Shipwreck from 1880s revealed by shifting Lake Michigan water levels

A change in Lake Michigan water levels has revealed a shipwreck from the 1880s that is visible in western Michigan for the first time since 2018. Experts believe it's the wooden spine of the Contest, said Craig Rich, director of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association.

The wreckage is along the shore in Muskegon County, near where the White Lake channel meets Lake Michigan.

In 2018, major parts were seen for the first time since 1974, a result of changes in lake current, water levels and sand. Now the wreckage is visible again.

"The lake is a very living organism and it changes every day, basically," Rich said Wednesday. "Things get covered and uncovered all the time."

There was speculation in 2018 that the shipwreck was another schooner, the LC Woodruff. But experts subsequently settled on the identity as the 124-foot-long Contest, based on measurements and other findings, Rich said.

According to the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, the Contest had a streak of bad luck even before its demise. Among the incidents: In October 1855, the ship suffered a collision in Lake Huron; in April 1868, it sprang a leak and lost cargo; and in September 1868, it sank and was raised, incurring a loss of $11,000.

"It's rare to get a glimpse of one," he said. "It's a great little day trip for anybody who wants to visit that area."