Shipwrecks of the Berrien County Coast to Open in April 2012

The Joseph P. Farnan burned and sank in 1889.
 Drawing by Robert Doornbos, MSRA

A new permanent exhibit at the North Berrien Historical Museum explores the history of shipping and shipwreck discovery nearby in Lake Michigan. “Shipwrecks of the Berrien County Coast” focuses on over 40 ships that once carried people and goods to southwest Michigan, but were wrecked and now remain in the depths of local waters to this day. The exhibit examines the various cargos shipped, presents images and several salvaged artifacts from actual wrecks, and explains how underwater archaeology on shipwrecks can help people today discover unknown information about the past.

Berrien County developed with help from water-based transportation routes that linked it to Great Lakes ports. A study of the shipwrecks lost en-route to and from the region, and the cargos they carried, offers a glimpse of the region’s economic history. Although many of these vessels used the ports at St. Joseph- Benton Harbor in their travels, the exhibit also shows where historic piers once existed to aid in loading ships at numerous points along the coast.

The J. Barber with its load of peaches sank in 1871.
Image courtesy of C. Patrick Labadie Collection.

Most of the shipwrecks covered in the exhibit were lost in the mid to late nineteenth century, when commercial shipping in Lake Michigan was at its peak. On view are samples and pictures of the area’s most common ship cargo, which included fruit, grain, lumber, fish, raw materials, manufactured goods, and tourists, especially between here and Chicago. All this movement promoted the growth of trade and industry and thus the prosperity of southwest Michigan.

A few shipwreck artifacts have long been preserved in the North Berrien community. A historic ship’s bell will be featured in the exhibit, on loan from the First Congregational Church in Coloma. Traced back to the propeller steamer Montezuma built in Cleveland in 1848, the bell was salvaged from the ruined boat and donated to the church around 1860. In early 1895, the Carter family of Coloma was among those who saw debris strewn along the frozen beach between Benton Harbor and South Haven. The wreckage was undoubtedly from the Graham & Morton Company’s steamer Chicora, carrying flour from Milwaukee to St. Joseph when it was caught in a terrible blizzard. The Carter family kept a wooden stool from among the Chicora’s debris and used it at home for a century before donating it to the North Berrien Historical Museum, where it will now be a part of the new shipwrecks exhibit.

Sometimes local residents were even among those who tragically lost their lives when a ship foundered. Overloaded with a cargo of peaches in September 1868, the steamer Hippocampus capsized in a storm, killing twenty-six people including five crew men from Bainbridge Township. Overall, however, the lumbermen, farmers and shopkeepers of early Berrien County benefited greatly from their easy access to shipping on the Great Lakes.

Divers taking notes on a wreck.

“Shipwrecks of the Berrien County Coast” is guest curated by for Valerie van Heest of Holland, an historian and experienced shipwreck diver recognized in the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Van Heest is active in Lake Michigan wreck discovery as a co-founder of the non-profit Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and is also a museum exhibit designer with the firm Lafferty van Heest. She has earned several State History Awards from the Historical Society of Michigan for her books and distinguished volunteer service in promoting the study of our state’s submerged maritime heritage.

The North Berrien Historical Museum invites the public to attend two programs related to the new exhibit. An opening reception on Thursday, April 12, from 5:30-7:30pm will feature refreshments and remarks by guest curator Valerie van Heest at 6:00pm. On Wednesday, April 4, from 1:00-3:00pm, the museum invites all ages, especially ages 6-12, to join us for “Shipwreck Explorers: Spring Break Activity Day” during the school break. At this fun and free program, kids will receive a sailor hat, do a “treasure hunt” in our new exhibit, race toy sailboats, and more. Take home crafts will include making your own “message in a bottle” and a light-up model of the St. Joseph Lighthouse.

Admission to the North Berrien Historical Museum is free. Open hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm through May 1. After May 1 the museum’s summer hours begin, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. For more information please contact the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330 or visit our website at www.NorthBerrienHistory.org.