Porter County's assets promote economic development

Jack Powers, left, Jeremy Powers, center, and Ben Powers, all from South Carolina, walk on the Indiana Dunes State Park beach while a cargo ship sails over Lake Michigan behind them last spring.

Grandson recalls one-time Hammond resident's trip on Titanic

Paul Pearson doesn't recall his grandfather Ernst Ulrick Persson talking about his voyage to America aboard the RMS Titanic a century ago.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks have tales to tell

Dozens of ships, from barges to schooners, ferries to sloops, have met their fate on Lake Michigan's waters.

Interactive Map: Shipwrecks

Explore the region's rich maritime history on this interactive map. Each anchor represents the site of a shipwreck on Lake Michigan. Click each anchor icon for more information. Data and photos provided by The Michigan City Lighthouse Museum.

VIDEO: Shipwrecks dot Lake Michigan

Thousands of ships have found a grim end in Lake Michigan and along the Northwest Indiana coast. Photos courtesy of the Eastland Disaster Society and the Library of Congress.

VIDEO: The Tale of the J.D. Marshall

Brad Bumgardner with the Indiana Dunes State Park tells the story of the J.D. Marshall.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks have tales to tell

Various artifacts from the J.D. Marshall shipwreck sit in a display case at the Michigan City Lighthouse Museum.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks have tales to tell

A display on the J.D. Marshall tells Michigan City Lighthouse Museum visitors about the shipwreck in Lake Michigan off the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks have tales to tell

Various artifacts from the J.D. Marshall shipwreck sit in a display case at the Michigan City Lighthouse Museum.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks have tales to tell

The David Dows was the only five-master on the Great Lakes, built for the grain trade. It became waterlogged and foundered Nov. 29, 1889, near Calumet Harbor.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

Brad Bumgardner, an Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist, kneels next to the propeller salvaged from the J.D. Marshall, a wooden sand sucker that shipwrecked just off the shoreline in June 1911.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist, kneels next to a propeller salvaged from the J.D. Marshall shipwreck off the shoreline.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

Capt. Leroy Rand was captain of the J.D. Marshall when it was shipwrecked off the coast of the Indiana Dunes State Park in June 1911.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist, talks about the J.D. Marshall, which capsized in Lake Michigan off the park's shoreline.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

A display at the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center features artifacts from the J.D. Marshall shipwreck.

Indiana Dunes State Park Interpretive Naturalist

Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist, talks about a salvaged portion of the J.D. Marshall's hull on April 6 at the park. The piece was salvaged illegally by divers and later recovered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

J.D. Marshall lies just offshore of Indiana Dunes State Park

Jack Powers, from left, Jeremy Powers and Ben Powers — all of South Carolina — walk on a beach April 6 at Indiana Dunes State Park while a cargo ship sails over Lake Michigan behind them. The J.D. Marshall shipwrecked near this location in June 1911.