Coins from the time of President Lincoln, antiques predating the Civil War, preserved in the moody depths of Lake Michigan for almost 156 years. Can you feel the goosebumps? This isn’t just an archeological find, it’s an American saga whispered from the watery tomb.

Just when we thought Lake Michigan was simply minding its own business, a lurking history-buff, doing what it does best - being a lake - it coughs up a well-preserved antique schooner, named ‘Contest.’ A relic buried in the folds of time, still flashing youthful shine, concealing secrets of yore, now unveiling its intimate love affair with time travel.

The find is older than your grandpappy’s grandpappy! The vessel, a 19th century flirt, sunk in 1873 according to records. Today, the body of the 19th-century heartthrob remains nearly as dapper and undamaged as the day she decided to take her beauty sleep beneath the waves. She’s not a shipwreck, folks! She’s a glamorous ‘underwater sleeping beauty.’

Oh, this isn’t just another story of a ship lost to time. Rather, it’s an epic tale of maritime beauty refusing to bow down to time. ‘Contest’ was a racehorse, proud and hopeful, setting out with lofty ambitions from Buffalo, New York in 1855. The ship came to rest at about 300 feet below, where it, quite literally, went under the radar for more than one and a half centuries!

Ladies and gents, don’t you feel your ears burning with curiosity? This isn’t a tale of loss, it is a celebration of discovery. It’s no secret that we all admire those who age well. This girl is 156 years old and remains astonishingly intact, down to her cargo hold filled with coal. Preserved almost perfectly in the cold, dark, nether regions of Michigan’s deepest lake, this fossil of the past awaits the scrutiny of modern eyes.

The bottom-dwelling beauty even boasts some of her original paintwork, her cabin doors ajar, are inviting the voyeuristic archaeologists to take a peek into her survival story. This diver’s delight, an echo from the past, resonates even today, filling us all with suspense of what more we may uncover from this ancient abyss.

Not-needy and apparently happy with her hermit-like existence, ‘Contest’ was contentedly lying at the depth of approximately 300 feet, an enigma swaddled in mystery, she distance herself from the world of oxygen. Now, weary of solitude, the Contest has decided to surface to meet her admirers.