J.D. Marshall Shipwreck and Nature Preserve

The J.D. Marshall was built in 1891 as an open hulled wooden steamer, and it was used inititally in the Great Lakes lumber trade business.  Later in 1910, the Independent Sand and Gravel Company bought the J.D. Marshall and had the ship refitted and designed for the gravel business, with the incorportation of many salvaged items from the Muskegon.  On June 9, 1911, the J.D. Marshall began to leak, eventually sinking about 300 yards from shore.  The wreck, offshore of the Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion, now rests upside-down in about 25 feet of water.  The J.D. Marshall has been a local dive site since its 1979 discovery by Gene Turner and the shipwreck's seasonal historic marker buoys can be seen from the park during summer months. This site is a significant example of a Great Lakes steam powered lumber hooker.  In 2013, the J.D. Marshall shipwreck site became part of Indiana's first underwater nature preserve. 

Funding for this program was provided in part by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.