The long-lost wreck of a 19th-century luxury steamer, Lac La Belle, has finally been located in Lake Michigan, ending a search that spanned nearly six decades. Shipwreck World, an organization dedicated to uncovering historic shipwrecks, announced that Illinois-based shipwreck hunter Paul Ehron discovered the vessel in October 2022, about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Ehron, now 80, has pursued the Lac La Belle’s location since 1965. He explained that the announcement of the find was delayed because the team wanted to create a three-dimensional video model of the ship, but weather conditions and other commitments prevented a return dive until last summer.
“The search is like solving a puzzle,” Ehron said. “Sometimes you don’t have many pieces, but this one worked out, and we found it right away. I was super elated.”
Built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Lac La Belle measured 217 feet long and was among the most popular passenger steamers on Lake Michigan. Initially operating routes from Cleveland to Lake Superior, the vessel sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 after a collision. It was raised in 1869 and extensively reconditioned. Later, the Englemann Transportation Company ran her on passenger routes to Grand Haven, Michigan.
On October 13, 1872, the Lac La Belle departed Milwaukee with 53 passengers and crew aboard, carrying cargo including barley, pork, flour, and whiskey. Roughly two hours into the journey, the ship began taking on water. Attempts to return to port were unsuccessful, and worsening weather extinguished the boiler fires. Around 5 a.m., the steamer sank stern first, forcing passengers and crew into lifeboats. One lifeboat capsized en route to shore, claiming eight lives.
Ehron’s discovery was aided by a clue from fellow shipwreck enthusiast Ross Richardson in 2022. Using side-scan sonar, Ehron located the wreck within two hours. While he declined to share specifics of the lead, Richardson noted that a commercial fisherman had previously snagged an object linked to 19th-century steamships, which helped narrow the search area.
The wreck of the Lac La Belle is largely intact despite being submerged for nearly 150 years. The upper cabins have disappeared, and the exterior is encrusted with quagga mussels, but the hull and oak interiors remain well preserved.
Lake Michigan and the wider Great Lakes region contain an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks, many of which have yet to be discovered. Researchers are increasingly racing to document these wrecks, as invasive species like quagga mussels gradually damage wooden vessels.
Ehron has located 15 shipwrecks throughout his decades-long career. He reflected, “It’s one more to put a check mark by. Now it’s on to the next one. The easier ones have been found.” Recent discoveries in the region include the J.C. Ames, a tugboat found in May 2025; the John Evenson, a towing tug recovered in September 2024; and the steamship Milwaukee, located in March 2024, which sank in 1886.
The Lac La Belle discovery adds another important piece to the maritime history of Lake Michigan and highlights the ongoing fascination and challenges of shipwreck hunting.
