After 132 years shrouded in mystery, the wreckage of the Western Reserve, a steamer that sank in 1892, was discovered in the depths of Lake Superior. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) confirmed the find, with the vessel lying approximately 600 feet underwater, about 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, according to USA Today. The discovery was made using side-scan sonar technology aboard the society's vessel, the David Boyd, when the remains were first detected on July 22.
GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn hailed the discovery as one of the most notable in the society's history. "Every shipwreck has its own story, but some are just that much more tragic," he said, as reported by The Independent [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shipwreck-lake-superior-western-reserve-vanished-b2713108.html]. Exploration with a remotely operated vehicle confirmed that it was the Western Reserve, revealing the ship broken in two, with the bow section resting atop the stern—an unusual occurrence for a shipwreck.
Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel and his brother, First Mate Dan Ertel, had been searching for the Western Reserve for over two years. "We side-scan looking out a half mile per side and we caught an image on our port side," Darryl recalled, according to Unilad.com. "It was very small looking out that far, but I measured the shadow, and it came up about 40 feet."
The Western Reserve, launched in 1890 in Cleveland, was a 300-foot steel steamer and one of the first all-steel vessels on the Great Lakes. Known for its speed and dubbed the inland greyhound by the media, it was considered one of the safest and fastest ships of its time. Owned by millionaire shipping magnate Captain Peter G. Minch, the vessel was a symbol of the unbounded optimism of the Gilded Age.
In late August 1892, the Western Reserve embarked on a voyage intended to escape the summer heat. On board were Captain Minch, his wife Anna, their children Charlie, 9, and Florence, 6, Anna's sister Mary Englebry, and her daughter Bertha, 10, along with 22 crew members. The ship was under the command of Captain Albert Myer and was sailing toward Two Harbors, Minnesota. However, as the ship entered Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast, conditions deteriorated rapidly.
On the evening of August 30, 1892, a powerful gale struck the Western Reserve. Around 9 p.m., the ship began to succumb to the severe weather, and strong winds ultimately overtook it, causing the vessel to break apart and sink within about ten minutes. The Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2025/03/12/western-reserve-shipwreck-lake-superior-1892/] reported that 27 lives were claimed that night, with only one survivor.
As the vessel cracked in half, the Minch family, staying mostly in the bow, found themselves separated from the crew, who were on the stern with the lifeboats. "As the crew was launching the lifeboats in the stern of the vessel, the family had to jump over the crack as the ship was tearing itself apart. Imagine jumping over that crack to get to the lifeboat. It must have been terrifying," said Corey Adkins, the society's spokesman, according to The Washington Post.
Passengers and crew attempted to save themselves using two lifeboats—one wooden and one steel—but tragedy struck when one of the lifeboats capsized due to the rough sea, causing many to disappear beneath the surface. The sole survivor of the disaster was wheelsman Harry W. Stewart of Algonac, Michigan. Stewart swam for two hours to reach the shore after his lifeboat overturned a mile from Lake Superior's southeastern shoreline. "If it wasn't for Harry Stewart, we really wouldn't know what we know today about the Western Reserve," said Lynn, according to USA Today.
The sinking of the Western Reserve was a maritime disaster, and the precise cause of the shipwreck remains a topic of investigation. One theory suggested by the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society is that the vessel sank due to "hogging," when a ship is supported by a large wave in the middle, causing it to snap, as noted by The Washington Post. Additionally, the steel used in the ship was manufactured using the Bessemer process, which was not well understood at the time, potentially leading to issues with brittleness at lower temperatures.
The discovery of the Western Reserve adds to the rich and often tragic maritime history of the Great Lakes. "It just reinforces how dangerous the Great Lakes can be… any time of year," said Corey Adkins, according to The Washington Post. The Great Lakes are known for their harsh weather conditions and have seen numerous shipwrecks over the years, with Lake Superior alone estimated to have between 500 to 600 shipwrecks since the 1850s.
Sources: USA Today (EU), CBS News, unilad.com, New York Post, The Washington Post, Baird Maritime / Work Boat World, The Independent
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
