle, has been discovered by Pioneer Illinois Shipwreck Hunter and Scuba Diver Paul Ehorn, according to Shipwreck World. 

The passenger steamer had vanished into the depths of Lake Michigan during a stormy night in October 1872. 

Nearly 150 years later, Ehorn discovered the ship with its hull upright and remarkably intact.

Built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Lac La Belle was one of the most popular passenger steamers on Lake Michigan. 

The ship spent its early years running routes from Cleveland to Lake Superior. 

After an unfortunate collision in 1866, it sank in 25 feet of water in the St. Clair River but was raised three years later and fully refurbished.

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Milwaukee’s Englemann Transportation Company then purchased the Lac La Belle, which operated it on passenger routes to Grand Haven, Michigan, and ultimately led to its downfall.

On the night of October 13, 1872, the ship departed Milwaukee during a moderate gale carrying 53 passengers and crew, along with a cargo that included 19,000 bushels of barley, 1,200 barrels of flour, 50 barrels of pork, and 25 barrels of whiskey. 

About two hours into the voyage, the ship began leaking uncontrollably from an unknown source. The captain attempted to return to Milwaukee, but the weather worsened, and large waves flooded the vessel, extinguishing the boiler fires.

The gale drove the ship south while it continued to sink. Around 5 a.m., the captain ordered the lifeboats lowered, and passengers and crew watched as the ship sank stern first.

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As the lifeboats headed to shore, one capsized, leaving eight people to their death, while other lifeboats reached land from Racine to Kenosha, recounting the harrowing events of the sinking to reporters. 

When Ehorn became a certified scuba diver in 1960 at the age of 15, he began taking an interest in Great Lakes shipwrecks, according to Shipwreck World, and started searching for wrecks in 1965.

He eventually found some of the Great Lakes' most interesting shipwrecks, with one being the Senator, a big steel automobile carrier, in 2005.

Ehorn has a love for old wooden steamers, which drew his interest to the Lac La Belle. He said via Shipwreck World, "As a woodworker myself, I appreciate the hand craftsmanship that went into these early vessels.  The Lac La Belle was close to home for me and is a wreck that’s always been on my radar."

With the location of the sinking poorly known, many other wreck hunters had searched for it without success. 

In 2022, wreck hunter and maritime historian Ross Richardson discovered a historical clue that narrowed the grid down significantly, according to Shipwreck World. 

Ehorn and his partner Bruce Bittner embarked with Ehorn’s Klein sidescan sonar, prepared for an extensive search.

Approximately two hours into their second pass, a large object appeared on the sonar screen, and they immediately reversed course to examine it at higher resolution, revealing the unmistakable hogging arches of the Lac La Belle.

Ehorn said via Shipwreck World, "It was a moment of real jubilation. We knew we had done it." 

Poor weather and the distance of the wreck prevented Ehorn from investigating the wreck for almost two years.

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Now 80 years old, Ehorn recruited divers John Janzen and John Scoles to dive and film the wreck.

"Although her superstructure is blown off, you can see all of her wooden framing and some of her cargo is visible," stated Ehorn via Shipwreck World. 

Ehorn’s plans to create a 3D photogrammetry model, recording the condition and layout of the wreck in detail before revealing the location. 

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Ehorn will present the discovery in person at the 2026 Ghost Ships Festival, taking place on March 7, 2026, at the Inn on Maritime Bay in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.