Lake Huron is host to hundreds of sunken vessels, some of them quite historic. The wrecks in these waters are extremely well preserved due to the cold, fresh water conditions.
On October 20, 1854, the Defiance was southbound on Lake Huron with a hull full of grain. Around 1:30 a.m., in misty conditions, she somehow struck the mid-section of another ship, the John J Audubon, gashing open the hull and ultimately causing its demise.
The Defiance followed the Audubon to its watery grave within fifteen minutes. Today, the Defiance rests intact in 185 feet of water, quite literally frozen in time. Remarkably, its wreck seems to be completely intact.
Source: NOAA
