# LLMs.txt - Sitemap for AI content discovery # Learn more:https://www.michiganmysteries.com/ai-sitemap/ # > --- ## Pages - [AI Sitemap (LLMs.txt)](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/ai-sitemap/): What is LLMs. txt? LLMs. txt is a simple text-based sitemap for Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and... - [LIVE YANKEE](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/live-yankee/): The Sinking On November 5th, 1869, the schooner Live Yankee was traveling from Milwaukee to Buffalo, loaded with 14,000 bushels... - [1992 Two Couple's Cessna 172](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1992-two-couples-cessna-172/): On July 18th, 1992, a white 1978 Cessna 172 took off from an airport in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a... - [Video](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/vidoe/): https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=4DR8wdsVBfk - [JARVIS LORD](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/jarvis-lord/): - [Oh no!](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/oh-no/): We’ve searched the murky depths of Lake Michigan and the page you’re looking for cannot be found... . - [The RESCUE of Glen Lake](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/the-rescue-of-glen-lake/): The RESCUE was deliberately sunk in Glen Lake by owner Ralph Dorsey in 1914. She now rests in 120′ of... - [Contact](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/contact/): Contact Ross Richardson by filling out the form below. - [Past Events test page](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/speaking-dates/past-events-test-page/): For testing tables, widgets, etc. - [1878 Java](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1878-java/): One of the most sought-after shipwrecks in recent years has been the RUSSIA, which was finally discovered in Lake Huron... - [1990 Richard Hitchcock](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1990-richard-hitchcock/): On December 22, 1990, at 2:30am, 21 year old Richard Hitchcock was escorted from the Riverfront Lounge, which was located... - [1871 C.H. Hurd](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1871-c-h-hurd/): One of the most heart-wrenching shipwreck disasters to occur on Lake Michigan is the loss of the schooner C. H.... - [1892 W.H. GILCHER](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1892-w-h-gilcher/): The W. C. GILCHER is the most sought-after shipwreck in Lake Michigan. The following article was written by local maritime... - [1873 Gilbert Mollison](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1873-gilbert-mollison/): The 138 foot schooner GILBERT MOLLISON disappeared somewhere in the Manitou Passage in 1873 during a storm. According to newspapers... - [1947 LCM North Manitou](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1947-lcm-north-manitou/): Following the end of World War II, many military surplus items were made available to the public.   One of... - [1959 BRIDGEBUILDER X](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1959-bridgebuilder-x/): Kathy Firestone was a young girl when her father, Sterling Nickerson Jr. , disappeared in Lake Michigan along with his... - [2007 Socata TB-20 Trinidad](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/2007-socata-tb-20-trinidad/): On August 24, 2007, about 1330 eastern daylight time, N96DF, registered as a Socata TB-20 Trinidad airplane, piloted by a... - [1999 Cessna 175](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1999-cessna-175/): From the FAA Report: On November 12, 1999, at 2015 eastern standard time (est), a Cessna 175, N6533E, piloted by... - [1993 Piper Cherokee Arrow](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1993-piper-cherokee-arrow/): 20 year old Jim Hysong was last seen as he climbed into a two-seat plane at Toledo Suburban Airport on... - [1946 Boeing PT 17 Stearman](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1946-boeing-pt-17-stearman/): The following is taken from articles in the Benton Harbor News Palladium Lake Michigan Flight Mystery Benton Harbor War Ace... - [1998 Aero Vodochody L-39C](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1998-aero-vodochody-l-39c/): On July 3, 1998, at 1845 eastern daylight time (EDT), an Aero Vodochody L-39C, N7868M, operated by a commercial pilot,... - [1977 The Block's Cessna 150J](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1977-the-blocks-cessna-150j/): On Monday, July 4, 1977, at 11:10am, John and Jean Block boarded their Cessna aircraft and departed Macomb Airport in... - [1998 David Van OPynen](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/1998-david-van-opynen/): In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 9, 1998, 19 year old David James Van OPynen went for a... - [2005 David Schmid](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/2005-david-schmid/): David Schmid, a 49-year-old Ludington man disappeared after jumping into the water to help his daughter on Big Glen Lake... - [1983 David Gionet](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/1983-david-gionet/): On March 9, 1983, 18 year old David Gionet attempted to cross Green Lake in Interlochen Michigan. He was walking... - [1966 Three Sunbathers disappear from Beach](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1966-three-sunbathers-disappear-from-beach/): Renee Bruhl, Patricia Blough, and Ann Miller, mysteriously disappeared from the Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana on July 2,... - [2010 Jacob Cabinaw](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/2010-jacob-cabinaw/): Jacob had finished up a days work at his job at Dave’s Garage in Traverse City, Michigan and headed over... - [1991 Gordon Page](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1991-gordon-page/): Gordon Thomas Page, Jr. has been missing since May 27, 1991. He was last seen in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Page... - [1981 Deannie Peters](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1981-deannie-peters/): Dean Marie Pyle Peters went missing February 5, 1981 from Forest Hills Central Middle School in Ada, Michigan. She has... - [1979 Roger Heacock](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1979-roger-heacock/): On 4th of January , 1979, Roger Heacock disappeared from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has not been seen or heard from... - [1969 Robert Richard Lepsy](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/robert-richard-lepsy/): On October 29th, 1969, Robert Richard Lepsy left the small-town grocery store he managed and vanished.    His car was... - [1950 Northwest Airlines DC4](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1950-northwest-airlines-dc4/): One of the great Lake Michigan mysteries is the disappearance of Northwest Airlines Flight 2501. Even with an amazing amount... - [Thomas Kingsford](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/thomas-kingsford/): In April of 1871, the 136’ schooner THOMAS KINGSFORD became another early spring victim of the treacherous ice in the... - [WALRUS](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/walrus/): On November 7th, 1868, the 135’ schooner WALRUS, commanded by Captain Everett, was making her way  through the Beaver Passage... - [W.S. Lyons](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/w-s-lyons/): On October 11, 1871, a terrific gale struck Northern Lake Michigan, stranding many vessels on the shoals and reefs in... - [Sleeping Bear Point Shipwrecks](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/sleeping-bear-point-shipwrecks/): Coming soon! - [Skillagalee Shipwrecks](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/skillagalee-shipwrecks/): Coming Soon! - [W.C. KIMBALL](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/w-c-kimball/): The History One of the best descriptions of the W. C. KIMBALL disaster comes from an undated Traverse City Record... - [The WESTMORELAND](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/the-westmoreland/): In all the Great Lakes, there are few vessels that can match the story of the treasure-ship WESTMORELAND. Watch this... - [About the Author](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/about/): Ross Richardson is a Great Lakes shipwreck expert. He is the author of two books, “The Search for the Westmoreland: Lake Michigan’s Treasure Shipwreck” and “Still Missing: Rethinking the D.B. Cooper Case and Other Mysterious Unsolved Disappearances.” He also speaks about Great Lakes maritime history at libraries and historical societies around the Great Lakes Region. Richardson is a trained technical SCUBA diver and has been involved in the discovery, identification, and documentation of numerous Lake Michigan shipwrecks. He resides in Lake Ann, Michigan, with his wife, son and their retired racing greyhound, Claire. - [Shipwreck Discoveries](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/projects/): - [Missing Persons](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/): - [Missing Aircraft](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/): - [Store](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/bookstore/): A signed copy of “The Search for the Westmoreland” is just $19. 99 plus $2. 99 shipping. or send a... - [Missing Ships](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/): - [Dr. James P. Smith](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/dr-james-p-smith/): Somewhere beneath the wide waters of Michigan’s Higgins Lake, rests the body of Dr. James P. Smith. Dr. Smith was... - [Drowning Victims](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/): The subject matter in this section of michiganmysteries. com is of a sensitive nature. The families and friends of these... - [Speaking Dates](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/speaking-dates/): 3/3/2025 – Commerce Twp. Community Library – Commerce Township, MI – Time 7:00 p. m. EST – Topic: Virtual “Great... - [Home](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/): Welcome to “Michigan Mysteries. com”, the website of Author and Shipwreck Hunter Ross Richardson. This website is dedicated to the... - [Privacy Policy](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/privacy-policy/): Who we are Our website address is: https://www. michiganmysteries. com. What personal data we collect and why we collect it... ## Posts - [Weekend trip on Lake Michigan uncovers century-old shipwreck: ‘The most intact I have ever seen’](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-fox6now-com-2020-01-26-weekend-trip-on-lake-michigan-uncovers-century-old-shipwreck-fbclidiwar0tp6ghmdyxclev7ko4dy7mvlm972bvlcvjrfroi9-7fnqnmrui8qoyo7k/): FOX6Now Milwaukee January 26, 2020 Watch the newscast here: A team of shipwreck hunters that includes members from Milwaukee uncovered... - [DB Cooper is Still Missing - Ross Richardson](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-pod-link-1439712498fbclidiwar0hzrohm7nuqehkzxq6j2ujarapvnuvtmg-entq6qdwuxizb8o7f8ghpc/): The Cooper Vortex Febuary 26, 2020 Listen to the Podcast here: Ross Richardson is the author of two books, “The... - [Northern Michigan in Focus: Conversation With Descendant of W.C. Kimball Shipwreck](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/northern-michigan-in-focus-conversation-with-descendant-of-w-c-kimball-shipwreck/): 9&10 News WWTV News story  | February 12, 2020 Watch the entire newscast here: Northern Michigan in Focus: Conversation With... - [Northern Michigan in Focus: Lake Michigan Shipwreck Discovery](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/northern-michigan-in-focus-lake-michigan-shipwreck-discovery/): 9&10 News WWTV News story  | January 29, 2020 Watch the entire newscast here: Northern Michigan in Focus: Lake Michigan... - [Episode 30: Ross Richardson found a shipwreck from 1891!](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-anchor-fm-video-production-of-grand-episodes-episode-30-ross-richardson-found-a-shipwreck-from-1891-eanafefbclidiwar0wgurrlcmh0iqbmvpeofjav4-piewmuhhbtrdynqrvjonuhwfafkvz7ee/): Latest Podcast: Ross Richardson talks about shipwrecks and a very recent discovery!  | FEB. 3, 2020 Listen to the entire podcast here:... - [WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF SHIPWRECK HUNTING](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-www-northernexpress-com-news-feature-welcome-to-the-golden-age-of-shipwreck-hunting/): BETTER, MORE AFFORDABLE TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE SHIPWRECK SEARCHES A REGULAR GUY’S GAME. SHIPWRECK HUNTER ROSS RICHARDSON IS A CASE IN... - [May 19, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020-3/): Allegan District Library – Allegan, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m. 331 Hubbard St, Allegan, MI 49010 - [May 18, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020-2/): Rauchholz Memorial Library – Helmock, MI. “Exploring Shipwrecks & Lighthouses in Northern Lake Michigan” Time: 6:30 p. m. 1140 N... - [May 16, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020/): Cadillac Wexford Public Library – Cadillac, MI.   “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 1:00 p. m. 411 S Lake St,... - [May 12, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-12-2020-2/): Williamston Library – Williamston, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 5:30 p. m. 3845 Vanneter Rd #1, Williamston, MI 48895 - [May 12, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-12-2020/): Aurelius Library – Mason, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 2:00 p. m. 1939 S Aurelius Rd, Mason, MI 48854 - [May 7, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-7-2020/): Northfield Township Area Library – Whitmore Lake, Michigan “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 6:30 p. m. - [LOST AND FOUND: 1891 shipwreck 'amazingly intact' on Lake Michigan bottom](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/lost-and-found-1891-shipwreck-amazingly-intact-on-lake-michigan-bottom/): NORTHPORT, Mich. — The Great Lakes have been sailed upon since the 17th century. Over the last 400 years, it’s... - [Upnorthlive.com: Shipwreck hunter makes unprecedented discovery hidden in the depths](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/upnorthlive-com-shipwreck-hunter-makes-unprecedented-discovery-hidden-in-the-depths/): Few people know the waters of the Manitou Passage better than author and shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson... Read the entire... - [Mlive.com: Lake Michigan Shipwreck W.C. KIMBALL](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-lake-michigan-shipwreck-w-c-kimball/): LAKE MICHIGAN – A shipwreck found almost by accident, sitting 300 feet deep in northern Lake Michigan, is being described... - [April 23, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-23-2020/): Rogers City Theater – Rogers City, MI “Manitou Mysteries” Time: 7:00 p. m. Address: 257 N 3rd St, Rogers City,... - [April 20, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-20-2020/): Timothy C. Hauenstein Reynolds Township Library – Howard City, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 6:30 p. m. - [WZZM-13: 'I think it's a death car': Mysterious 1960 Lincoln may have gruesome backstory](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/wzzm-13-i-think-its-a-death-car-mysterious-1960-lincoln-may-have-gruesome-backstory/): A few years ago, Lucas contacted a man by the name of Ross Richardson, who is an author and has investigated... - [Detroit News: Diver discovers shipwreck cluster](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/traverse-city-record-eagle-diver-says-he-found-westmoreland-shipwreck-2/): “I was looking for wrecks that haven’t been discovered and have a decent last known position,” said Richardson, who’s originally... - [Could missing man from Grayling, Mich. be D.B. Cooper?](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/could-missing-man-from-grayling-mich-be-d-b-cooper/): Robert Richard Lepsy was a grocery store manager, husband and father of four. On October 29, 1969, Lepsy mysteriously disappeared... - [mlive.com: On remote Lake Michigan shoal, diver finds undiscovered shipwreck cluster](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-on-remote-lake-michigan-shoal-diver-finds-undiscovered-shipwreck-cluster/): Filming the wrecks, he said, is a way to share the history and experience. The wrecks, he said, “are right... - [Macomb Daily News: Michigan's mysterious treasure ship, the Westmoreland, found after 156 years](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/macomb-daily-news-michigans-mysterious-treasure-ship-the-westmoreland-found-after-156-years/): “... advances in diving and sonar technology certainly gave Richardson advantages over all of the expeditions before him, but ending... - [April 18, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-18-2020/): Baldwin Public Library – Birmingham, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 2:00 p. m. 300 W. Merrill Street, Birmingham MI - [April 15, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-15-2020/): Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown Branch – Ann Arbor, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m. 343 S.... - [March 25, 2020 (Postponed)](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/march-25-2020/): Michigan Maritime Museum – South Haven, Michigan “Exploring Shipwrecks and Lighthouses in Northern Lake Michigan” Time: 6:30 p. m. - [March 21, 2020 (Postponed)](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/march-21-2020/): Hesperia Community Library – Hesperia, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 1:00 p. m. 80 S. Division Street, Hesperia MI - [mlive.com: Gold and whiskey cargo fuels legend of the Westmoreland shipwreck](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-gold-and-whiskey-cargo-fuels-legend-of-the-westmoreland-shipwreck/): “... until 155 years after the sinking, when a diver and shipwreck sleuth from Grand Rapids would find what others... - [February 19, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/february-19-2020/): Milliken Auditorium – Traverse City, MI. “Exploring the W. C. KIMBALL, a Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m.... - [Traverse City Record Eagle: Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/traverse-city-record-eagle-diver-says-he-found-westmoreland-shipwreck/): Ross Richardson set out on yet another search in what had become a series of personal expeditions for one of... - [January 23, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/january-23-2020/): Romeo District Library, Kezar Branch, Romeo MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 6:00 p. m. at the Romeo District Library,... - [November 23, 2019](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/november-23-2019/): Bay Area Divers Shipwrecks & Scuba 2019, Sandusky OH “Mysteries of the Manitou Passage” Time TBA. Check back for more... - [WGN-Chicago: Diver finds clusters of undiscovered shipwrecks in Lake Michigan](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/wgn-chicago-diver-finds-clusters-of-undiscovered-shipwrecks-in-lake-michigan/): Shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson was hoping to find one of these shipwrecks this past summer. Instead, he possibly discovered five... - [November 19, 2019](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/november-19-2019/): Charlevoix Public Library, Charlevoix MI “Mysteries of the Manitou Passage” Our next presentation will be at 7:00 p. m. at... - [January 21, 2020](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/january-21-2020/): "Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure" presentation at the St. Ignace Public LIbrary in St. Ignace, Michigan. - [1892 W.H. Gilcher](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/1892-w-h-gilcher/): Revisiting the mystery of the W. H. Gilcher Posted by editor – August 25, 2005 – Investigative Article3 By Jed JaworskiSun contributorThe infamous loss of... - [Apple Podcasts: DB COOPER - ROSS RICHARDSON ENCORE 2014](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/apple-podcasts-db-cooper-ross-richardson-encore-2014/): Listen to the podcast here: DB COOPER – ROSS RICHARDSON ENCORE 2014 - [Scuba Obsessed #35: Ross Richardson Discovers the Westmoreland.](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/scuba-obsessed-35-ross-richardson-discovers-the-westmoreland/): Listen to the full Netcast here: Scuba Obsessed Netcast #35: Ross Richardson Discovers the Westmoreland. - [Thin Air Podcast: Richard Lepsy](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/thin-air-richard-lepsy/): Listen to Episode 7: Thin Air here: - [October Author Next Door Spotlight: Ross Richardson](https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/october-author-next-door-spotlight-ross-richardson/): AUTHOR AND SHIPWRECK HUNTER Ross Richardson is often thought of as the underwater Indiana Jones of the Great Lakes Region.... --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages ### AI Sitemap (LLMs.txt) - Published: 2025-04-04 - Modified: 2025-04-04 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/ai-sitemap/ What is LLMs. txt? LLMs. txt is a simple text-based sitemap for Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and others. It helps AI systems understand and index your public content more effectively. This is the beginning of a new kind of visibility on the web — one that works not just for search engines, but for AI-powered agents and assistants. You can view your AI sitemap at: https://www. michiganmysteries. com/llms. txt Why it's important Helps your content get discovered by AI tools Works alongside traditional SEO plugins Updates automatically as your content grows --- ### LIVE YANKEE - Published: 2024-04-04 - Modified: 2024-05-27 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/live-yankee/ The Sinking On November 5th, 1869, the schooner Live Yankee was traveling from Milwaukee to Buffalo, loaded with 14,000 bushels of wheat.   In the early morning hours, the vessel lost her way in a snow squall.   Around 4am, she ran hard aground on the High Island reef, just west of High Island.    Immediately, huge seas began to break over her, forcing the crew into the rigging.   The 15-year-old niece of the Captain remained in the cabin for protection from the elements and kept dry for a bit by climbing on top of a table.   The stranded schooner started to fill with water as waves pummeled her hull, so the first mate, Thomas Mahoney, suggested the crew take the yawl boat to shore, which was about 1000’ away.   It took quite some time to lower the yawl boat due to waves crashing over the stern.   When the yawl boat hit the water, it immediately capsized and had to be hauled along side the schooner to be bailed out. At 9am, Mahoney went down into the cabin and brought out the young lady, who had then been immersed in waist deep in cold water for nearly two hours.   She was placed in a sheltered spot near the mainmast while the Mahoney and two other men went into the rigging to bring down the steward, Joseph Furnio.   Furnio, mostly dry above his knees, was suffering from extreme exposure and delirium.   When the sailors brought Furmo down form his perch on the mast, they... --- ### 1992 Two Couple's Cessna 172 - Published: 2023-04-02 - Modified: 2023-04-04 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1992-two-couples-cessna-172/ On July 18th, 1992, a white 1978 Cessna 172 took off from an airport in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a destination of Beaver Island, in northern Lake Michigan.   On board where two couples from Kalamazoo.   Tom Lammon piloted the aircraft, with his wife, Peggy Sue, seated behind him.   Ray Sears sat in the front passenger seat, with his wife, Catherine, sitting behind him.   The plane was loaded with luggage for a weekend island getaway. It was a muggy Saturday morning when the friends taxied down the runway at an airport in Battle Creek, a neighboring town of their native Kalamazoo.   