Learn the true story of the Lake Erie shipwreck, 'The Success'

Learn the true story of the sunken prison ship, “The Success,” at a program hosted by the Bay Village Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Mike and Georgann Wachter, well-known authors of “Erie Wrecks and Lights,” “Erie Wrecks East” and “Erie Wrecks West” have been diving around the world since the mid 1970s. However, nowhere else in the world have they discovered the kind of pristine and perfectly preserved shipwrecks that lie in the fresh waters of the Great Lakes.

The remains of the shipwreck “The Success” lie just off the coast of Port Clinton. Constructed in 1840 of Burmese teak in the Far East, the convict ship is the most fabled ship lost in the Great Lakes. While much of her story is true, many yarns have been invented over the years. Learn the real story and the colorful history of the ship as presented by the Wachters. The story is one of the best in the inland seas.

The evening begins with a social at 6 p.m. at the Bay Village Community House, followed by a potluck dinner and 7 p.m. program. The main entrée will be provided by the historical society. Guests with a last name beginning with A to L are asked to bring a side dish for 10 people. Attendees with a last name beginning with letters M to Z are asked to bring an appetizer or dessert. All guests should bring their own place setting.

Admission is free for Bay Village Historical Society members. If you are not a member, a $5 donation is requested to defray the cost of the meal. Membership is encouraged and dues are only $20 a year.

Those planning to attend should RSVP to Beth Conroy at 440-835-8769 or beth2335@yahoo.com by Sept. 14.

The society’s next program will be on Nov. 15 with a presentation from the Dittrick Medical History Center, an interdisciplinary study center in the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.