The ever-growing popularity of pirates, mostly thanks to Johnny Depp, is an undeniable part of our culture. People speak Pirate, dress like them, and live their lives like them in every way possible. But, like I said, much of this popularity has come from movies in the last few years. Other than the pirates in Somalia and other small areas, not much happens that relates to pirate culture anymore.

Yesterday, that changed. A 112-year old wooden ship was found in Lake Michigan after having sunk during a storm in 1898. At 291 feet long, the L.R. Doty was like the Titanic of its time, built for speed and efficiency and thought to be indestructible. Which, even though it sank, was still a somewhat true thought. Thanks to the cold, fresh waters of Lake Michigan, the majority of the ship remained intact including the load of corn being carried in the hold.

Not much will happen to the ship itself, trying to bring it out of the water would likely destroy everything on it. Instead, the artifacts will not be removed and neither will the remains of the 17 crew members who died aboard the ship. Everything will remain under the water, and the area will be regarded as a grave site.

A good number of people probably never thought things like this could still be found. Much like the earth, people assume there’s not much left to discover, especially shipwrecks from 100 years ago. But new technology and new ideas give the iPhone and Internet generation a chance to learn even more about the past and be a part of the things we may have assumed we missed out on. I certainly never thought I’d be around for a shipwreck discovery, let alone that I’d be so close to the lake where it was found. If only they could find Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa, then we’d really be a generation to remember.

Related Sources

Mysterious Shipwreck, L.R. Doty, Found After 112 Years in Lake Michigan