Their plane lifted off around 10:30am for what was expected to be a two-hour, 240 mile flight.   The weather was warm and sunny when they left, but the skies grew cloudier as they headed north.   Their flight path took them over the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula.   The distance from the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, where the Grand Traverse Lighthouse is situated, to the airfield on Beaver Island, is about 35 miles.   The Cessna could easily cover this distance in about twenty minutes.   Map of Norther Lake Michigan An article from the Beaver Beacon, dated December 1st, 1992, describes:               “The aircraft vanished from flight control radar screens in Minneapolis around noon, when it began descending shortly after passing the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, approximately thirty-five miles south of the island.  Extensive search efforts by county and state authorities, the Civil Air Patrol and the U. S. Coast Guard and family members... --- ### Video - Published: 2022-01-08 - Modified: 2022-01-08 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/vidoe/ https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=4DR8wdsVBfk --- ### JARVIS LORD - Published: 2020-11-19 - Modified: 2020-11-19 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/jarvis-lord/ --- ### Oh no! - Published: 2019-12-02 - Modified: 2019-12-02 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/oh-no/ We've searched the murky depths of Lake Michigan and the page you're looking for cannot be found... . Take me home... --- ### The RESCUE of Glen Lake - Published: 2019-11-25 - Modified: 2019-11-25 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/the-rescue-of-glen-lake/ The RESCUE was deliberately sunk in Glen Lake by owner Ralph Dorsey in 1914. She now rests in 120' of Pure Michigan water. She was discovered by the Michigan State Police. The RESCUE sinking in Big Glen Lake around 1914. https://youtu. be/PsXEtSpUj_s Courtesy of Leelanau. com Rescue owner Ralph Dorsey intentionally sank the vessel Big Glen Lake in 1914, but nobody knows why he did it. The Sun has posted some of the many theories: “Ralph was a heavy drinker, and his passengers refused to ride with him any longer,” goes one legend. Ralph’s nephews, Jim and John Dorsey, who took a joyride on the lake during the 2003 community search, confirmed that their uncle liked to tip back the bottle, even in his latter years living in Frankfort after he brought his boating business here to an abrupt halt. “We were known to drink a little hard cider whenever the neighbors came for a visit,” recalled Jim. “Nightmares of drowning children haunted Ralph, so he sank his boat before tragedy could strike,” is another theory, introduced by Taghon, the proprietor of the Empire Area Historical Museum. “Some say he had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. ” According to Barb Siepker, who owns the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, Ralph had six brothers, one of whom disappeared while boating in northern Lake Superior. “Ralph lost the boat in a card game, but didn’t want anyone else to ride off in his mahogany-lined craft,” suggested Dottie Lanham. “I heard they played a lot of... --- ### Contact - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/contact/ Contact Ross Richardson by filling out the form below. --- ### Past Events test page - Published: 2019-11-07 - Modified: 2019-11-08 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/speaking-dates/past-events-test-page/ For testing tables, widgets, etc. --- ### 1878 Java - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1878-java/ One of the most sought-after shipwrecks in recent years has been the RUSSIA, which was finally discovered in Lake Huron during the summer of 2019.   While many lovers of lake lore know the story of the RUSSIA, few know the story of her sistership, the JAVA, which foundered off Big Sable Point in 1878.   The following newspaper article appeared in the Chicago Inter Ocean on August 20, 1878 describing her loss.   LOSS OF THE "JAVA. " She Goes Down In Deep Water -- The Crew Saved.   Yesterday morning the Inter Ocean received the following from Mackinaw: The propeller JAVA sank at 8:30 yesterday (Sunday) morning off Point Sauble, Lake Michigan. Total loss. Starboard coupling broke. Crew all saved; they passed here this morning of the steamer KERSHAW, going to Detroit.   Later in the day a dispatch was received from Mr. Ensign, of the firm of Ensign & Holt, Buffalo. the proprietors of the Commercial Line of steamers, to which the JAVA belonged, confirming the disaster. Dispatches were also received from the Inter Ocean's correspondents in Detroit and Buffalo. Messrs. Atkins & Beckwith, the agents of the line in Chicago, of course have their private advices, as also did the underwriters. The cause of the disaster, as generally understood, was the breaking of the shaft a short distance from the wheel, thus opening her stern so that nothing could be done to stay the flow of water. That the entire crew escaped is a matter of congratulation. Going down in such deep water... --- ### 1990 Richard Hitchcock - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1990-richard-hitchcock/ On December 22, 1990, at 2:30am, 21 year old Richard Hitchcock was escorted from the Riverfront Lounge, which was located in downtown Allegan, Michigan, after being involved in an incident. After leaving the bar, he was supposedly involved in an altercation in a nearby parking lot with a group of men who later claimed they witnessed Hitchcock jump a fence while fleeing them and head down a river bank towards the Kalamazoo River. Hitchcock was never seen again. His car was impounded from a nearby parking lot a few days later. He was reported missing on December 28, and the authorities searched the nearby Kalamazoo River with no results. Rumors have circulated over the years that Hitchcock met with foul play at the hands of those who claimed to see him last, but those witnesses vehemently deny those accusations. Richard, known and “Ritchie” or “McRitchie” to friends and family, is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 135 pounds. He has red hair and blue eyes. Richard Hitchcock --- ### 1871 C.H. Hurd - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-05 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1871-c-h-hurd/ One of the most heart-wrenching shipwreck disasters to occur on Lake Michigan is the loss of the schooner C. H. HURD, which foundered near South Manitou Island in 1871.   The following article was published in the Detroit Tribune on September 28th of that year, and tells the heartbreaking story through the eyes of the HURD’s captain, W. O. Harrison. LOSS OF THE " C. H. HURD. "  Full Particulars Concerning The Disaster  Captain Harrison, The Only Survivor. -- His Statement  Captain Harrison, of the ill-fated schooner C. H. HURD, which was wrecked, as already published, on Friday night last, on Lake Michigan, arrived here yesterday on the CITY OF MONTREAL, and brought with him the remains of his wife A Tribune reporter called upon him, to whom he gave the following account of the loss of the vessel and the drowning of her crew and his family. The three-masted schooner C. H. HURD left Chicago about 6 0'clock Thursday night, with a cargo of corn for Buffalo. The wind was fair and all canvas was set. The vessel continued on her course all night, the wind still being favorable, and blowing about the same until about noon on Friday. The wind the shifted somewhat until it was about southwest, and from that time until evening it continued to increase in velocity till at 4 o'clock it was blowing a living gale. I had been on deck all day watching the progress of the vessel, and sometimes taking the wheel, in order to take the most advantage possible... --- ### 1892 W.H. GILCHER - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2023-03-28 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1892-w-h-gilcher/ The W. C. GILCHER is the most sought-after shipwreck in Lake Michigan. The following article was written by local maritime historian Jed Jowarski, an expert in Great Lakes lore. It appeared August 25, 2005, in the Glen Arbor Sun: The infamous loss of the EDMUND FITZGERALD shocked the entire Great Lakes community. How could one of the largest vessels, using modern technology, simply vanish with all on board? Leelanau County experienced its own version of the EDMUND FITZGERALD story in the 1890s, when the largest and most technologically advanced ship of its time “sailed through a crack in the lake” off the Leelanau coast. The ship still lies undiscovered in the cold dark waters, and the mysteries of its loss remain unresolved. The 1880s and ‘90s experienced many revolutions in ship design and construction on the Great Lakes. One advent greeted with great skepticism was the use of iron and steel as hull materials. Despite doubts and grim predictions, the first iron-hulled carrier, the ONOKO of 1882, proved a great success. 1890 saw the construction of the Western Reserve and W. H. GILCHER. These ships’ 300-foot hulls were of steel, not iron. Longer than a football field, they were among the largest ships of their time. The two vessels had different owners and slightly different construction details, but were considered sister ships. They met their owners’ fondest expectations for speed and efficiency. Almost at once the GILCHER captured the grain-carrying record by transporting 113,885 bushels of wheat from Chicago to Buffalo, New York. But August 30, 1892 found the WESTERN RESERVE bucking against a... --- ### 1873 Gilbert Mollison - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1873-gilbert-mollison/ The 138 foot schooner GILBERT MOLLISON disappeared somewhere in the Manitou Passage in 1873 during a storm. According to newspapers of the day, she lies near the Manitou Islands. The following newspaper articles of the era give details of her disappearance. The Oswego Palladium published this article Friday, November 7, 1873 The Missing Vessel As of this writing there is no intelligence as to the whereabouts of the schooner "GILBERT MOLLISON," and in the minds of many there is a growing uneasiness that more than the loss of canvass or spars has happened to the vessel. There have been instances where vessels were out from Chicago as long as the Mollison has been, and afterward they have turned up all right. Two or three years ago the schooner ADIRONDACK was unheard from for two weeks after leaving Chicago, and fears wee entertained that she had gone down with all hands, but she was found at anchor on Lake Huron, dismasted, shortly after, and towed through to Ogdensburg, her destination. This morning a cunning chap started a story that he was told by a gentleman who arrived from Detroit, that the captain of the schooner HENRY FITZHUGH saw the MOLLISON on Lake Huron, dismasted and at anchor. After some little time our reporter found that gentleman from Detroit, and learned from him that he had brought no such news, and had not heard anything about the MOLLISON until his arrival here. The story, as near as we can learn, originated in... --- ### 1947 LCM North Manitou - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1947-lcm-north-manitou/ Following the end of World War II, many military surplus items were made available to the public.   One of these items that made it to Northern Michigan was a Landing Craft Medium (LCM), which was then converted into a fuel oil hauling barge.   The owners of this LCM barge named her “NORTH MANITOU”.     On September 18, 1947, the NORTH MANITOU was bound for her namesake, North Manitou Island, with a load of fuel oil.   Rough weather and mechanical failure added up to create a catastrophe, and the small, staunch vessel soon foundered, throwing her two crewmembers into the churning sea, within sight of their destination.   