House in Lake Michigan

[Ed Zotti]

Dear Cecil:

Back in the late seventies or early eighties, there was a winter that was so cold that the surface of Lake Michigan froze all the way across -- solid enough that someone got the bright idea that he could use a house-moving truck to move his vacation home across the lake. (I don't remember whether the move was to, or from, Chicago.) Somewhere in the middle, the ice cracked, and the house slowly slid off the truck to the bottom of the lake, where it resides to this day, a vacation home for trout and carp. The breaking of the ice was slow enough that the truck driver was able to escape unharmed. In fact, it was slow enough that a photographer was able to drive out onto the lake and get pictures of the truck half in and half out of the ice. I'm not sure what ever happened to the truck -- probably towed back to shore, but it might have eventually gone under too.

I know this sounds like an urban legend, but I saw the pictures in the Chicago newspapers. I just can't find any reference to it online, and it seems to be completely forgotten. Maybe you could help.

Best regards,

Michael A.

[Mr Downtown]

Let's just say this has the ring of, um, urban myth. A search of Tribune archives 1970-86 turned up nothing.

But it also doesn't make any sense. In any year when Lake Michigan freezes far enough out from shore for this to be a possibility, it's covered with snowdrifts and uneven surfaces. Any summer day, on the other hand, you can put the house on a nice safe barge and take it across to Indiana or Michigan. Several of the Houses of Tomorrow from the 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition were moved in exactly this way to Beverly Shores, Indiana.

[Ed Zotti]

Agreed. I recall that the lake did freeze all the way across one year, but the notion that anyone would use the opportunity to drive across, much less haul a house, seems completely crazy and would certainly have gotten bigtime media coverage. I lived in Chicago all through this period and don't recall anything like this.

[samclem]

Dear Michael A.

You've got the basic story correct--but you messed up on the fine details, such as the name of the Lake(it was Superior, rather than Lake Michigan), and the State(it was Wisconsin, rather than Illinois).

This happened on March 2, 1977 near Bayfield WI. The movers were trying to transport a $40,000 furnished house from Port Superior to Madeline Island, about a 10 mile journey. The ice was about 16 inches thick, but evidently not thick enough.

The truck hauling the house sank almost immediately but the three movers got out in time. The house continued to "float" for a day or so and the Coast Guard finally ordered it sunk to prevent a hazard to navigation.

I haven't searched to find out whether it's still there.

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by samclem

Dear Michael A.

You've got the basic story correct--but you messed up on the fine details, such as the name of the Lake(it was Superior, rather than Lake Michigan), and the State(it was Wisconsin, rather than Illinois).

This happened on March 2, 1977 near Bayfield WI. The movers were trying to transport a $40,000 furnished house from Port Superior to Madeline Island, about a 10 mile journey. The ice was about 16 inches thick, but evidently not thick enough.

The truck hauling the house sank almost immediately but the three movers got out in time. The house continued to "float" for a day or so and the Coast Guard finally ordered it sunk to prevent a hazard to navigation.

I haven't searched to find out whether it's still there.

What a great find. I'd be curious to see those pictures.

edit: Good ole Google to the rescue!

[Ed Zotti]

Ha!

[Scruloose]

With the OP answered (nice job, BTW!), here's video of someone moving their 100 year old house across a frozen lake in Minnesota. I believe this was a couple of months ago.

Video