I was supposed to cut a hole last sunday on Lake Winnepesauke in NH to go check out the Lady of the Lake (http://www.wreckhunter.net/DataPages/ladyofthelake-dat.htm), an old wooden steamer that sunk over a hundred years ago. I dove it once last summer, but it's just not the same as being under the ice. It's a pretty interesting little wreck. Because of the cold fresh water that it's in, it's still mostly intact.
Hi Doof,
For the last twelve years, there has been a similar steamboat on Lake Minnetonka here. It was on the bottom for a long time, pulled up in 1980, and in service again. It's quiet and beautiful as it passes me when I'm out sailing.
(http://www.jriver.com/~jriver/misc/minihaha.jpg)
Here's the story:
In 1905 the Twin City Rapid Transit Company began construction of a 65 acre picnic and amusement park on Big Island in Lake Minnetonka. They also implemented a streetcar line to Excelsior and built six fast express boats in 1906 and added a seventh in 1915. The boats provided streetcar-like service to 27 locations around the lake. Designed to resemble street cars, the boats were an extension of the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company. They were 70 feet long and could carry up to 135 passengers. Big Island park only lasted until 1911. However, the streetcar boats served as an extension of the streetcar line for 20 years.
Three of the boats (the Como, the White Bear, and the Minnehaha) were scuttled off of Big Island in 1926. Three more (the Harriet, the Stillwater, and the Excelsior) were dismantled in 1927. The Excelsior was stripped of its upper deck and used as a tug. The Hopkins was sold to a restaurant, renamed the Minnetonka and worked under steam until about 1942 when it was converted to use an internal combustion engine. It served on the lake until 1947 and then, in 1949 was sent to join the others at the bottom of the lake.
The Minnehaha was raised from the lake's bottom in 1980. Ten years later, in 1990, Museum volunteers started restoring the Minnehaha. The work was completed and the boat sailed for its maiden voyage in May, 1996. The restoration took over 80,000 hours of volunteer time and thousands of dollars in donations. Today, the Minnehaha sails from its homeport of Excelsior during the summer months.
http://www.mtmuseum.org/index.html?body=excelsior/