One of the crewmen, 45-year-old Dean Richardson, was able to swim ashore wearing a lifejacket, but was hospitalized due to shock and exposure.   The other crewman, 45-year-old Arlie Maker, was not so lucky.   His lifejacket clad body was found a couple of days later by his friends, who were searching for him.   The LCM NORTH MANITOU has never been located and is thought to be just a couple miles off North Manitou Island. --- ### 1959 BRIDGEBUILDER X - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/1959-bridgebuilder-x/ Kathy Firestone was a young girl when her father, Sterling Nickerson Jr. , disappeared in Lake Michigan along with his boat, the BRIDGEBUILDER X. The following is an excerpt from Kathy Firestone’s book “The Fox Islands, North and South”: “When the Mackinac Bridge was completed, Sterling Nickerson, Jr. , went to St. Ignace to inspect one of the tugs that had been used for bridge construction. In 1958 the steel-hulled, 65-foot BRIDGEBUILDER X was bought by the Nickerson Company. It was reconstructed at Burke’s coal dock in Suttons Bay and at the Sears dock in Greilickville and put into operation, making it possible to haul a day’s sawmill output in one load. About once a week Sterling, Jr. , hauled a gross of 53 tons of hardwood to the J. W. Wells Company and the M and M Box Company in Wisconsin. The lumber business was going well for the Nickersons, but on December 15, 1959, a shadow fell on their good fortune. About ten in the morning, Sterling Nickerson, Jr. , and a relative, Glen Roop, left Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, aboard the BRIDGEBUILDER X. ; and when they didn’t show up at South Fox Island, a search was begun by the Coast Guard and pilots in private planes. Though the search was continued for several days and was joined by people walking the mainland shores, no trace of the boat was ever found. A day after the disappearance, an oil slick was sighted about 15 miles southwest of South Fox Island but was quickly dispersed... --- ### 2007 Socata TB-20 Trinidad - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/2007-socata-tb-20-trinidad/ On August 24, 2007, about 1330 eastern daylight time, N96DF, registered as a Socata TB-20 Trinidad airplane, piloted by a private pilot, was presumed to have sustained substantial damage on impact with Lake Huron near Cheboygan, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No visual flight rules (VFR) or instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the passenger is presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Mackinac Island Airport on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and was destined for the Huron County Memorial Airport near Bad Axe, Michigan. A pilot who spoke with the accident pilot before the accident flight and who was departing Mackinac Island Airport about the same time as the accident pilot, in part, reported: “On the ride to the airport the pilot and I discussed the weather, her plans, and the fact that the AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) ceiling reports were incorrect. I was quite puzzled over the pilot's decision to depart VFR. They did not seem to be in any great hurry to depart - I believe they were going to her parents and I don't recall any discussion of any event that they needed to reach at a specific time. I stated I was getting a void time clearance off the field as I didn't think I could maintain VFR long enough to pick up my clearance. I asked her why she didn't file IFR and she said they... --- ### 1999 Cessna 175 - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-03 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1999-cessna-175/ From the FAA Report: On November 12, 1999, at 2015 eastern standard time (est), a Cessna 175, N6533E, piloted by Leonard Kowalski, was reported missing by a representative of the pilot's family. The personal flight was not on a flight plan. The pilot has been presumed to be fatally injured. The flight departed Iron County Airport, Crystal Falls, Michigan, at 1515 est and had the intended destination of Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan. According to the pilot's relatives, the pilot's typical route of flight was to fly to Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan, refuel the airplane, and continue to his final destination of Oakland/Troy Airport, Troy, Michigan. There were no reports of the aircraft arriving and/or departing from Cherry Capital Airport and Oakland/Troy Airport. Aircraft Information The aircraft was a Cessna 175, N6533E, serial number 56033. The Cessna 175 is a production built, single strutted high-wing, all-metal constructed airplane. The Cessna 175 has a fixed tricycle landing gear and can accommodate a pilot and three passengers. According to FAA records, the FAA issued a Standard Airworthiness Certificate for the airplane on April 23, 1959. The airplane was registered to the pilot on July 15, 1996. Leonard Kowalski and his aircraft are still missing. --- ### 1993 Piper Cherokee Arrow - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-07 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1993-piper-cherokee-arrow/ A Piper Cherokee Arrow Jim Hysong 20 year old Jim Hysong was last seen as he climbed into a two-seat plane at Toledo Suburban Airport on March 15, 1993. He had rented a 1974 Piper Cherokee Arrow for a short trip to Jackson, Michigan, where he planned to take a test to become a flight instructor. Even at his young age, Hysong was an accomplished pilot. Investigators have two theories about what happened that day: either Hysong decided to commit suicide for some unknown reason by crashing the airplane into Lake Michigan, or he stole the aircraft with the intention of selling it. According to Federal Aviation Administration radar logs, a plane piloted by Hysong took off from Toledo Suburban about 10:15 a. m. and climbed to an altitude of 4,800 feet as it headed northwest. But the plane bypassed Jackson Airport to the east by several miles. The plane continued past Grand Rapids and Grand Haven and went about 15 miles out over Lake Michigan before disappearing about 83 minutes after the flight began. Volunteer pilots from the Michigan Chapter of the Civil Air Patrol searched from the air for wreckage of the plane for six weeks, first on land and then on water. Nothing was ever located. Every part of the $40,000 airplane was listed as stolen and entered on the national databases of the Law Enforcement Information Network and the National Crime Information Center in July, 1994. Since then not a single piece of the aircraft ever has... --- ### 1946 Boeing PT 17 Stearman - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1946-boeing-pt-17-stearman/ The following is taken from articles in the Benton Harbor News Palladium Lake Michigan Flight Mystery Benton Harbor War Ace Disappears Monday, August 5, 1946 Lost After Takeoff Sunday morning From Glenview Navy Base Hope dimmed this afternoon for the survival of Lt. William L. Hood, Benton Harbor Marine ace gone missing since 8:30am yesterday on a flight from Glenview Naval Air Station to the Twin City Airport. Half a hundred Navy Planes, and half dozen civilian planes from the Twin City Airport and Coast Guard boats from three western Lake Michigan Coast Guard stations, completed a 24-hour continuous search for the missing airman shortly after noon today. The search is still continuing. Lt. William L. Hood Lt. Hood took off from the Glenview naval air station, near Chicago, yesterday morning with clearance for the local airport. No trace has been found of the Benton Harbor pilot or his plane since. Lt. Hood is married. He is the son of Mrs. John Hood, 731 Superior. The search got underway late yesterday afternoon when the young flyer was long overdue on the usual 40 minute flight across the lake. Four planes of the Twin Cities Flying Service piloted by Bert Grau, J. P. ”Porky” Harvey, Don Manley and Del Tabor scanned southern Lake Michigan waters to not avail until nightfall prevented further flying. KEEP UP SEARCH FOR LOST FLYER Cling To Hope That Lt. Hood Is AliveTuesday August 6, 1946 Navy search planes will continue for at least another two days to comb the southern... --- ### 1998 Aero Vodochody L-39C - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1998-aero-vodochody-l-39c/ On July 3, 1998, at 1845 eastern daylight time (EDT), an Aero Vodochody L-39C, N7868M, operated by a commercial pilot, was reported missing over Lake Michigan, in the vicinity west-northwest of Traverse City, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger on board have not been found. The local flight departed from the Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan, at 1831 EDT.   The airplane had been flown from Quincy, Illinois, to Traverse City, Michigan, earlier that day, for the purpose of performing exhibition flights in the National Cherry Festival Air show, scheduled for July 4-5, 1998. A student at Northwestern Michigan College said that the airplane arrived at Cherry Capital Airport at approximately 1710 EDT. A witness at Harbor Air, a fixed base operator on the Cherry Capital Airport, said that following its arrival, the airplane was fueled with 183 gallons of Phillips 66 jet fuel. The Director of the Aviation Division at Northwestern Michigan College said that the college had worked with the Cherry Festival coordinators for several years, housing visiting airplanes used in the air show. Because of this, arrangements were made so that he and the passenger of the missing airplane (an instructor pilot, also employed by the college), could ride in the L-39C, and a Migoyan-Gurevich (MiG)-21, also owned and operated by Air USA, Incorporated. The witness said that he... --- ### 1977 The Block's Cessna 150J - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2020-11-22 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1977-the-blocks-cessna-150j/ Photo of the missing Cessna On Monday, July 4, 1977, at 11:10am, John and Jean Block boarded their Cessna aircraft and departed Macomb Airport in New Haven, Michigan and headed north. Their destination was to be Lost Creek Sky Ranch Airport in Luzerne, Michigan. They never arrived there, or anywhere, for that matter. They simply vanished. During the ensuing months ground searches and searches from the air yielded nothing. The Aircraft is a 1969 Cessna 150. The color scheme is white wings with orange tips, white lower fuselage and green upper fuselage. The tail number is N50935. The images on this website are of the actual aircraft. John Block, the pilot, was not instrument rated and flew visually by following major highways. The flight path was over some of the most remote and rural regions of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, including the Huron Manistee National Forest. Someday we hope a hunter, hiker, logger or surveyor will stumble across the crash site of the Block's Cessna, and report it to authorities. Remember, if you ever find any aircraft wreckage, please call law enforcement. When an aircraft crashes, all wreckage is removed by authorities. If you find something, it hasn't been reported yet! https://youtu. be/0ET5Vlx3cp4 John Block discussing his missing parents. Map of the search area https://youtu. be/kUd8E6jaPt8 Photo of the missing Cessna https://youtu. be/EOe33X6Sfy8 News story about the disappearance --- ### 1998 David Van OPynen - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/1998-david-van-opynen/ In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 9, 1998, 19 year old David James Van OPynen went for a ride on a Sea Doo watercraft and disappeared during the dark, moonless night somewhere under the surface of Crystal Lake. Witnesses stated they saw Van OPynen buckle his life vest then leave shore towards the middle of the lake. He did a few tricks when offshore, and then went further out into the lake. Van OPynen was said to occasionally stop the Sea Doo and go for a swim, but he was not known to be a strong swimmer. The following morning his green and white Sea Doo and his