Originally built at 135 feet long with three decks, the Milwaukee steamship was sized to fit the dimensions of Welland Canal locks between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. For more than a decade the Milwaukee ran on four of the five Great Lakes carrying settlers and settlement supplies westward. The ship was then remodeled and repurposed to carry all manner of cargo across Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee was lost after it was rammed in 1886 midway across Lake Michigan off Holland in deep water.

Valerie van Heest, director of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, will visit the North Berrien Historical Museum to discuss the recently announced discovery of the steamship Milwaukee in deep water off Holland, Michigan. She will share the history of the ship, and the circumstances of the accident that bring to mind the old superstition that bad things happen in threes.

No RSVP is required for this free program.