Shipwrecks Could Qualify Lake Minnetonka as a National Maritime Historical District

• New Shipwrecks Discovered at Bottom of Lake Minnetonka
  
• Lake Minnetonka Becomes State's First Lake to be Archaeologically Surveyed
  
• Sonar Imaging of Lake Minnetonka IDs New Wrecks

While the process can last several years and involve numerous rounds of comprehensive paperwork involving local, state and federal agencies, Merriman said she feels “very good” that Lake Minnetonka will eventually be recognized as a national historical district.

Maritime Heritage Minnesota has been using sonar to survey Lake Minnetonka and identify possible wreck sites since 2011, and Dr. Merriman says it’s not only the number of wrecks and possible wrecks that make Lake Minnetonka a good candidate for the national historical registry but the variety of craft.

In addition to three street car boats, Dr. Merriman said the bottom of Lake Minnetonka also contains an vast assortment of barges, work boats, sailboats, row boats and speed boats from the late 1800s all the way through the 20th century—even an ice boat and a 1955 Mercury automobile.

“We have an incredible array of different kinds of boats that sunk to the bottom of Lake Minnetonka, and that kind of history is not preserved anywhere,” Merriman said. “The work just hasn’t been done yet. Nobody has gone out with sonar and found them. That’s what we’re doing.”

Missing Pieces of History

Still undiscovered are several vessels that Merriman said are priceless pieces of state history. Exactly how many ships, however, is unknown because many boats were never reported as sunk in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Near the top of Maritime Heritage Minnesota’s list of target boats is the Eleanor—which blew up and sank somewhere on Echo Bay.

“The Eleanor might still be out there,” Merriman said. “It just might be one of our other anomalies. We may still find her.”

Another missing nautical gem is the Saucy Kate, which burned and was sunk east of Gale Island. Merriman said a strong sonar readings suggest a possible location of the ship, but efforts to dive on the wreck over the weekend were hampered by high winds, heavy boat traffic and unsafe diving conditions.

Another dive attempt is planned in the coming weeks.

“It’s a well-known one around the lake,” Dr. Merriman said. “If you grew up around the lake you’ve probably heard stories of the Saucy Kate. The anomaly may or may not be her—we just have to do a different type of search when it’s not so busy on the lake.”

A wreck off Casco Point south of Carmen Bay is believed to be a boat that caught fire at dock and was left to drift and sink.

“A local diver told me he dove on that a few years ago and said there was definitely a wreck there,” Dr. Merriman said. “It’s wrecks like those that we still have to dive on. Hopefully we’ll be able to positively identify at least a few more sites that we still have to dive on.”

In addition to some of the larger, more well-known wrecks still undiscovered are a fleet of smaller craft and vessels that Merriman said could provide valuable historical insight into Lake Minnetonka’s past and Minnesota’s maritime heritage.

Exploration of sonar anomalies suspected to be sunken ships will take place through the next few weeks. Comprehensive findings and data collected will be then be reported to the state for inclusion in the historical record.