Archeologists find 1880 shipwreck while searching for a different one
Researchers with the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association were conducting a sonar survey of the Fox River in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this spring to map previously located shipwrecks, WHS said in a release on Facebook July 3.
Instead, they came across a new shipwreck in the process, WHS said.
"That's the excitement of archaeology, sometimes we find something new that we were not looking for," WHS said.
Scans of the wreck revealed a partially buried hull approximately 90 feet long and 23 feet wide. Archeologists believe the remains belong to the L.W. Crane, a steamer ship that was built in 1865 before burning in the Oshkosh river in 1880.
More discoveries: Ghost ship found after 132 years in the murky depths of 'Shipwreck Coast'
What happened to L.W. Crane? Archeologists think they found 1880 shipwreck
L.W. Crane was a wooden side wheel steamer built in 1865 in Berlin, Wisconsin, according to a bio from WHS.
The ship was used to ferry passengers and freight between Green Bay and Oconto, Wisconsin. During the vessel's career, it ran on the Illinois River as well as the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, per WHS.
In the summer of 1880, the L.W. Crane caught on fire and burned to the water's edge at the St. Paul Railroad slip in Oshkosh, WHS said.
The wreck is believed to have been discovered by researchers during a scan of the Fox River this spring, according to WHS. It was found directly opposite from where the St. Paul Railroad Slip was located, according to historical records.
Research is ongoing to identify the wreck, but it is a "strong possibility" that it is the L.W. Crane, WHS said.
Crews were looking for Berlin City shipwreck
Archeologists were trying to map a different shipwreck, the Berlin City vessel, when they discovered what they believe to be remains from the L.W. Crane shipwreck, WHS said.
Berlin City was built in 1856 and was used for purposes similar to that of the L.W. Crane, including transporting passengers and freight between Berlin and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, per WHS.
According to WHS, Berlin City was popular with tourists and described as "a tip top steamboat" with the ride aboard called "one of the pleasantest that can be taken."
In 1870, Berlin City caught on fire and its remains sunk in the Fox River, WHS said.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
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