life vest were found floating between the Van OPynen cottage and the Crystal Lake Yacht Club by a mother and son on Wave Runners. Van OPynen was nowhere to be seen. Missing Person David Van OPynen David Van OPynen, a resident of North Carolina, was vacationing with his father and grandparents in a cottage on Crystal Lake. The Benzie County Sherriff’s Department was notified and the largest body recovery effort in Benzie County history was launched. The size and depth of Crystal Lake, along with a vague “Last Know Position (LKP)” made the task of finding Van OPynen’s body nearly impossible. Seadoo XP with Rotax engine The Michigan State Police and the Great Lakes Search & Rescue team both mounted multiple search efforts with sonar, divers and cadaver dogs. One search did yield what was thought to be a body... . --- ### 2005 David Schmid - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/2005-david-schmid/ David Schmid, a 49-year-old Ludington man disappeared after jumping into the water to help his daughter on Big Glen Lake on August 21, 2005. Schmid was on a pontoon boat with his wife and two daughters when his hat fell in the lake. One of his daughters went in after it and he jumped in after her. His head went under and he didn’t resurface. Schmid's parents lived on the narrows at Glen Lake and his sister said he spent some of his favorite times there. He was born and raised in Saginaw and served six years in the U. S. Navy before eventually settling in Ludington, where he was a plant manager for Michigan Power. Divers started a weeklong search for Schmid that day, but authorities called off the search after a week without finding his body. Search crews used side-scan sonar devices to survey the east side of the lake around the depth indicated by witnesses at the scene. But Charles Belanger, marine patrol commander with the Leelanau County Sheriff's Department, said the large search area, poor visibility and deep, cold water hindered divers' efforts. Investigators said an adult-sized yellow personal flotation device that was thrown from Schmid's boat was never recovered. The Midwest Technical Recovery Team, based in Macomb County, volunteered its services during the Labor Day weekend 2005 to help locate Schmid’s body, but sadly, their efforts did not succeed. Searches for Schmid the following year revealed the location of a “shipwreck” that is somewhat of a... --- ### 1983 David Gionet - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/1983-david-gionet/ On March 9, 1983, 18 year old David Gionet attempted to cross Green Lake in Interlochen Michigan. He was walking from a party on the peninsula to the Interlochen School of the Arts when he vanished. The Northern Michigan Region was experiencing unseasonably warm weather and it’s thought Gionet broke through the thin ice and drowned. The Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Department Dive Team conducted multiple dive operations with no success in finding Gionet. Missing Person David Gionet --- ### 1966 Three Sunbathers disappear from Beach - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1966-three-sunbathers-disappear-from-beach/ Renee Bruhl, Patricia Blough, and Ann Miller, mysteriously disappeared from the Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana on July 2, 1966. The women arrived at the Indiana Dunes State Park at around 10am. Miller parked in the park's lot and the women hiked to a spot approximately 100 yards from the Lake Michigan shoreline. A couple reported seeing the women leave their belongings on the beach around noon and enter the lake together. Renee Bruhl The park rangers soon learned that missing persons' reports had been filed for Blough, Miller and Bruhl over the weekend in Illinois by their families. The rangers began investigating the park and located Miller's Buick in the parking lot. Her car keys had been located with her belongings and some items of the women's clothing and other personal effects were still inside the vehicle. The park rangers contacted other law enforcement agencies, including the United States Coast Guard. A search for the missing women was initiated on July 5, three days after the women disappeared. Ann Miller More witnesses began substantiating the initial reports that the women entered a white boat operated by an unidentified man. Later accounts described the male as in his early twenties with a tanned complexion and dark, wavy hair. He was wearing a beach jacket at the time. A visitor was filming home movies at the state park on July 2 and offered his reels to investigators. The search was immediately narrowed to two boats once authorities viewed the footage... . --- ### 2010 Jacob Cabinaw - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/2010-jacob-cabinaw/ Jacob had finished up a days work at his job at Dave's Garage in Traverse City, Michigan and headed over to Hickory Hills to play frisbee golf with his friends. Later that night, Jake's friend, Gary Wittig invited Jake to a party but Jake said no. He said he had homework to get to and was going to return to his home in Grawn. Jake dropped Gary off at the volleyball courts around 7:30 p. m. and no one has seen him since. Investigators know that Jake used his bank card at Buckley's around 9:00 p. m. , and at 1:00 a. m. , his phone pinged off a tower in Oklahoma. At 2:00 a. m. , Jake is seen on video at a Kalamazoo gas station using his bank card. A few hours later his card was used again for gas at a station in Sweetwater, Texas. Unlike the gas station in Kalamazoo, there is no video to show if it was actually Jake that used the card or not. There isn't any new news to report, he and his vehicle are still missing. His bank account was accessed after the 31st but haven't been used since April 2nd, 2010. Missing Person Jacob Cabinaw --- ### 1991 Gordon Page - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1991-gordon-page/ Gordon Thomas Page, Jr. has been missing since May 27, 1991. He was last seen in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Page was born on April 15, 1963 and was 28 years old at the time of his disappearance. He is 6'3" tall with a slender build and he has blue eyes and grey hair that was once reddish brown. Page has a prominent Adam's Apple and he turns his eyes when crossing the street, but he does not turn his head. Page is autistic and does not communicate well with people as a result. Page was placed in the Cascade Foster Care Home on Kraft Avenue and 60th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan in March 1991. He had been diagnosed with autism and the home was an established treatment center. His family resided in Florida and waited two months before visiting Page in Michigan. His father left Grand Rapids after seeing Page on May 21, 1991. Page's father stated that his son seemed anxious to accompany him back to Florida and attempted to enter his van as he was leaving. Page vanished from the home on May 27, 1991, six days after his father left. Witnesses reported seeing a man resembling Page hitchhiking along Interstate 96 in Grand Rapids shortly after he disappeared from his residence. Part of a baseball card collection was discovered under an overpass on Interstate 96 approximately six weeks later. The cards were located near ramps leading to Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Three of the cards... --- ### 1981 Deannie Peters - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-07 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1981-deannie-peters/ Dean Marie Pyle Peters went missing February 5, 1981 from Forest Hills Central Middle School in Ada, Michigan. She has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a brown ski jacket, a pink sweater and jeans. She was also wearing a cream-colored scarf with the word 'ski' written on it with dark brown lettering. She was 5'3" tall when she disappeared at age 14. On February 5, 1981 Deanie attended her brother's wrestling tournament in Ada, Michigan, which is east of Grand Rapids. She was last seen by her mother at an afterschool program when she excused herself to go to the ladies' restroom, but she never came back. The students who were thought to have maybe of seen Deanie that night were contacted by the school principal, but none of them could place her near any school restrooms. Deanie left her wallet and make-up home and was known to never go anywhere without her make-up. Police couldn't find any reason for her disappearance. She had no history of running away. So what happened to her? Was she kidnapped from inside or outside the school? Was she taken against her will, by someone she knew or by a stranger? Did she go willingly with someone but met with foul play later? Did she somehow have an accidental death? Is she still alive, living a happy life? Deanie was declared legally dead in 1991, ten years after she vanished. Her disappearance is considered one of the biggest mysteries... --- ### 1979 Roger Heacock - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-07 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1979-roger-heacock/ Missing Person Roger Heacock On 4th of January , 1979, Roger Heacock disappeared from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has not been seen or heard from since. On the evening of January 4th, Heacock ate dinner with his wife and son, and then dropped his son off at his mother in-law’s residence. He left from there to meet an acquaintance, and simply vanished. The 29 year-old Heacock was an avid trapper and outdoorsman. The acquaintance he was to meet with was a coworker and fellow trapper, and was thought to be involved in the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of pelts from Heacock’s garage. Later, the acquaintance agreed to meet with police for questioning about the disappearance on January 15th, but died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, just hours before his interview was supposed to take place. Heacock’s 1974 green International Scout was later found at the Kalamazoo Municipal Airport, having been there since January 5th. Human and animal blood were discovered inside the vehicle and tested at the Holland Crime Lab, but no useful information was revealed. Heacock and the acquaintance worked together at the post office and had been trapping together for many years. They had trap lines in Allegan, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren Counties. --- ### 1969 Robert Richard Lepsy - Published: 2019-11-02 - Modified: 2019-11-07 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/robert-richard-lepsy/ Robert Richard Lepsy and daughter Lisa Lepsy On October 29th, 1969, Robert Richard Lepsy left the small-town grocery store he managed and vanished.    His car was found abandoned in a parking lot in Traverse City Michigan 3 days later, doors unlocked, keys in ignition and half a pack of cigarettes left on dash. He left behind his wife and four children.   He appeared to have left with nothing but the clothes on his back.   