Parks & Recreation
More federal recognition sought for Great Lakes shipwrecks
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By ERIC FREEDMAN
Capital News Service
LANSING – Deep below the chill waters of northwestern Lake Huron, four doomed ships have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. While nobody other than SCUBA divers are likely to see them up-close, their history and their tragedy are now increasingly accessible to the public. The new official recognition of their importance is expected to spur efforts to list more of the Great Lakes’ hundreds of shipwrecks on the National Register, which the National Park Service describes as “the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation,” whether publicly or privately owned. “There are so many shipwrecks in Michigan waters that this is a long-term project. We’re focusing on ones that are more complete and hold more of the history,” said Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center.