Shipwreck hunter David Trotter of Canton plans to announce today that he and his crew have found the magnificent side-wheel steamer Keystone State at the bottom of Lake Huron, Ann Zaniewski reports in the Free Press.
The Keystone State, found in July, is the latest in the nearly 100 vessels Trotter has discovered in more than 35 years of Great Lakes shipwreck hunting.
Trotter — who will announce the discovery on his website — said he didn’t think he’d ever find the Keystone State.
“My expectations were diminished because there was no reason to think she was this far north and in the middle of the lake,” Trotter told Zaniewski.
The ship was among the largest steamers of its time -- nearly as long as a football field. According to some historians, it might have sunk with its crew while secretly hauling Civil War supplies, according to the Free Press. It sank in a storm off of Port Austin in 1861 while sailing from Detroit to Milwaukee.
All 33 people on board died.
- Top video: One of four on David Trotter's YouTube channel.
- Recommended: The Free Press video of the underwater search, by videographer Eric Seals.