This case has received national attention in the past few years, but no tips or clues have been produced concerning Lepsy’s whereabouts. Missing person Robert Richard Lepsy and his wife Jackie. --- ### 1950 Northwest Airlines DC4 - Published: 2019-11-02 - Modified: 2019-11-06 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/1950-northwest-airlines-dc4/ One of the great Lake Michigan mysteries is the disappearance of Northwest Airlines Flight 2501. Even with an amazing amount of clues available, the location of this missing airliner has eluded serious search crews for decades. Here's the official report: CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD OFFICIAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT: NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. -- BENTON HARBOR, MICH. , JUNE 23, 1950 The Accident: At approximately 2325, * June 23, 1950, a C-54A-DC, N-95425, owned and operated by Northwest Airlines, crashed into Lake Michigan approximately 18 miles north-northwest of Benton Harbor, Mich. None of the 55 passengers and three crew members survived. The aircraft was destroyed. History of the Flight: The flight 2501 was scheduled to operate between the terminal points of New York, N. Y. , and Seattle, Wash, via intermediate points of Minneapolis, Minn. , and Spokane, Wash. At approximately 1931 the flight departed from LaGuardia Airport for Minneapolis with a crew consisting of Robert C. Lind, captain, Verne F. Wolfe, first officer, and Bonnie A. Feldman, stewardess. On board were 55 passengers, 2, 500 gallons of fuel, 80 gallons of oil, and 490 pounds of express, which resulted in an aircraft weight of 71, 342 pounds for takeoff. This was 58 pounds below the maximum permissible takeoff weight, and the load was distributed so that the center of gravity was within approved limits. The flight plan filed with ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) specified a cruising altitude of 6 000 feet to Minneapolis. An altitude of 4,000 feet had been originally requested because of... --- ### Thomas Kingsford - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-26 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/thomas-kingsford/ In April of 1871, the 136’ schooner THOMAS KINGSFORD became another early spring victim of the treacherous ice in the Straits of Mackinac.   In early April the KINGSFORD became trapped in ice merely 100’ from the Waugoshance Light.   The moving ice-pack pushed the KINGSFORD a half mile east and eventually crushed the schooner’s hull and she foundered. In June of 1871, salvage operations began on the THOMAS KINGSFORD.   Salvagers found the wrecked schooner in 26’ off water, split from stem to stern.   The grabbed her anchors, chain and rigging and declared the rest of the vessel not worth recovering. What we believe is the wreck of the THOMAS KINGSFORD was discovered by Brent Tompkins and Ross Richardson in June of 2018.   We will release the coordinates to this wreck in early 2020 in an effort to crowd-source the documentation of wreck-site. --- ### WALRUS - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/walrus/ The Schooner WALRUS was similar to this vessel On November 7th, 1868, the 135’ schooner WALRUS, commanded by Captain Everett, was making her way  through the Beaver Passage in Northern Lake Michigan.   She was out of Chicago with a hold full of barely bound for Oswego, New York.   The weather was described as “Thick” and a heavy fog was present.    Captain Everett lost his way and ended up running aground on Gray’s Reef, one of the most treacherous shoals in Lake Michigan.   Within a couple days another large storm struck the area and the Walrus went to pieces, making salvage impossible. The dis-articulated side of the WALRUS. The WALRUS was discovered by Steven Wimer, Cal Kothrade, Brent Tompkins and Ross Richardson on June 16th 2018.   The Walrus rests on a sandy bottom in 25’ of water and is a disarticulated wreck site.   Lack if algae and quagga mussels on her timbers indicate this wreck covers and uncovers with sand, from time to time.   The area surrounding the Walrus has not been thoroughly searched and more pieces of her hull is thought to be nearby. A large section of the WALRUS' hull. White oak construction. The stem of the WALRUS lies along side a section of her hull. The WALRUS was a two-masted schooner which measured 135’ in length.   She was built on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio by noted shipbuilders Stephens & Laffrienier.   She was built in 1857 and her wooden hull was comprised of white... --- ### W.S. Lyons - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/w-s-lyons/ On October 11, 1871, a terrific gale struck Northern Lake Michigan, stranding many vessels on the shoals and reefs in that region of the lake.   One of these unfortunate vessels was the iron ore laden schooner, W. S. LYONS.   W. S. LYONS look-alike The W. S. LYONS was a 136’ two-masted schooner and she was built at Lorain, Ohio in 1866 on the banks of the Black River.   She was named after her builder, Winfield S. Lyons.   Soon after the W. S. LYON’s grounding, the salvage tug MAGNET was sent out to pull her off the shoal.   But, with other vessels needing assistance also, the W. S. LYONS had to wait her turn.   Further complicating her rescue was the weight of her cargo, iron ore loaded at Escanaba.   Soon another gale erupted and the W. S. LYONS was damaged further.   This fact, coupled with how late in the shipping season it was, led to the decision to abandon the LYON’s hull.   The MAGNET stripped the crippled schooner of her masts, rigging, anchors, chain and any other items that could be pulled off her and she soon disappeared beneath surface of the water. Sonar image of W. S. LYONS wreck site in 50' of water. Sonar image of suspected W. S. LYONS keel. The wreck site of what is believed to be the W. S. LYONS was discovered in May of 2018 by Ross Richardson.   The site is in 50’ of water and less than a mile from the White Shoal Light.   The wreckage is consistent with vessels of... --- ### Sleeping Bear Point Shipwrecks - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/sleeping-bear-point-shipwrecks/ Coming soon! --- ### Skillagalee Shipwrecks - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/skillagalee-shipwrecks/ Coming Soon! --- ### W.C. KIMBALL - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-26 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/w-c-kimball/ The schooner W. C. Kimball The History One of the best descriptions of the W. C. KIMBALL disaster comes from an undated Traverse City Record Eagle article written by local author and columnist Larry Wakefield: Schooner’s disappearance a mysteryIt’s hard to imagine any significant connection between forest fires and a shipwreck, but that’s what some people in Northport thought when a little 40-ton schooner, KIMBALL, failed to return to her home berth after a trip to Manistee.   They thought a passing steamer might have run down the KIMBALL while a dense shroud of smoke over the region enveloped both of them. Forest fires had been breaking out all over the Grand Traverse region that unusually warm, dry spring of 1891.   The most trying day was Saturday, May 8. The air was filled with wood smoke, flying cinders and burning leaves that fell for many hours.   At night, the sky was red with flames in every direction. In Traverse City, most of the land east and southeast was burned over.   Fire coma over the hill behind the asylum and burned 150 cords of wood and lots of fence posts.   D. H. Day lost 1 million feet of hardwood logs at Glen Haven.   Isolated barns, houses and small shops burned down all over the Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.   People prayed for rain. The KIMBALL left Manistee for Northport on May 7. 1891, with a cargo of salt and wood shingles.   On board were Capt. James Stevens and Mate Charles Kehl, part owners of the boat, and William P. Wolfe.  ... --- ### The WESTMORELAND - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2019-11-08 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/the-westmoreland/ In all the Great Lakes, there are few vessels that can match the story of the treasure-ship WESTMORELAND. Watch this video and explore her legend, her history and her discovery. --- ### About the Author > Ross Richardson is a Great Lakes shipwreck expert. He is the author of two books, “The Search for the Westmoreland: Lake Michigan’s Treasure Shipwreck” and “Still Missing: Rethinking the D.B. Cooper Case and Other Mysterious Unsolved Disappearances.” He also speaks about Great Lakes maritime history at libraries and historical societies around the Great Lakes Region. Richardson is a trained technical SCUBA diver and has been involved in the discovery, identification, and documentation of numerous Lake Michigan shipwrecks. He resides in Lake Ann, Michigan, with his wife, son and their retired racing greyhound, Claire. - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2023-04-04 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/about/ Welcome to "Michigan Mysteries. com", the website of Author and Shipwreck Hunter Ross Richardson. This website is dedicated to the stories of the missing persons, missing aircraft, missing maritime vessels and the unrecovered drowning victims of the Michigan Region. The Michigan Region includes the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Islands, as well as the Great Lakes which are contiguous with Michigan’s mainland: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Richardson is the author of two books, "The Search for the Westmoreland: Lake Michigan's Treasure Shipwreck" and "Still Missing: Rethinking the D. B. Cooper Case and Other Mysterious Unsolved Disappearances. " He also speaks about Great Lakes maritime history at libraries and historical societies around the Great Lakes Region. Richardson is a trained technical SCUBA diver and has been involved in the discovery, identification, and documentation of numerous Lake Michigan shipwrecks. He serves on the board of the Maritime Heritage Alliance based in Traverse City Michigan. The author resides in Lake Ann, Michigan, with his wife, son and their retired racing greyhound, Claire. He enjoys giving folks rides in his 1964 Lincoln and working on various woodworking projects in his workshop. In The News... --- ### Shipwreck Discoveries - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2020-11-19 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/projects/ --- ### Missing Persons - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-11-02 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/ --- ### Missing Aircraft - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-11-02 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-aircraft/ --- ### Store - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2025-04-12 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/bookstore/ A signed copy of "The Search for the Westmoreland" is just $19. 99 plus $2. 99 shipping. or send a check for $22. 98 to: R. Richardson 6743 Windtree Lane Lake Ann, MI 49650 Still Missing available on Kindle: Favorite Sites: Milwaukee Dive Apparel The Photography and Art of Cal Kothrade Digital Artwork by Cal Kothrade Photic Zone ROV Work and Drone Photography Website/Hosting by MittenMade Design | Grand Rapids, Michigan --- ### Missing Ships - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-10-27 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-ships/ --- ### Dr. James P. Smith - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-11-07 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/dr-james-p-smith/ Somewhere beneath the wide waters of Michigan’s Higgins Lake, rests the body of Dr. James P. Smith. Dr. Smith was only 34 years old when he disappeared, along with his boat, in 1961. He went fishing with his brother in-law, John C. Newman, whose body was later recovered. Excerpts from an article in The Roscommon Herald-News, dated November 30, 1961, describe what transpired: The two men and their families came up to the Smith’s cottage, located at Pine Bluffs, for the weekend. The men went spearing about 7:00pm Saturday night, using a new model 14 ft aluminum boat, 10 H. P. motor and a portable generator to operate their spearing lights. They told their wives they expected to fish until about 1:00am and when they failed to return by 2:00 o’clock Mrs. Smith notified Sheriff Oliver Britton. Sheriff Britton and Deputy Raymond Kingdale, of Higgins Lake, searched the shoreline and roads near the lake until 4:30am when they notified the State Police at the Houghton Lake Post. Chief Deputy Lloyd Petty, of Houghton Lake, also joined the search Sunday morning. An intensive search was started on the lake at daybreak by the authorities, using five skin divers, and Army “Duck”, State Police plane and several smaller craft. State Police skin divers are pictured above preparing to search the lake bottom from an army “Duck” used in rescue work by the Houghton Lake Post. The worked in pairs and were able to stay down in the cold water only 30 minutes at a time. High... --- ### Drowning Victims - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-10-28 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/drowning-victims/ The subject matter in this section of michiganmysteries. com is of a sensitive nature. The families and friends of these missing persons are alive and still hurting from the loss of their loved ones. The purpose of making this information known is to facilitate the beginning of an opportunity to return the remains of the victims to their families. Recent advances in technology are beginning to make it possible to find these bodies, but at the time of this writing, it is still financially and logistically difficult to launch a successful recovery operation. Hopefully, in the near future, recovery will become feasible, and some form of closure can be provided from these tragedies. Dr. James P. Smith 1961 David Gionet 1983 David Van OPynen 1998 David Schmid 2005 --- ### Speaking Dates - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2025-03-19 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/speaking-dates/ 3/3/2025 - Commerce Twp. Community Library - Commerce Township, MI - Time 7:00 p. m. EST - Topic: Virtual "Great Lakes Whiskey Shipwreck Adventure” via Zoom.   3/19/2025 - White Lake Community Library - White Lake Township, MI - Time 6:00 p. m. EST - Topic: Great Lakes Whiskey Shipwreck Adventure”.   