Maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen will explore the region’s shipwrecks in a lecture titled “Underwater History: Wisconsin’s Shipwrecks.” The event will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 15th in the lower level meeting room of the Shorewood Village Center, 3920 North Murray Avenue.
Did you know that over 700 shipwrecks lie at the bottom of Wisconsin's lakes and rivers? Thomsen’s job includes diving into the cold, murky water of Lake Michigan to discover and document the shipwrecks that lie at the bottom of the lake. Every ship she finds has a story - why did it sink? What was the cargo? Were the passengers rescued? Thomsen’s presentation will include the challenges of her job and shipwreck stories she has helped to document. She will also discuss the Appomattox Shipwreck which lies on the bottom of Lake Michigan, just east of Atwater Beach. The Appomattox's "ship's knee" will be only display before the presentation.
Thomsen has worked as a maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society's Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program for the past thirteen years. Her research has resulted in the nomination of 41 Great Lakes shipwrecks to the National Register of Historic Places. She has received awards from the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society, and, in 2014, she was inducted into the Women Diver's Hall of Fame. Thomsen has worked as a photographer, researcher, and research diver on projects including the USS Monitor with NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries and RMS Titanic with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
This program is co-sponsored by the Shorewood Historical Society. It is free and open to the public.
More information is available at https://www.shorewoodlibrary.org/