How the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast Emerged From a Sharp Political Squall
A National Marine Sanctuary established off the shores of Lake Michigan to protect and promote dozens of sites where historic sunken ships sit at the bottom followed a years-long saga that saw sharp local disputes and whiplash in support at the state and federal levels.
Bound for Chicago with a hold full of Christmas trees, the
Rouse Simmons was lost with all hands in a November gale in 1912. (
Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society)
Encompassing nearly one-thousand square miles of Lake Michigan waters — and lake bottoms — the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary marks another step in a years-long effort to help preserve dozens of underwater archaeological sites. This path to official designation was not a simple matter, however, owing to its provisions and scope, particularly for lakefront landowners. Its road also reflected shifting political dynamics over the past half-decade at both state and federal levels.