What Shipwreck Projects and Research Does UASC Work On?

The Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago (UASC) works on shipwreck documentation, site survey, and public education in the Great Lakes region. Its project list on uaschicago.org includes named wreck sites, a sidescan sonar survey, an Adopt-A-Shipwreck program, and NAS (Nautical Archaeology Society) training. The site separates these into Current Projects and Past Projects, and also records project photos, reports, and past speakers. If you want to volunteer or follow the work, the site points to a project contact page and a membership application rather than an open public field schedule.

Current Projects Listed by UASC

The site's Current Projects section names these efforts:

• 12th Street Beach Wreck — a wreck site project with its own page.
• Car Ferry No. 2 — a car ferry wreck project.
• Flora Hill — a wreck project.
• Material Service Barge — a barge wreck project.
• Sidescan Survey — a sonar-based survey project.
• Silver Spray — a wreck project.
• Solon H. Johnson — a wreck project with a dedicated project contact page, history, beach photos, and underwater photos.

These entries show the range of UASC work: individual wreck identification and documentation, plus remote-sensing survey using sidescan sonar. The Solon H. Johnson page is the most detailed example on the site, combining project contact information, historical background, and both beach and underwater photography.

Past Projects and What They Produced

The Past Projects section lists:

• The Buccaneer — with a separate Dexter/Buccaneer Photos page.
• Tym-Barge
• Adopt-A-Shipwreck
• Underwater Detectives

The presence of photo pages and a dedicated "Underwater Detectives" program indicates that UASC records and shares project results through images and public-facing educational activities, not only through fieldwork. The site also keeps Meeting Minutes from 2007 through 2019 and a Past Speakers list, which are the main written record of what was presented and discussed over time.

Research Areas Beyond Individual Wrecks

UASC's research interests extend past single sites. The site's Research Resources section covers:

• Ships and Shipwrecks
• Great Lakes History and Genealogy
• Historical Societies

The organization also runs NAS (Nautical Archaeology Society) Training, which is the pathway for members to learn survey and recording methods used on the wreck projects. Past speaker topics on the site include Great Lakes shipwreck research and maritime history, and the group maintains an Image Gallery with material from Door County (2010) and other events.

How Results Are Recorded and Shared

UASC shares project output through several channels visible on the site:

The next meeting listed is Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Zoom only, with social time at 6:30 PM CT, business at 7:00, and featured presenter Chris Kraska speaking on "The Loss of the Clough: Exploration, Discovery, and an Unexpected Tragedy." Registration is through a Zoom link on the site. Meetings are where project findings and research are presented to members and guests.

Can the Public or Volunteers Participate?

The site provides a Membership Application and Membership Payments page, a Subscribe to Mailing List option, and a Project Contact Information page. These are the stated routes for getting involved. The site does not publish an open volunteer schedule, fieldwork calendar, or prerequisite list for project participation, so anyone interested should use the project contact page or attend a meeting to ask about current needs. NAS Training is the listed skill-building path for those who want to take part in survey and documentation work.

For the most current project status, check the Current Projects pages directly, since the site's project list and meeting announcements are updated on its own schedule.