Shipwreck Discovered in Wisconsin River
Recently, a surprising discovery was made by Wisconsin researchers—a shipwreck dating back 145 years was found in a river. The Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA) confirmed this find, which took place near the city of Oshkosh.
Historians believe that the ship is an LW crane built in 1865 and that it sank in 1880. The president of WUAA, Brendon Byrod, remarked on the significance of the discovery, noting, “We knew the cranes were in the area, but we assumed she was probably buried at the bottom.”
Diving to explore the wreck is challenging due to the sediment in the Fox River, which makes visibility very low. To locate the wreck, the team used archaeological side-scan sonar from Sweden. Byrod expressed surprise at finding that the entire hull was still visible. The Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) also announced the finding, which was shared on social media.
In a conversation with Fox News Digital, Jordan Ciesielczyk, a maritime archaeologist from WHS, described the discovery as “a happy accident.” The WHS had been searching for another shipwreck named Berlin, which sank in 1870. Ciesielczyk pointed out that ships like the LW crane were small steamships used for transporting cargo and passengers along the rivers.
Experts didn’t initially expect to find this specific wreck during their investigation. Ciesielczyk shared that while scanning for other wrecks, the LW crane wreck suddenly appeared on their screens, leading to an exciting moment of discovery.
He emphasized that the ship measures approximately 90 feet long and 20 feet wide, consistent with the characteristics of an LW crane. In fact, he believes that there’s a strong possibility it is indeed the LW crane, which caught fire and sank following an incident in August 1880.
The conditions in the Fox River make diving particularly difficult. Ciesielczyk recounted a previous dive experience in the river, describing the poor visibility, “I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face.” Further research and exploration of the wreck are planned, even though no artifacts have been found nearby yet.
This recent discovery is part of a broader trend of historical shipwrecks being identified in the Midwest, following another notable find in Lake Michigan earlier this year. That ship, known as JC Ames, was active in the timber trade before its intentional destruction in 1923.
