The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL), in collaboration with Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE), has confirmed the recent discovery of a ship that sank in Lake Erie in 1868.
CLUE, with support from NMGL, has worked since 2001 to locate and identify shipwrecks in Lake Erie, helping to preserve and share the region’s maritime history.
Following several site visits, the creation of a detailed site map, and extensive historical research, the team has now positively identified the vessel as the sailing barque Clough.
NMGL said the wreck site is associated with CLUE's founder David VanZandt, who died in June 2024. According to his obituary, VanZandt suffered a medical emergency while diving at a then-newly discovered but unidentified wreck in Lake Erie.
Built in Lorain, Ohio, in 1867, Clough was a stone-hauling sailing vessel owned by Baxter Clough, a quarry owner from Amherst, Ohio. The 125-foot (38-metre) vessel was classified as a barque — a three-masted vessel rigged with square sails on the foremast and schooner sails on the main and mizzen masts.
The ship sank in Lake Erie on September 15, 1868, just one year after her launch, while transporting stone for Great Lakes commerce.
To share news about the discovery with the public, NMGL will debut a new temporary micro exhibit highlighting the vessel and the process behind her identification.
The exhibit opened on Wednesday, February 18, and will be on view through April 16 at NMGL in Toledo, Ohio. Visitors will learn about the vessel’s history, the archaeological work that led to its confirmation, and CLUE’s ongoing efforts to document Lake Erie shipwrecks.
