Indiana Shipwreck Preserve System and the Alice Dean Project (all ages)

Join Dr. Charles Beeker, Director of Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science, to discover how underwater archaeologists are bringing Indiana’s hidden maritime history to the surface, and learn why these shipwrecks are more than remnants of the past. Uncovering Indiana’s submerged history reveals new stories about Indiana’s history, technology and people.
Building on IU’s work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to document the JD Marshall and Muskegon (Peerless), Dr. Beeker will explore the ongoing effort to investigate the Alice Dean, an 1863 Civil War-era steamer, for potential inclusion in Indiana’s Shipwreck Preserve System. Come hear the latest discoveries and learn how Indiana is working to protect these remarkable pieces of history for future generations.
Indiana University (IU), in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), documented the JD Marshall and Muskegon (Peerless), leading to their designation within Indiana’s Shipwreck Preserve System under the Indiana Submerged Lands Preserves Act of 2025.