
A Skeleton Appears on the Lake Michigan Shore Every Few Years
Seventeen miles north of Muskegon on the shores of Lake Michigan lies a skeleton – a skeleton that dates all the way back to 1897.
On Sylvan Beach is the home of the wreckage of The Contest; a ship that was built in Holland, Michigan in 1863. According to Wisconsinshipwrecks.org, The Contest was used for transporting dry goods and foods, cord wood, posts, stones, and railroad ties.
After 34 years of transport voyages, fate decided to put The Contest to rest. On April 16, the ship was trying to dock in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but a severe storm forced it back to shore. From there, the ship was sent to Milwaukee for damage repairs. When the owners saw how much the repairs were gonna cost, they said ‘forget it’ and decided to scrap it. It was planned to send the ship to a shipwreck graveyard on Jones Island, but The Contest was not going to have any part of that.

The ship disappeared – as if it had a mind of its own – and was found all the way across Lake Michigan, beached on the shore. Was it set adrift on purpose, or did it get loose and find its way back to Michigan on its own? Far-fetched, yes...but there are weirder tales to come out of the Great Lakes.
As the ship sat on Sylvan Beach for years, the Great Lake winds continuously blew sand and debris over the ship, eventually burying it in the beach. The ship has been recorded as being uncovered only a few times: 1942, 1974, and 2018. It seems to have appeared again in 2021, possibly meaning the beach is eroding even more than before.
You’ll find the wreck (if it’s not already covered up again) near the dock of the White River Lighthouse, Fruitland Township, Muskegon County.
Skeleton of The Contest, Lake Michigan
MORE MICHIGAN SHIPWRECKS:
Old Michigan Shipwrecks, Early 1900s
The Shipwreck 'Atlanta'
Wreck of the Rising Sun
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