Rahul Somvanshi
Hannah Damon had walked the shoreline at Camp Amnicon along Lake Superior dozens of times with her family. This week, she and her 9-year-old son looked into the water and saw the hull of a ship that has been sitting on the lakebed for over 70 years. What they found is the steam tug A.H. Pitz, and it has a history older than either of them.
The A.H. Pitz is a 70-foot steam tugboat built in 1923 that operated on Lake Superior before being abandoned in 1951 near the mouth of the Amnicon River, close to Superior, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Shipwrecks archives both carry records of the vessel. Hannah Damon, at Camp Amnicon, discovered the wreck during a recent beach visit with her son and reported it to preservation authorities. The wreck is visible in shallow water from shore under current water clarity conditions.
Great Lakes shipwrecks visible from public shorelines are protected under state and federal maritime preservation laws. Visitors can view and photograph the wreck freely, but removing, disturbing, or salvaging any part of the hull or its contents is prohibited. Camp Amnicon is a publicly accessible facility on Lake Superior's Wisconsin shoreline, and the wreck's exposure means it will likely draw increased visitor traffic from history and diving enthusiasts over the coming weeks.
Why the A.H. Pitz Stayed Hidden for Decades — and Resurfaced Now
The tugboat was not lost by accident. Historical records from the Wisconsin Shipwrecks registry confirm it was abandoned in 1951 at the Amnicon River mouth. The hull gradually became covered by sediment over the following decades and was effectively invisible even to people who had been visiting the same stretch of shoreline repeatedly across multiple years.
What changed is primarily lake levels. A dry summer lowered lake levels near the river mouth enough to expose the hull. Maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen of the Wisconsin Historical Society notes the last documented sighting of the wreck above water was in 2001. Lake Superior water level trends and seasonal shoreline changes explains how those conditions interact to expose and rebury submerged objects over time.
Damon and her son were not searching for a wreck. The hull was visible through the surface on a clear morning, with the boat's shape clear enough to identify as a vessel. The Wisconsin Shipwrecks registry confirmed the identification based on the known location and dimensions of the A.H. Pitz.
What is the shipwreck found in Lake Superior near the Amnicon River?
The wreck is the A.H. Pitz, a 70-foot steam tugboat built in 1923 that was abandoned in 1951 at the Amnicon River mouth near Superior, Wisconsin. It is protected under state and federal maritime preservation law. Visitors may view and photograph the wreck but may not remove or disturb any part of the vessel.
Camp Amnicon is open to the public. Visitors should check shoreline access and visibility conditions before travelling, as water clarity varies with weather and wind. Wisconsin state parks and Great Lakes historical waterways guide has current access information.
