The Legend

The story of the Westmoreland is one of the most romantic and well known shipwreck tales in all the Great Lakes. The Westmoreland was barely a year old when she foundered in 1854 and rumors soon began circulating about the Westmoreland’s safe being filled with gold and her cargo hold being loaded with barrels of whiskey. These rumors and legends inspired salvagers and shipwreck hunters to search for the elegant pre-civil war passenger steamer, and her treasures, for the next 150 years.

The legend of the Westmoreland was fueled by stories of the wreck that were mentioned in various Great lakes shipwreck books and local history books and newspaper articles of the past:

Old Settlers of the Grand Traverse Region,
By S.E.Wait, 1918

Wreck of the Westmoreland near Sleepy Bear Point in 1854

Frank E. Fisher tells this story that occurred in the fall of 1854. The propeller Westmoreland, Capt. Clark, plying between Chicago and Buffalo, was loaded with barrels of pork, high-wines and oats. She sprang a leak off Little Point Sable, wind northwest and a heavy sea running. She tried to make South Manitou harbor and when opposite Platte River bay the water in the hold put out the fire so they headed her for the shore before the wind. There were 34 people on board including the crew. The captain ordered everyone to boats as the boat was sinking. Part of the crew did not respond to the captain’s orders, having made too free use of the high-wines, and only 17 were saved including Capt. Clark, Paul Pelky, first mate, and two cabin girls, Kate and Anna. The life boat containing the 17 people struck shore in Platte River bay. It was about the 11th of November and some snow on the ground. They built a fire and remained until morning. Capt. Clark detailed parties to go both ways on the beach to hunt civilization. A party of two came to Sleeping Bear Point and there discovered cattle and mule tracks which they followed to Glen Arbor Bay and came to our house. John E Fisher and others went to their rescue and kept them in our home three weeks. Some had frozen feet and hands, and the men returned following the beach to Northport thence to Traverse City and from there to their several homes. The two girls stayed with John E. Fisher and wife.

Long Ships Passing
By Havighurst

One of the memorable losses on Lake Michigan was that of the steamer Westmoreland. Somewhere in the wide northern waters she sank with $100,000 in gold in her safe. The crew saved themselves and lived to tell the story of seventeen lumberjacks who locked themselves in their cabin at the first signs of storm. They had grown familiar with the perils of falling timer and the treacherous skidroad, but they had no stomach for a storm at sea. Around a barrel of whisky in that lurching cabin they drank away their fears, and their senses. So the waters of Lake Michigan closed over them.
The Chippewas in the woods
had learned to put bottles of
whisky (skitty-wah-boo) on
the graves of the dead,
to warm them on their journey to the great hunting. The old sea dog, Captain Turner of the Mayflower, known over the lakes as a crusading teetotaler, often called up the ghost of those seventeen lumberjacks around their whisky barrel in the dark, cold depths of Lake Michigan.