Exhibit features history of Lake Erie shipwrecks

A new exhibit at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) in Erie, Pennsylvania, features several Lake Erie shipwrecks.

"Great Lakes Shipwrecks" is on display on the second-floor gallery at TREC through April 25. The exhibit tells the stories of several ships that sunk in Lake Erie and includes maps, photographs and artifacts retrieved from some of the vessels.

"This is an opportunity to appreciate the wonders beneath the waters," David Boughton, a maritime education specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant, said. "Each of these shipwrecks tells a story."

The exhibit was developed by Pennsylvania Sea Grant, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Erie Maritime Museum and the Erie County Historical Society. It was curated with funding from Penn State and the Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program. The free exhibit is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m.

On March 5, archaeologists will be on hand to identify and document shipwreck artifacts found by local residents. Interviews will be recorded for a "living history" project focused on shipwreck sites, stories and artifacts and the history of commercial waterfront operations.

For more information, contact David Boughton at dbb11@psu.edu or 814-720-0746. For class trips, contact Beth McLaughlin at beth@regsciconsort.com or 814-833-6050.