4/3/2025 - Dewings Center - LeRoy, MI - Time 6:30 p. m. EST - Topic: “Michigan Mysteries 2025” 5/29/2025 - Tamarack District Library - Lakeview, MI - Time 6:00 p. m. EST - Topic: “Michigan Mysteries 2025” Author and shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson is available as a guest speaker for your organization. Enjoy the unique blend of history and technology by scheduling a presentation for your patrons today. For more information or to schedule an author presentation and book signing, fill out the "Presentation Inquiry" form below. Presentations currently available: NEW! Michiganmysteries. com Stories of missing persons, missing aircraft and missing ships of the Michigan Region. You'll be surprised at what is "Still Missing" out there! "SEEKING THE LORD, THE SEARCH FOR THE JARVIS LORD SHIPWRECK": “Explore the depths of Northern Lake Michigan looking for lost ships and missing aircraft.   Dive down to Lake Michigan’s newest shipwreck discovery and wander through the Manitou Passage, the most dangerous place in Lake Michigan! ” “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure": Journey to Northern Lake Michigan, just off the shores of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.   Between the Manitou Islands and the mainland is a fleet of shipwrecked ghost-ships, just waiting to be found!   Learn their stories and explore a... --- ### Home - Published: 2019-10-23 - Modified: 2023-04-05 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/ Welcome to "Michigan Mysteries. com", the website of Author and Shipwreck Hunter Ross Richardson. This website is dedicated to the stories of the missing persons, missing aircraft, missing maritime vessels and the unrecovered drowning victims of the Michigan Region. The Michigan Region includes the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Islands, as well as the Great Lakes which are contiguous with Michigan’s mainland: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. --- ### Privacy Policy - Published: 2019-10-17 - Modified: 2019-11-29 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/privacy-policy/ Who we areOur website address is: https://www. michiganmysteries. com. What personal data we collect and why we collect itCommentsWhen visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic. com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment. MediaIf you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website. Contact formsCookiesIf you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year. If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser. When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options... --- ## Posts ### Weekend trip on Lake Michigan uncovers century-old shipwreck: ‘The most intact I have ever seen’ - Published: 2020-03-10 - Modified: 2020-03-10 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-fox6now-com-2020-01-26-weekend-trip-on-lake-michigan-uncovers-century-old-shipwreck-fbclidiwar0tp6ghmdyxclev7ko4dy7mvlm972bvlcvjrfroi9-7fnqnmrui8qoyo7k/ - Categories: In The News FOX6Now Milwaukee January 26, 2020 Watch the newscast here: A team of shipwreck hunters that includes members from Milwaukee uncovered what appears to be one of the most intact wooden schooners ever discovered at the bottom of the Great Lakes. Digital Art by Cal Kothrade --- ### DB Cooper is Still Missing - Ross Richardson - Published: 2020-03-08 - Modified: 2020-03-08 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-pod-link-1439712498fbclidiwar0hzrohm7nuqehkzxq6j2ujarapvnuvtmg-entq6qdwuxizb8o7f8ghpc/ - Categories: In The News The Cooper Vortex Febuary 26, 2020 Listen to the Podcast here: Ross Richardson is the author of two books, “The Search for the Westmoreland: Lake Michigan’s Treasure Shipwreck” and “Still Missing: Rethinking the D. B. Cooper Case and Other Mysterious Unsolved Disappearances. The Cooper Vortex --- ### Northern Michigan in Focus: Conversation With Descendant of W.C. Kimball Shipwreck - Published: 2020-03-06 - Modified: 2020-03-06 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/northern-michigan-in-focus-conversation-with-descendant-of-w-c-kimball-shipwreck/ - Categories: In The News 9&10 News WWTV News story  | February 12, 2020 Watch the entire newscast here: Northern Michigan in Focus: Conversation With Descendant of W. C. Kimball Shipwreck Painting of the W. C. KIMBALL --- ### Northern Michigan in Focus: Lake Michigan Shipwreck Discovery - Published: 2020-03-03 - Modified: 2020-03-06 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/northern-michigan-in-focus-lake-michigan-shipwreck-discovery/ - Categories: In The News 9&10 News WWTV News story  | January 29, 2020 Watch the entire newscast here: Northern Michigan in Focus: Lake Michigan Shipwreck Discovery Painting of the W. C. KIMBALL --- ### Episode 30: Ross Richardson found a shipwreck from 1891! - Published: 2020-03-03 - Modified: 2020-03-03 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-anchor-fm-video-production-of-grand-episodes-episode-30-ross-richardson-found-a-shipwreck-from-1891-eanafefbclidiwar0wgurrlcmh0iqbmvpeofjav4-piewmuhhbtrdynqrvjonuhwfafkvz7ee/ - Categories: In The News Latest Podcast: Ross Richardson talks about shipwrecks and a very recent discovery!  | FEB. 3, 2020 Listen to the entire podcast here: Ross Richardson found a shipwreck from 1891! --- ### WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF SHIPWRECK HUNTING - Published: 2019-12-16 - Modified: 2019-12-16 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/https-www-northernexpress-com-news-feature-welcome-to-the-golden-age-of-shipwreck-hunting/ - Categories: In The News BETTER, MORE AFFORDABLE TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE SHIPWRECK SEARCHES A REGULAR GUY'S GAME. SHIPWRECK HUNTER ROSS RICHARDSON IS A CASE IN POINT. BY PATRICK SULLIVAN | NOV. 30, 2019 Read the entire article here: WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF SHIPWRECK HUNTING --- ### May 19, 2020 - Published: 2019-12-02 - Modified: 2020-01-13 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020-3/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Allegan District Library – Allegan, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m. 331 Hubbard St, Allegan, MI 49010 --- ### May 18, 2020 - Published: 2019-12-01 - Modified: 2020-01-13 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020-2/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Rauchholz Memorial Library – Helmock, MI. “Exploring Shipwrecks & Lighthouses in Northern Lake Michigan” Time: 6:30 p. m. 1140 N Hemlock Rd, Hemlock, MI 48626 --- ### May 16, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-30 - Modified: 2020-01-13 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-16-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Cadillac Wexford Public Library – Cadillac, MI.   “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 1:00 p. m. 411 S Lake St, Cadillac, MI 49601 --- ### May 12, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-29 - Modified: 2020-01-10 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-12-2020-2/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Williamston Library - Williamston, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 5:30 p. m. 3845 Vanneter Rd #1, Williamston, MI 48895 --- ### May 12, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-28 - Modified: 2020-01-10 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-12-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Aurelius Library - Mason, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 2:00 p. m. 1939 S Aurelius Rd, Mason, MI 48854 --- ### May 7, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-27 - Modified: 2019-12-16 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/may-7-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Northfield Township Area Library - Whitmore Lake, Michigan “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 6:30 p. m. --- ### LOST AND FOUND: 1891 shipwreck 'amazingly intact' on Lake Michigan bottom - Published: 2019-11-26 - Modified: 2019-11-26 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/lost-and-found-1891-shipwreck-amazingly-intact-on-lake-michigan-bottom/ - Categories: In The News NORTHPORT, Mich. — The Great Lakes have been sailed upon since the 17th century. Over the last 400 years, it's estimated that 6,000 vessels and 30,000 lives have been lost traversing these fresh waterways. The most recent maritime tragedy was 44 years ago when the Edmund Fitzgerald found itself caught in a storm, ultimately sinking in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, and killing the entire crew of 29. Read the entire article here: LOST AND FOUND: 1891 shipwreck 'amazingly intact' on Lake Michigan bottom Exploring the W. C. KIMBALL --- ### Upnorthlive.com: Shipwreck hunter makes unprecedented discovery hidden in the depths - Published: 2019-11-26 - Modified: 2019-11-26 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/upnorthlive-com-shipwreck-hunter-makes-unprecedented-discovery-hidden-in-the-depths/ - Categories: In The News Few people know the waters of the Manitou Passage better than author and shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson... Read the entire article here: Shipwreck hunter makes unprecedented discovery hidden in the depths Digital Art by Cal Kothrade --- ### Mlive.com: Lake Michigan Shipwreck W.C. KIMBALL - Published: 2019-11-26 - Modified: 2019-11-26 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-lake-michigan-shipwreck-w-c-kimball/ - Categories: In The News LAKE MICHIGAN – A shipwreck found almost by accident, sitting 300 feet deep in northern Lake Michigan, is being described as one of the “most intact wooden schooners” in the world. Read the entire article here: Lake Michigan shipwreck could be world’s ‘most intact wooden schooner’ ever found: Exploring the W. C. KIMBALL --- ### April 23, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-11 - Modified: 2019-12-18 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-23-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Rogers City Theater - Rogers City, MI “Manitou Mysteries” Time: 7:00 p. m. Address: 257 N 3rd St, Rogers City, MI 49779 --- ### April 20, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-10 - Modified: 2019-12-18 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-20-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Timothy C. Hauenstein Reynolds Township Library - Howard City, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 6:30 p. m. --- ### WZZM-13: 'I think it's a death car': Mysterious 