L.R. Doty, ship that sank in Lake Michigan 112 years ago, found largely intact near Milwaukee

Lake Michigan shipwreck found after 112 years

MILWAUKEE — A steamship that disappeared more than a century ago in a violent Lake Michigan storm has been located near Milwaukee.

The L.R. Doty vanished in 1898 as 70 mph winds whipped up waves that reached 30 feet. A second ship was severely damaged.

Now a group of explorers has found the Doty’s submerged wreckage. It’s about 300 feet underwater, some 20 miles off the shore of Oak Creek.

Divers have shot videos that show the ship upright and intact and its cargo of corn still in the hold. Marine historians say the Doty is so well-preserved because of the cold, fresh water and extreme depth.

The Doty was bound from South Chicago to Midland, Ontario. Photographs of the ship, as well as details of its history and its final voyage can be found at www.ship-wreck.com/shipwreck/doty/.