In 2020, a team of shipwreck divers explored theWestmoreland, a 19th-century ship that sunk in Lake Michigan in 1854 — and found whiskey and gold coins worth millions of dollars.
Cal Kothrade / Pen NewsArtist rendition of theWestmorelandshipwreck in Platte Bay , Michigan .
In the winter of 1854 , a passenger ship carrying 280 barrels of whisky and a cache of amber sank in Lake Michigan . For decennium , the ship — as well as its treasure — lay hidden on the bottom of the lake , nearly 200 feet rich . Now , a team of divers has turn up the crash and design to regain the ship ’s shipment , which may be worth over $ 17 million dollars .
On that dusty December day in 1854 , theWestmorelandpassenger ship carried 34 rider through the Manitou Passage , an infamous domain of Lake Michigan known for its rasping wafture and strong stream , and got caught in a tempest .
Cal Kothrade/Pen NewsArtist rendition of theWestmorelandshipwreck in Platte Bay, Michigan.
According to MyNorth.com , ice - cold waves measuring 10 to 20 foundation slammed against the ship as it deny through the passage , and presently the passengers of theWestmorelandwere mortise joint - trench in frigid water . TheWestmorelandlost its battle with the tempest and sunk to the bottom of Platte Bay , taking an unlucky 17 passengers with her .
In the days following the shipwreck , newspapers published tarradiddle that spoke of theWestmoreland’strove of amber coins and barrel of whisky . TheWestmorelandhad reportedly been en itinerary to a nearby Army fort , and it carry a stash of gilded coins that would make up the soldier ’ wages .
These stories became urban legends that inhale many hopeful treasure hunters to look for the wreck over the years , but until 2010 , no one had seen it for themselves .
Lenawee District LibraryRoss Richardson, founder of theWestmorelandand author ofThe Search for the Westmoreland.
More than a century after the ship sink , a local historian and recreational loon named Ross Richardson became possessed with observe it . In July 2010 , after several years of inquiry using maps and historic accounts to figure the ship ’s final resting place , Richardson loaded into his gravy boat equipped with sonar technology and traversed air mile across Lake Michigan in search of the wreck .
Lenawee District LibraryRoss Richardson , founder of theWestmorelandand author ofThe Search for the Westmoreland .
He planned to search three different substantial - mile grids of the bay that had seemed promising based on his research . And as he scanned the third storage-battery grid , a ship appear on his concealment — a massive ship measuring about 200 feet long .
Chris Roxburgh/Pen NewsRoss Richardson’s crew explores the wreck of the Westmoreland.
Richardson knew immediately that he had encounter the wreck of theWestmoreland .
“ I have intercourse right out , ” he said , recount the discovery to MyNorth . “ I went , Oh shit . ”
In his Good Book , The Search for the Westmoreland , Richardson identify the craze of mentation going through his psyche when he last encounter the shipwreck he had spent so long haunt over .
“ I stopped the gravy boat , shut off the railway locomotive , and did some heavy - tariff praying and psyche research , ” he wrote . “ I jumped into the body of water to cool off , with my interior negotiation kick into high gear . Is this it ? ”
But ab initio , there was slight Richardson could legally do in esteem to exploring the shipwreck or save its cargo .
Michigan law prevents amateur diver from salvaging shipwrecks without authority . And concord to the U.S. National Park Service , the Federal Abandoned Shipwreck Law of 1987 “ affirm the authority of state regime to take and pull off abandon shipwrecks on state submerse lands . ”
Richardson also seek reporting his determination to educational institutions but take in disheartening replies . Disappointed with the lack of interest group in the wreck , Richardson eventually hosted his own press conference and alerted the media to his find .
This increased reportage draw in the attention of several universities concerned in mapping theWestmoreland , and nearly 10 years after Richardson receive the crash , he was finally able-bodied to research it alongside a team of researchers .
Chris Roxburgh / Pen NewsRoss Richardson ’s crew explores the wreck of the Westmoreland .
On June 24 , 2020 , Richardson and his squad plunge down to explore theWestmorelandand look for her famed treasure . The crew identified several barrels of whiskey and gold coins , but were unable to pull out them due to Michigan state law . But that did n’t discourage Richardson .
“ We are in the beginning stages of discussing a salvage operation to recover the whisky cask and possibly other artefact , ” he toldDaily Mailearlier this month .
No official date has yet been set for the recovery , but Richardson is worked up to set about mental process , as he believes the wreck contains historically significant artifacts .
“ The Westmoreland is an underwater museum , filled with perfectly - preserve souvenir from the 1850s , and preserving them for public display would be a worthy movement , ” Richardson said .
In regard to the amber coins , Richardson toldDaily Mailthat they “ would be deserving about a million dollar bill if we melted them down and sell them . ”
“ The reliable value is the numismatic value of these coin , which could realistically be more than $ 20 million today , ” he added .
The whisky , meanwhile , is exceptionally rare , and regional distilleries have already extract interest in purchase it to expend for testing and sale .
While it ’s not yet clear how much whiskey has survived , any that remains integral would have aged 170 years . On top of that , agree toThe Mirrorthe genetical makeup of corn whiskey in 1854 was dissimilar from today ’s , meaning the whiskey would also have a dissimilar taste .
Despite the legal entanglement of the operation and the rough condition of the ship ’s resting place , Richardson is promising that his crew will be capable to extract the whiskey and the artifact from the wreck after receiving right permits .
When asked if he would ever see a close to theWestmorelandexpedition , Richardson toldDaily Mail , “ finally , yes . But , we are a foresighted way , maybe decades , from making that bump . ”
“ Only time will assure if the Westmoreland will partake her secrets with us , ” Richardson articulate .
After reading about the wreck of theWestmoreland , learn aboutnine famous shipwrecks and the stories behind them . Or , discover the prospicient account of treasure hunting on the mysteriousOak Island .