1960 Lincoln may have gruesome backstory - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/wzzm-13-i-think-its-a-death-car-mysterious-1960-lincoln-may-have-gruesome-backstory/ - Categories: In The News A few years ago, Lucas contacted a man by the name of Ross Richardson, who is an author and has investigated unsolved mysteries, shipwrecks and disappearances in Michigan. "It's definitely a curiosity," said Richardson, who wrote a book about Michigan mysteries in 2014. Read the entire article here: Mysterious 1960 Lincoln may have gruesome backstory Photo courtesy of Bob Lucas --- ### Detroit News: Diver discovers shipwreck cluster - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/traverse-city-record-eagle-diver-says-he-found-westmoreland-shipwreck-2/ - Categories: In The News “I was looking for wrecks that haven’t been discovered and have a decent last known position,” said Richardson, who’s originally from Grand Rapids. “This is kind of the last place in Lake Michigan where there’s a concentration of wrecks that are undiscovered, but somewhat attainable. ” Read the full article here: Diver discovers shipwreck cluster Image: U. S. Coast Guard Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Michigan --- ### Could missing man from Grayling, Mich. be D.B. Cooper? - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/could-missing-man-from-grayling-mich-be-d-b-cooper/ - Categories: In The News Robert Richard Lepsy was a grocery store manager, husband and father of four. On October 29, 1969, Lepsy mysteriously disappeared from Grayling and, to this day, hasn't been seen or heard from since. "On the day he disappeared, he called his wife, Jackie, around lunch time and told her he was going to go for a ride," Richardson said, detailing the last known facts about Lepsy. "A few days later, Dick Lepsy's car was found in the parking lot at Traverse City's Cherry Capital Airport with the doors unlocked; a half-pack of cigarettes were sitting on the dash, and the keys were still in the ignition Read the full article here: Could missing man from Grayling, Mich. be D. B. Cooper? https://www. wzzm13. com/article/news/local/michigan-life/could-missing-man-from-grayling-mich-be-db-cooper/69-13043221 --- ### mlive.com: On remote Lake Michigan shoal, diver finds undiscovered shipwreck cluster - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-on-remote-lake-michigan-shoal-diver-finds-undiscovered-shipwreck-cluster/ - Categories: In The News Filming the wrecks, he said, is a way to share the history and experience. The wrecks, he said, “are right here in our backyard. ” “You only have to travel a few hours to come across a place that people haven’t been to in a really long time. ” Read the entire article here: On remote Lake Michigan shoal, diver finds undiscovered shipwreck cluster https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Suc6PD87gIA&feature=emb_logo --- ### Macomb Daily News: Michigan's mysterious treasure ship, the Westmoreland, found after 156 years - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2020-01-13 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/macomb-daily-news-michigans-mysterious-treasure-ship-the-westmoreland-found-after-156-years/ - Categories: In The News "... advances in diving and sonar technology certainly gave Richardson advantages over all of the expeditions before him, but ending up in the right place at the right time and dogged efforts to find the wreck certainly helped his cause. " Read the full article here: Michigan's mysterious treasure ship, the Westmoreland, found after 156 years --- ### April 18, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-09 - Modified: 2020-01-02 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-18-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Baldwin Public Library - Birmingham, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 2:00 p. m. 300 W. Merrill Street, Birmingham MI --- ### April 15, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-08 - Modified: 2020-01-02 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/april-15-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown Branch - Ann Arbor, MI “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m. 343 S. Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor MI --- ### March 25, 2020 (Postponed) - Published: 2019-11-07 - Modified: 2020-03-22 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/march-25-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Michigan Maritime Museum - South Haven, Michigan "Exploring Shipwrecks and Lighthouses in Northern Lake Michigan" Time: 6:30 p. m. --- ### March 21, 2020 (Postponed) - Published: 2019-11-05 - Modified: 2020-03-22 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/upcoming-events/march-21-2020/ - Categories: Upcoming Events Hesperia Community Library – Hesperia, MI. “Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 1:00 p. m. 80 S. Division Street, Hesperia MI --- ### mlive.com: Gold and whiskey cargo fuels legend of the Westmoreland shipwreck - Published: 2019-11-03 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/mlive-com-gold-and-whiskey-cargo-fuels-legend-of-the-westmoreland-shipwreck/ - Categories: In The News "... until 155 years after the sinking, when a diver and shipwreck sleuth from Grand Rapids would find what others could not; the wreck of the Westmoreland sitting upright on the lake bed, 200 feet under the surface of a bay where summer vacationers frolic in the shadow of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore. " Gold and whiskey cargo fuels legend of the Westmoreland shipwreck https://youtu. be/YPjFXU6ag_Y --- ### February 19, 2020 - Published: 2019-11-01 - Modified: 2020-03-11 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/february-19-2020/ - Categories: Past Events Milliken Auditorium – Traverse City, MI. “Exploring the W. C. KIMBALL, a Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure” Time: 7:00 p. m. 1410 College Dr, Traverse City, MI 49686 --- ### Traverse City Record Eagle: Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/traverse-city-record-eagle-diver-says-he-found-westmoreland-shipwreck/ - Categories: In The News Ross Richardson set out on yet another search in what had become a series of personal expeditions for one of the Great Lakes' noted shipwrecks... "This guy has done a super, super thing," Sawtelle said. "It takes a man with real guts to do that. " Read the full article here: Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck --- ### January 23, 2020 - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2020-01-25 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/january-23-2020/ - Categories: Past Events Romeo District Library, Kezar Branch, Romeo MI "Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure" Time: 6:00 p. m. at the Romeo District Library, Kezar Branch. 107 Church St, Romeo, MI 48065 --- ### November 23, 2019 - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2020-01-25 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/november-23-2019/ - Categories: Past Events Bay Area Divers Shipwrecks & Scuba 2019, Sandusky OH "Mysteries of the Manitou Passage" Time TBA. Check back for more info! --- ### WGN-Chicago: Diver finds clusters of undiscovered shipwrecks in Lake Michigan - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/wgn-chicago-diver-finds-clusters-of-undiscovered-shipwrecks-in-lake-michigan/ - Categories: In The News Shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson was hoping to find one of these shipwrecks this past summer. Instead, he possibly discovered five clusters of shipwrecks. “I spent many hours planning the logistics of this expedition,” Richardson said, “I needed to be totally self-reliant, especially during the diving operations. ” View the full feature here: https://wgntv. com/2014/11/10/diver-finds-clusters-of-undiscovered-shipwrecks-in-lake-michigan/ --- ### November 19, 2019 - Published: 2019-10-27 - Modified: 2020-01-25 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/november-19-2019/ - Categories: Past Events Charlevoix Public Library, Charlevoix MI "Mysteries of the Manitou Passage" Our next presentation will be at 7:00 p. m. at the Charlevoix Public Library and we'll be discussing the Manitou Passage... --- ### January 21, 2020 > "Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure" presentation at the St. Ignace Public LIbrary in St. Ignace, Michigan. - Published: 2019-10-25 - Modified: 2020-01-25 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/past-events/january-21-2020/ - Categories: Past Events St. Ignace Public Library, St. Ignace, MI. "Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure" Time: 7:00 p. m. Address: 110 W Spruce St,  St. Ignace --- ### 1892 W.H. Gilcher - Published: 2019-10-23 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/1892-w-h-gilcher/ - Categories: In The News Revisiting the mystery of the W. H. Gilcher Posted by editor - August 25, 2005 - Investigative Article3 By Jed JaworskiSun contributorThe infamous loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald shocked the entire Great Lakes community. How could one of the largest vessels, using modern technology, simply vanish with all on board? Leelanau County experienced its own version of the Edmund Fitzgerald story in the 1890s, when the largest and most technologically advanced ship of its time “sailed through a crack in the lake” off the Leelanau coast. The ship still lies undiscovered in the cold dark waters, and the mysteries of its loss remain unresolved. The 1880s and ‘90s experienced many revolutions in ship design and construction on the Great Lakes. One advent greeted with great skepticism was the use of iron and steel as hull materials. Despite doubts and grim predictions, the first iron-hulled carrier, the Onoko of 1882, proved a great success. 1890 saw the construction of the Western Reserve and W. H. Gilcher. These ships’ 300-foot hulls were of steel, not iron. Longer than a football field, they were among the largest ships of their time. The two vessels had different owners and slightly different construction details, but were considered sister ships. They met their owners’ fondest expectations for speed and efficiency. Almost at once the Gilcher captured the grain-carrying record by transporting 113,885 bushels of wheat from Chicago to Buffalo, New York. But August 30, 1892 found the Western Reserve bucking against a summer gale on Lake Superior. In addition to her regular crew, the owner, his family, guests and the captain’s sons were aboard. At... --- ### Apple Podcasts: DB COOPER - ROSS RICHARDSON ENCORE 2014 - Published: 2019-10-16 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/apple-podcasts-db-cooper-ross-richardson-encore-2014/ - Categories: In The News Listen to the podcast here: DB COOPER - ROSS RICHARDSON ENCORE 2014 --- ### Scuba Obsessed #35: Ross Richardson Discovers the Westmoreland. - Published: 2019-10-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/scuba-obsessed-35-ross-richardson-discovers-the-westmoreland/ - Categories: In The News Listen to the full Netcast here: Scuba Obsessed Netcast #35: Ross Richardson Discovers the Westmoreland. --- ### Thin Air Podcast: Richard Lepsy - Published: 2019-10-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/thin-air-richard-lepsy/ - Categories: In The News Listen to Episode 7: Thin Air here: --- ### October Author Next Door Spotlight: Ross Richardson - Published: 2019-10-09 - Modified: 2019-11-09 - URL: https://www.michiganmysteries.com/in-the-news/october-author-next-door-spotlight-ross-richardson/ - Categories: In The News AUTHOR AND SHIPWRECK HUNTER Ross Richardson is often thought of as the underwater Indiana Jones of the Great Lakes Region. In 2010 he discovered the wreck of the treasure ship Westmoreland in Lake Michigan, which is considered one of the most sought after shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.   Read the full article here: October Author Next Door Spotlight: Ross Richardson ---